Getty Conor Daly will return to TMT Racing.
The Money Team Racing kicked off the 2023 season by qualifying for the Daytona 500. Now the part-time NASCAR Cup Series team has set the next race on its schedule.
The Money Team (TMT) Racing announced the news on Instagram. The team said that its next race will be the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on March 26. Conor Daly will once again be the driver of the No. 50 BitNile Chevrolet Camaro.
This race in Texas will mark Daly’s third career Cup Series start. His debut took place in 2022 at the Charlotte Roval as he overcame a steering issue in practice that sent him into the wall, two blown tires, and a fire in the cockpit. He ultimately finished 34th overall. He then returned for the 2023 Daytona 500 and qualified as an open entry.
Daly will now take on a different road course while reuniting with TMT Racing. He will head to Texas and attempt to qualify for one of the spots in the 40-car field while continuing to embrace opportunities in NASCAR.
Daly’s Road Course Experience Will Only Grow
GettyConor Daly celebrates after qualifying for the Daytona 500.
The upcoming race at Circuit of the Americas will provide Daly with multiple opportunities to gain experience. First, he will have more time behind the wheel of the No. 50 BitNile Chevrolet Camaro. Second, he will add another road course to his resume.
The IndyCar veteran has limited stock car experience at road courses. He has one Cup Series start at the Charlotte Roval (2021) and one Xfinity Series start at Road America (2018). The trip to Wisconsin started with Daly qualifying 15th overall in a Roush Fenway Racing — now RFK Racing — Ford, but it ended with him in the garage due to a suspension issue.
Daly will now take on Circuit of the Americas for the first time in a Cup Series car. He will kick off his weekend with practice and qualifying before he takes on the 68-lap event at the Texas road course.
Issues Disrupted Daly’s Daytona 500 Experience
GettyConor Daly overcame issues during the Daytona 500 weekend.
Daly’s second career start was in the biggest event on the Cup Series schedule. He had to race his way into the Daytona 500 while beating out multiple other drivers pursuing the same goal.
This experience was by no means simple. For example, Daly missed single-car qualifying after an electrical short burnt a hole in the oil line and forced the TMT Racing crew to focus on making repairs.
The issues only continued after Daly started last in the second Bluegreen Vacations Duel. His car began violently bouncing due to an unknown issue, and he didn’t have the same speed as other cars in the field.
It appeared that he would not qualify for The Great American Race, but Daniel Suarez triggered a multi-car crash after a push sent Kyle Busch into the wall. This incident collected the other open cars driven by Travis Pastrana and Austin Hill.
Today, @ConorDaly22 becomes the 62nd driver to compete in the #Daytona500 and #Indy500.
In 98 days, he could become the 29th to do both in the same year.
Daly finished ahead of both Pastrana and Hill and secured his spot in the Daytona 500. Though he ultimately had to complete the entire superspeedway race without a rearview mirror.
The experience was not ideal, but Daly still embraced every moment as he finished 29th overall. Now, he is poised to join a historic list. If he starts the 2023 Indy 500, he will become one of only 29 people to compete in the Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same year.
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TMT Racing Sets Date for Next NASCAR Race