Photo Credit: Chris Owens/IndyCar
Conor Daly has been named the driver of Harding Racing’s No. 88 Chevrolet for the Honda Indy at Toronto this weekend, replacing the team’s usual driver Gabby Chaves.
Team president Brian Barnhart iterated that Chaves is still with the team, and that the goal of placing Daly in the car is to scope out a possible teammate for Chaves if the team expands to two cars in 2019.
“At this point in the season, we are focusing all our attention on the 2019 season,” Barnhart said in a team release. “If we can expand to a two-car team, all remaining races and testing will offer driver evaluation opportunities to determine who will become Gabby’s teammate in 2019. Gabby is still fully employed and still under contract with Harding for the remainder of this year and in 2019.”
After running full-time in the Verizon IndyCar Series last year for A.J. Foyt Racing, Daly was left without a ride in 2018. He ran the Indianapolis 500 for Dale Coyne Racing, finishing 21st. He also plans to make his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut at Road America for Roush Fenway Racing next month.
In past starts on the Streets of Toronto, Daly has a best finish of 12th in 2015 when he raced in place of injured James Hinchcliffe. Daly has three starts in Toronto.
