Rette Jones Racing (RJR) confirmed today that open-wheel veteran Conor Daly will make his ARCA Menards Series debut in Friday afternoon’s Zinsser SmartCoat 150 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Daly is one of the most beloved figures in the American professional racing landscape and is one of just 29 drivers in history to have raced in NASCAR’s Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 within the same year.
Just as popular off the track, the Indiana native appeared in Season 30 of The Amazing Race and has engaged in a variety of activities that have highlighted his social personality, including hosting the prominent motorsports podcast Speed Street, as well as appearing in the 2024 NBA Celebrity All-Star Game in his home state.
“Very excited to finally make my ARCA debut with Rette Jones Racing,” said Daly. “This opportunity came up pretty last minute, but I love Mid-Ohio and really enjoy racing there. I’ve have raced a Truck there and so I have a little bit of heavy car experience there.
“I have run well in an IndyCar there in the past. Excited for this chance. Excited to see what this series is all about. I have a lot to learn obviously.”
Daly invades the ARCA Menards Series on the heels of finishing 10th in last month’s Indianapolis 500 at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway driving the No. 24 DRR Cusick Motorsports Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
The Noblesville, Indiana native will be partnered with Polkadot for his ARCA debut. The company is expanding its Motorsports platform after debuting with Daly as a Polkadot Brand Ambassador for the Indianapolis 500.
Launched in 2020 by Ethereum Co-Founder Gavin Wood, Polkadot is positioned to serve as the powerful, secure core of Web3. Polkadot’s decentralized governance places the community at the center of decision-making processes; every holder of the Polkadot token (DOT) has a voice towards shaping the platform’s future direction.
“I appreciate that the fact that Polkadot is supporting us throughout this effort,” added Daly.
“We want to go be competitive, and we’ll see how it goes. I want to say thanks to all the folks that made this happen. Mark Rette has been really helpful in getting me into the game and we’re going to go and try and win a race together.”
Daly is no stranger to Mid-Ohio’s 2.258-mile road course, which is nestled in Lexington, Ohio. Since 2016, Daly has competed in eight IndyCar races, earning a track-best finish of sixth during his track debut in 2016 driving for veteran owner Dale Coyne.
In those eight starts, Daly has driven for some of the most recognized teams in IndyCar competition, including A.J. Foyt Racing, Harding Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing, and most recently, Meyer Shank Racing during the 2023 season.
Last July, Daly made one of his three NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts at Mid-Ohio, starting and finishing 18th in an entry fielded by Niece Motorsports.
On Friday afternoon, Daly has an opportunity to steer Rette Jones Racing back to Victory Lane in the developmental national series owned by NASCAR.
“Rette Jones Racing is beyond thrilled to have Conor drive our No. 30 Polkadot Ford Mustang on Friday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,” offered Rette Jones Racing co-owner and crew chief Mark Rette.
“Without hesitation, I believe that Conor should quickly dial himself into the track, and we can continue to tweak the car throughout the race. hopefully, give us the opportunity to not only maintain our presence near the front of the field but gives us the opportunity to get back to Victory Lane.
“I appreciate Andrew (Stallings) and the entire Athelo Group for bringing Conor and Polkadot to Rette Jones Racing. This is a huge last-minute opportunity for our organization, and we definitely plan to make the most of it.”
In addition to the team’s limited ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series schedules, RJR will continue to field a full-time ASA STARS National Tour effort for Canadian Kyle Steckly resuming with the RedBud 400 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway on July 20, 2024.
For more on Conor Daly, like him on Facebook (Conor Daly Official) and follow him on Instagram (@conordaly22), TikTok (@conordalydriver) and X | Twitter (@ConorDaly22).
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and X | Twitter (@RetteJones30).
The Zinsser SmartCoat 150 (42 laps | 94.84 miles) is the eighth of 20 races on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice and General Tire pole qualifying is set for Friday, June 21, from 12:35 p.m. – 1:35 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 6:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 2 (FS2). ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the day’s festivities.
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