Daly to enter Daytona 500 on boxer’s team
IndyCar driver Conor Daly will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 with the NASCAR team owned by Floyd Mayweather.
The Money Team Racing raced its way into the Daytona 500 last year with driver Kaz Grala; Daly made his Cup Series debut for the team in October on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“The Money Team Racing shocked the world by making the Daytona 500 last year and I believe in this team and know we will prepare a great car for this year’s race,” Mayweather said Tuesday. “Like a fighter who’s always ready to face the best, Conor has the courage to buckle into this beast without any practice and put that car into the field. Conor is like a hungry fighter and my kind of guy. I sure wouldn’t bet against him.”
Daly will be among six drivers vying for four open spots in the 40-car field. Among those also trying to qualify for an open spot in the Feb. 19 season opener is seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and action sports star Travis Pastrana, a close friend of Daly’s.
The announcement to enter Daly in the Daytona 500 came just eight days before Daytona International Speedway opens for race preparations. Daly said last week he was not hesitant to accept a late offer and TMT said it will enter Daly in at least six other Cup races this season. The effort will be funded by Bitnile.com, which is Daly and Ed Carpenter Racing’s sponsor in IndyCar.
Bitnile executive chairman Todd Ault III said it would also sponsor Daly at Circuit of the Americas in Austin in March for the “Texas Two-Step,” in which Daly will run the IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway the next week.
Ault also said there would be a “Daly Double” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August, when Daly runs both the IndyCar and Cup races on the same weekend on the road course.
The remaining Cup races Daly enters will be dependent on his schedule.