Conor Daly and Rinus VeeKay Set To Take On INDYCAR Harvest GP Doubleheader On The IMS Road Course

INDIANAPOLIS (September 29, 2020) – Race Preview

– This weekend, Ed Carpenter Racing will move operations from its race shop at 71st Street and Georgetown Road to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 16th and Georgetown. Back-to-back races on the IMS road course await the Indianapolis-based team on Friday and Saturday. Conor Daly, born and raised in nearby Noblesville, is a hometown favorite at The Racing Capital of the World. Rinus VeeKay will continue his fight for the Rookie of the Year title with only three races remaining in the 2020 season.

– The INDYCAR Harvest Grand Prix presented by GMR will be the first time race fans will be welcomed into IMS in 2020. In accordance with the Marion County Department of Public Health, attendance will be capped at 10,000 fans in the grandstands per day. A new event for 2020, the Harvest GP pays tribute to the 1916 Harvest Classic. Held on September 9, 1916, the Harvest Classic was created to help IMS stay afloat during World War I and featured three races at distances of 20, 50 and 100 miles. The 2020 Harvest GP will feature two races of 85 laps and 75 laps on the 2.439-mile circuit.

– The Harvest GP doubleheader will mark the third and fourth NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year. In addition to the Indianapolis 500, held on the oval in August, the INDYCAR Grand Prix took place on the 4th of July on the road course. The INDYCAR GP was Daly’s first race with ECR. He advanced to the second round of qualifications and finished 12th. VeeKay, who was only able to get in one lap at speed during qualifying, was left with the 18th starting position. He was the first car to pit, a move that paid dividends and allowed him to race his way through the field. In only his second start, VeeKay would record his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES Top 5 finish.

– ECR most recently competed at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in mid-September. There, Daly bettered his INDYCAR Grand Prix qualifying effort and locked in his best road course starting position of the season. Starting 4th, the 28-year-old narrowly missed out on a Top 10 finish as he had to coast home on the final lap, short on fuel. Daly is competing in the full NTT INDYCAR SERIES season this year, driving the No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for ECR in the road and street course events. During the ovals races when team owner Ed Carpenter was behind the wheel, Daly drove for Carlin. Daly earned his first career pole position at Iowa earlier this year.

– VeeKay, who turned 20 on September 11, currently leads the Rookie of the Year standings. His 5th place finish at IMS remains his highest road course result. VeeKay’s best finish of the year came one month ago at World Wide Technology Raceway oval in St. Louis. After finishing 6th in the first of the doubleheader events, the Dutchman finished 4th in the second. One week prior to securing his career-best finish, VeeKay started 4th in the Indianapolis 500. Driving the No. 21 SONAX/Autogeek Chevrolet, his qualifying effort was the highest of all Chevrolet-powered drivers and the best by a teenager in ‘500’ history.

– The Harvest Grand Prix will be a three-day event as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES shares the weekend with Intercontinental GT Challenge and GT World Challenge America. Daly and VeeKay will take to the track on Thursday afternoon for a practice session at 2:25 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying for Race 1 at 6:20 p.m. ET. Friday will feature Race 1 of the Harvest GP, an 85-lap race beginning at 4 p.m. ET on USA Network. Daly and VeeKay will earn their starting positions for Race 2 on Saturday morning at 10:20 a.m. ET. Race 2 will follow at 2:30 p.m. ET with 75 laps broadcast live on NBC.

CONOR DALY, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet: “We had a great qualifying performance last time we were at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. I am really excited about being back for the Harvest GP since we already have experience together as a team at this track. We can look back on what we learned in July, build on that and progress from there. Hopefully, we will qualify again very strong and have an even better race this time!”

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 SONAX/Autogeek Chevrolet: “I am very excited to get going again after a few weeks off! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course was great for me earlier this year. Having two more races here makes me twice as happy! And fans this time for the Harvest Grand Prix will make it even better!”