INDIANAPOLIS — MannKind Corp. has announced an increased sponsorship of NTT IndyCar Series driver Conor Daly and Ed Carpenter Racing.
MannKind will be primary sponsor of the No. 20 ECR Chevrolet wheeled by Daly, who has Type 1 diabetes, during this weekend’s GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“MannKind first met Conor in early 2019, and his ability to rise above any challenge he’s faced really resonates with us,” said Michael Castagna, CEO of MannKind Corp. “We are driven to find new ways to give people control of their health, and Conor exemplifies the very spirit of MannKind’s mission – living life without limits.”
Daly was first diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 14.
“I’m excited to work with MannKind again for the 2021 racing season and I look forward to sharing my T1D story through this partnership,” said Daly. “I can’t wait to get the No. 20 MannKind Chevrolet on the track this weekend.”
Like many professional racers, Daly started regularly competing in karting at the age of 10. Four years later, he encountered a hurdle when he found himself heading to the hospital having lost weight and possessing an insatiable thirst for water. “I ended up not racing that day, but rather had tests run to learn what was going on with me,” recalled Daly. That answer came in the form of a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
“It came as a surprise, but I knew that this was just another challenge life was presenting, and I wasn’t going to let it slow me down,” said Daly.