Conor Daly laments 'missing the ideal lap' at Barber qualifying

Conor Daly will start 19th in Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park after a tough qualifying session on Saturday. Driving the No. 76 Chevrolet for Juncos Hollinger Racing, Daly was knocked out in Round 1 after finishing 10th in his group. He later said that he missed putting together the “ideal lap” that could have helped him move forward.

Daly’s fastest lap was 1 minute, 8.0017 seconds, set on his final attempt of the session. That lap came with a top speed of 121.762 mph. However, it wasn’t enough to get into the top six of his group and advance to the next round. He was 0.8343 seconds slower than Alex Palou, who led the first group of 13 cars.

While Palou went on to claim the pole position in the final Firestone Fast Six shootout, Conor Daly eventually ended up in the 19th spot in the combined qualification standings. After the qualifying was completed, Daly took to social media and shared some thoughts on his efforts. While he lamented about not putting together an ideal lap, he is looking forward to the race on Sunday.

"Just missed the ideal lap in qualifying today," Daly wrote on Instagram. "Tires weren’t quite in the window to start our best lap. We made a huge step forward with the balance today, but have to nail all aspects of tire prep these days. We’ll be in good shape tomorrow!"

Despite his frustration, Conor Daly felt that the car showed improvement in handling. He expects a stronger performance during Sunday’s race, as the No. 76 team will be hoping to use strategy and race pace to move up the field.

Daly currently sits 21st in the IndyCar drivers' standings with 32 points to his name. His teammate, Sting Ray Robb, is right above him in 20th with 39 points.

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Conor Daly reacts to the newly released Indy 500 promo

Conor Daly said he felt emotional after watching the newest promotional video for the Indianapolis 500. The video, shared by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on social media, focused on the history, drama, and meaning of the race in American culture. For Daly, who is from Indiana, the message was extra special.

The 33-year-old Juncos Hollinger Racing driver is preparing to compete in the 109th running of the Indy 500. This will also be his 12th attempt at the race. He shared his reaction on X after seeing the video.

“Hey, I won’t lie, this video got some butterflies going inside my stomach region. Maybe some goosebumps on top of that. 👀 #Indy500,” Daly posted.

The 2025 Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May 25. The green flag is set to wave at 10:00 am ET, one day before Memorial Day, as is tradition.