PATASKALA, Ohio — Conor Daly is back behind the wheel of the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda for this weekend’s NTT IndyCar Series Iowa Speedway doubleheader.
Following further evaluation, MSR’s full-time driver Simon Pagenaud has not been cleared by the IndyCar Medical Team to compete in the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend at Iowa.
“I’m thankful to Mike (Shank) and Jim (Meyer) to calling me up to fill in for Simon again this weekend in Iowa. Obviously I’m wishing him the best and hope that he gets well soon. Iowa has definitely become one of my favorite tracks in the last couple of years.
“Obviously I have qualified really well there – qualified on the pole and started in the top three the last two years. Hopefully we can replicate that qualifying performance, but also deliver in the race. The team does an incredible job to prepare the car, so we’re going to do our best for Simon again. We’ll do everything we can to score some more points for the team and I’m thankful to drive this No. 60 car again for AutoNation and SiriusXm.”
The decision comes three weeks after Pagenaud experienced a massive shunt at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course following a manufacturer brake failure.
Having done so on short notice at Mid-Ohio, Daly will once again step into the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda and substitute for Pagenaud. The No. 60 Honda will also feature a new logo on its side pod starting this weekend.
Eight-time Grammy winner, Carrie Underwood launched her new SiriusXM Channel, “Carrie’s Country” – SXM Ch. 60 – with the logo being displayed on the side of the No. 60 Honda at Iowa Motor Speedway and Nashville.
Last weekend, MSR recruited its IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Series Championship winning driver, Tom Blomqvist to sub in the No. 60 Honda in Toronto – marking a big IndyCar Series debut for the Brit who was collected in a first lap crash.