IndyCar’s Daly not slowed by Type 1 diabetes
IndyCar driver Conor Daly comes from a competitive family, so when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 14, family members took it as another challenge he’d beat on the way to a racing career.
Beth Boles, a novice jet ski world title winner in 1990, said of her son: “He never thought it was going to prohibit him. I’m competitive. We’ll figure it out.”
As one of three known drivers in an IndyCar or NASCAR series with Type 1 diabetes, Daly hopes he can be a positive example to others.
“If I can be an inspiration, yeah, that would be awesome,” Daly said. “I don’t know if I am. If they think I am, then cool. That’s great.”
Boles remembered her dad, a doctor, saying increased thirst could be a sign of diabetes.
“I remember it was Christmas, and he asked for a refrigerator for his room,” she said of her son. “I’m like, ‘Why do you want a refrigerator?’ ‘ That way I can put my drinks in it and stuff.’ I’m like, ‘That’s kind of crazy.’ ”
When Daly went to a go-kart race shortly afterward, Boles got a call from Daly’s father, former Formula One driver Derek
Daly, saying he could hardly get him out of bed.
It was advised to get him to a hospital after calls were made to family friends who were doctors.
“We didn’t know how it would be responded to, if people would let us race anymore,” Daly said of being diagnosed. “Kind of just kept doing our thing.”
That thing was winning. He won the 2006 World Karting Association Junior Nationals. He won the Skip Barber National Championship with five wins in 2008 and the Star Mazda Championship with a series-record seven wins in 2010.
Boles acknowledged that, like many mothers, she was sensitive early on about whether he took his insulin before go-karting. She became more worried when he went to Europe to race.
“I made him wear a dogtag,” Boles said.
That identified him as someone with diabetes.
Someone just like Charlie Kimball, a Californian who also had gone to Europe to compete. He missed four races in 2007 while driving in the World Series by Renault after he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He drove in the F3 Euroseries in 2008, then returned to the USA in 2009 to help promote diabetes awareness when he signed to race in the Indy Lights Series.
Kimball now drives the No. 83 Tresiba Honda in the Verizon IndyCar Series. When he won at Mid- Ohio Sports Car Course in 2013, he became the first driver with Type 1 diabetes to win in the IndyCar Series.
Kimball, who will start 16th in the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, has partnered with Novo Nordisk to raise awareness for diabetes.
Like Kimball, Daly races with a glucose monitor that transmits data so he’s aware if his glucose level falls during a race.
Daly, who will start 26th on Sunday, wears a Dexcom G5 sensor during the race.
“The team can’t monitor me,” he said. “I just have one (monitor) in the car to see, and it’s connected to my phone as well.
“Never been an issue. Never has, and as long as I do my job, then it shouldn’t be.”
Daly worked with Lilly Diabetes last year but now drives the No. 4 ABC Supply Co. Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Racing.
Daly, Kimball and NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ryan Reed are the three known drivers in national racing series with Type 1 diabetes.
“Fair credit to him,” Daly said of Kimball raising awareness of Type 1 diabetes through sponsorships in racing. “I was jealous, for sure. That did a lot of great things for him. For me, I worked a little bit with Lilly Diabetes last year, which was great. But I really have no affiliations with many people in the drug industry at all. I just go about my own business, help where I can in the Juvenile (Diabetes) Research Foundation.
“Life just takes a little bit more work, but there’s no sense in letting it stop you. It is annoying at times, very annoying. But in the end, it’s something that can be managed, as long as you do your job.”