Another new driver could join the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Conor Daly has listed a full-time run in the Truck Series as a “Plan B” in the wake of major sponsorship changes at his IndyCar program.
The veteran IndyCar driver recorded an episode of the “Speed Street” podcast that he does with Joey Mulinaro and discussed a large number of topics. Chief among them was the United States Air Force parting ways with Ed Carpenter Racing. Daly explained during the November 18 episode that a change in administration always affects military spending and that he and ECR have known about the Air Force’s departure for three weeks.
“I’ve been going along this as if [the Air Force] weren’t going to come back,” Daly told Mulinaro. “Because you have to. We have other things in play, and I met with Ed [Carpenter] yesterday. We still have the potential to put the exact same program together in IndyCar, but I also have this Plan B of potentially going NASCAR Truck racing.”
Daly explained that he wants to return to IndyCar and Ed Carpenter Racing, but only running a part-time schedule would not be the same. He could fight for wins, but he wouldn’t be in the championship battle. He would just be kind of a “placeholder.”
Daly Has 3 Starts Across 2 NASCAR Series
The full-time IndyCar driver would not make his NASCAR debut if he moved forward and ran full-time in the Truck Series. He would actually just continue to gain experience after previously making three starts.
Daly made his debut in 2018 with a start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He joined Roush Fenway Racing for a trip to Road America and turned in a solid performance early by qualifying 15th overall. However, a suspension issue ended his day 10 laps prior to the checkered flag.
Daly returned to NASCAR in 2020 and 2021 with one Camping World Truck Series start each season. He ran at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Niece Motorsports and finished 18th in the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado without having any practice or qualifying sessions. He then returned to Niece in 2021 for the spring race at Las Vegas and finished 40th after a crash.
If the situation plays out a certain way, Daly could add 23 more starts to his NASCAR resume. However, he clarified that a full-time run would not just be a “Plan B.” He told Mulinaro that he would go “all-in” on NASCAR and might even move to Charlotte to fully pursue this career and competitive runs.
A Return to the Indy 500 Could Be Possible While Running Trucks
GettyConor Daly could race in both NASCAR and the Indy 500.
If Daly had to choose between running the Indy 500 on a part-time schedule or a full-time run in the Truck Series, he would move forward with a NASCAR career. The Indy 500 is “the biggest” event of the year, but Daly wants to compete. However, there is also a scenario where he runs a full-time Truck Series schedule while still competing in the Indy 500.
“As far as I know, yes,” Daly said. “There is a little bit of some interesting travel. I might have to do a private jet deal with someone. I don’t know. As I’ve looked at it, I do believe it is a possibility. I’ve certainly moved forward as if it is.
“There are a couple during the month of May, but a lot of them are at night. Which help, because obviously, we don’t do anything at night at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We’ll see. We’ve got to figure out what we have and then we go into the tough details of it.”
To Daly’s point, the 2022 Indy 500 takes place on May 29, 2022. There are four Truck Series races during the month of May. The drivers will head to Darlington Raceway (May 6), Kansas Speedway (May 14), Texas Motor Speedway (May 20), and Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 27). This schedule would provide Daly with plenty of time to fly from Indianapolis to Charlotte and compete in both races.
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Conor Daly Eyes Possible Full-Time Run in Truck Series