Meyer Shank Racing has recalled Conor Daly for this weekend’s Iowa IndyCar double-header, despite having its own Tom Blomqvist fill in for Simon Pagenaud a week earlier.
Pagenaud remains sidelined after displaying concussion-like symptoms following his wild rollover crash in practice at Mid-Ohio at the start of the month.
Blomqvist, one of MSR’s IMSA sportscar drivers, was handed the keys to the #60 Honda in Toronto but his debut IndyCar race was over within seconds when he was on the outside of a three-wide crunch at Turn 1.
A fortnight prior, Daly had been called up at very short notice at Mid-Ohio and, crucially, has oval experience which Blomqvist does not.
“I’m thankful to [co-owners] Mike [Shank] and Jim [Meyer] for calling me up to fill in for Simon again this weekend in Iowa,” said the Indiana native.
“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. 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 #60 car again for AutoNation and SiriusXM.”
Daly was dumped by Ed Carpenter Racing earlier this season but, as he noted, his only IndyCar pole position to date has come on the 0.894-mile short oval of Iowa, three years ago.
Practice takes place on Friday (Saturday morning AEST).
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