RACE RESULTS

3rd: RINUS VEEKAY No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet
19th: CONOR DALY No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet

NEXT RACE: GMR Grand Prix, May 14 (NBC, 3 p.m. ET)

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET

CONOR DALY, No. 20 BitNile Chevrolet, Finished 19th: “It was a tough race today. Obviously qualifying yesterday hurt us as it would have been good to start farther up. But now we’ve got the month of May coming up and we’ve been fast on both the road course and the oval at IMS, so we’ll focus on that now and get this BitNile Chevy back towards the front!”

OF NOTE: 

• Conor Daly’s qualifying run was interrupted by dirt on the track, costing him his quick lap. He started 22nd in today’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, opting for a three-lap strategy. He made his first stop on Lap 12, switching from black Firestone Firehawks to reds.

• A full-course caution on Lap 33 served as an opportunity for Daly to make his second pit stop. He gained two positions on the restart, moving up to the 21st position. 

• His third and final stop came on Lap 62, where he selected a set of black tires to finish the race. The No. 21 BitNile Chevrolet crew helped propel Daly forward by gaining him another position in the pit lane. At the conclusion of the 90 laps, Daly took the checkered flag in 19th. 

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX CHEVROLET

RINUS VEEKAY, No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet, Finished 3rd : “It was going really well. The SONAX car was really super fast even saving fuel. Then that last pit stop I was a little too on the brakes turning into five and that’s where he (Pato O’Ward) got me.  Then I lost some time and Alex Palou got me and we dropped to third. Normally I should be the happiest guy on earth with a podium, but now…but we are headed to the Indy Road Course and that’s been good for us, and then the 500. I feel ready and excited to get there.”

OF NOTE: 

• Rinus VeeKay earned his second career NTT P1 Award yesterday and started from the pole position in today’s race. He took a commanding lead from the drop of the green flag, pacing the field until his first pit stop on Lap 30.

• Two laps later, a full-course caution came out. The only two cars in front of VeeKay were on a three-stop strategy and came in for their second pit stops. VeeKay moved back into the lead and remained there through his second stint.

• Quick work by the No. 21 SONAX Chevrolet helped VeeKay be the first car off pit lane after his second stop on Lap 61, but he was passed by Pato O’Ward on their out lap. Alex Palou slotted in between the two, placing VeeKay in third. VeeKay was then trapped behind a lapped car and the gap to the front two cars became too much to overcome. Still, VeeKay would earn his fourth career podium finish with today’s 3rd place result.