Schmidt Peterson Motorsports announced on Tuesday, May 26 that Conor Daly will drive the No. 5 Arrow Electronics Honda for the “Dual in Detroit” at Belle Isle Raceway on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31.
James Hinchcliffe, who normally drives the entry, is currently healing from a left thigh injury sustained during practice for the Indianapolis 500 on Monday, May 18. Hinchcliffe is expected to make a full recovery, per Verizon IndyCar Series officials.
“Conor drove for our Indy Lights team in 2011 and was leading in the championship points when he left for Europe to compete in GP3,” team owner Sam Schmidt said. “We’ve been impressed with what we’ve seen from him and after the bad luck at Indy, we’re pleased to give a young, American, uprising star another opportunity to compete.”
Daly qualified No. 43 Smithfield “Fueled by Bacon” Special for the Indianapolis 500 for SPM. Unfortunately, he was unable to start the race due to a pre-race fire.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to fill in for my close friend James this weekend,” Daly said. “I definitely want to thank Arrow Electronics, Lucas oil and all the team sponsors for giving me this shot. I can’t wait to continue working with the Schmidt Peterson guys and do the best job I can to keep James’ seat warm.
