The No. 20 Chevrolet entry for Ed Carpenter Racing will look different at Road America as the team parts with Conor Daly.
In a move that sent shockwaves through the IndyCar paddock Wednesday, it was announced that Conor Daly and ECR have decided to part ways effective immediately after over three seasons.
[DRIVER UPDATE] Ed Carpenter Racing and Conor Daly have mutually agreed to end their relationship, effective immediately.
The No. 20 https://t.co/lSLlMEAc03 Chevrolet will continue as a full-time entry in the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.https://t.co/15Qr82OVe4
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Xv1tOlilAA
— Ed Carpenter Racing (@ECRIndy) June 7, 2023
A statement from team owner Ed Carpenter read “This is the most difficult decision I have made as a team owner because I respect Conor and know what he means to INDYCAR and its fans. Our team has not been performing at the level we are capable of this year, and despite making technical changes and investments in the offseason, 2023 has been extremely challenging. I have put a great deal of consideration into the current state of our team and realize it is my obligation to our employees, partners, and supporters to do whatever is necessary to elevate our team’s competitiveness. We sincerely wish Conor continued success and will cheer him on wherever he goes next.”
Impact on the Team
The status of the No. 21 Chevy, driven by Rinus VeeKay is unaffected, as well as the ovals-only program of Ed Carpenter and the No. 33. Information regarding the driver of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevrolet for the upcoming event at Road America will be released in due course.
Throughout the day the rumors were swirling as to who the driver will be in the No. 20 entry at Road America next week and with no word from ECR, according to the Paddock Eye, the two names surfacing are the 2022 Indy NXT Champion Linus Lindqvist, who just a few weeks ago tested for ECR and former Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.
In response to Carpenter, Conor Daly released this statement on his Twitter:
Statement: pic.twitter.com/o4KLOGJKDB
— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22) June 7, 2023
Daly, a native of Noblesville, Indiana, got his start in the Indy NXT Series before moving full-time to the IndyCar Series in 2013. Along with his IndyCar experience, Conor is also driven in the NASCAR Truck Series along with the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the last two years with The Money Team with Floyd Mayweather in the NASCAR Cup series, competing in the Daytona 500.
