Fansided

Alexander Rossi and the 5 best IndyCar storylines to watch this season

By Brittany Frederick

The No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Scott Dixon. Photo Credit: Chris Gritzmacher/Courtesy of IndyCar.
The No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda of Scott Dixon. Photo Credit: Chris Gritzmacher/Courtesy of IndyCar. /
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Conor Daly will return to IndyCar for the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Photo Credit: James Black/Courtesy of IndyCar. /

2. Conor Daly at the Indy 500

It might sound crazy to be so excited about an Indianapolis 500-only driver, but not when that driver is Conor Daly. Fans are well acquainted with his story: the Indiana native has scrapped for every race he can get, becoming a journeyman throughout IndyCar, but never quite getting the break he deserves. That could all change in 2019, now that he’s competing in the Indy 500 for Andretti Autosport.

Andretti are always the team to beat in the Month of May; their cars are usually fast and they bring a strong lineup of drivers each year. Daly has never had anywhere near these resources behind him before; he drove the Indy 500 for Schmidt Peterson back in 2015, but never actually started the race when his engine blew. This is his best shot at winning IndyCar’s biggest race.

More than that, though, everyone is hoping this is the start of something bigger. It’s possible that a strong showing in May could earn Daly more races with Andretti Autosport, and that would be a huge change for his career. He’s only gotten to run two full seasons in IndyCar, and both times he’s gotten dropped for somebody else immediately afterward.

This is the true litmus test: to see what Conor Daly can do with the power of a major team behind him. And if he can show well and prove that everybody missed out on him, if he can parlay this into the career he’s always wanted to have, that would be a story everyone would love. After all, he was voted “Fan Favorite Driver” in 2017.