Even without turning a lap in qualifying and an ill-handling car, Conor Daly lucked his way into his first Daytona 500.
Conor Daly experienced a roller coaster Speedweeks, and we’ve not yet dropped the green flag for the Daytona 500.
His car didn’t pass inspection on Wednesday and he didn’t turn a lap in qualifying. With no practice prior to that, Thursday’s Bluegreen Vacations Duel was his first lap around Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR. But not before he radioed that “something’s bent” on the rear of his car. Afterward, Daly noted,
“When we went out there, the car was bouncing around I had no idea what was going on.”
He thought it was a drivetrain issue. Which explains how loose it was on the first drive. So much so that he lost touch with the pack after just three laps. After the race, however, crew chief, Tony Eury Jr. told Matt Weaver of Motorsports Tribune that it was a combination of car setup and Daly’s inexperience in a stock car.
Tony Eury Jr on what plagued Conor Daly and The Money Team and why he thinks he can get the car right for Sunday pic.twitter.com/NaQrJ6nJCg
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 17, 2023
Mulligans for Conor Daly
An early caution gave him a mulligan that he cashed in on pit road. Except on the next drive, when Daly said his car was “undrivably loose.” By then, however, Austin Hill out-paced him for the final spot and Daly needed another mulligan to race his way into the Daytona 500. That mulligan came on Lap 41.
Leader Kyle Busch goes around and into the wall after a push from Daniel Suárez in Duel 2 at Daytona. pic.twitter.com/0MSdU2AG5q
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 17, 2023
As luck would have it, Hill was among the drivers collected in the multi-car wreck on the backstretch. Hill’s team failed to repair the car in time and he retired from the race. So by default, Daly overtook Hill on the leaderboard and brought his Money Team Racing Chevrolet home to a 17th-place finish. While not his first NASCAR Cup Series start, this will be the first start in the Daytona 500 for the IndyCar veteran.
“Well, we were inherently unlucky for the last 36 hours, but we got lucky. I wish I could have said that I drove it in on pure pace, but it was just crazy. This race, I’ve watched it for so many years and so much crazy stuff can happen, and thankfully we were on the right side of the craziness. It’s pretty amazing.”
But he wasn’t the only driver to race his way in, Thursday. Defending NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Zane Smith benefited from another driver’s misfortune to lock his way into the Daytona 500.
Alas, for everyone who made it, two drivers missed the cut. Along with Hill, Chandler Smith lost his chance after he served a pass-through penalty for speeding on pit road.
