After losing his IndyCar Series drive at Ed Carpenter Racing to Ryan Hunter-Reay, who ironically drove for Dreyer & Reinbold at the Indianapolis 500, Daly will make his debut in the rebranded rallycross-style series – the brainchild of American action sports superhero Travis Pastrana.
Daly previously tested a Honda Civic Global Rallycross car in 2016. His first race will be this week at MidAmerica Outdoors in Jay, Oklahoma on a track that’s been purpose-built to Pastrana’s design.
“I'm incredibly excited to join Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC and compete in the upcoming Nitrocross race in Oklahoma,” said Daly. “The chance to test my abilities in this intense, adrenaline-fueled series is something I've been anticipating.
“I'm grateful to the team for believing in me and providing this incredible opportunity. I can't wait to get behind the wheel and showcase what we can achieve together. I also want to thank Travis Pastrana and Nitrocross for all of their help and effort in getting this program together.”
Team co-owner Dennis Reinbold added: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Daly to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing JC for the first round of the 2023-24 Nitrocross season. Conor's proven talent and racing prowess make him an ideal addition to our team.
“We have no doubt that his unique skills will significantly contribute to our success in this thrilling motorsport discipline.”
Nitrocross aims to blend off-road racing, extreme sports and high-speed action, and is known for its challenging tracks, daring jumps, and technical terrain.
Brett Clarke, president of Nitrocross, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Conor to the field for Round 1. His top-flight resume in multiple disciplines, including INDYCAR, NASCAR, and more, shows the excitement of motorsport’s best for Nitrocross’ unique brand of high-adrenaline racing.
“We’ve been looking to have Conor in the series for a number of years now and we’re excited to make this happen on the much-anticipated new track at Mid America Outdoors. Travis and Conor have built up a close relationship since the pandemic, challenging each other in everything from iRacing, Nitro Circus’ offshore power boat invitational, 24 Hours of Lemons all the way to the Daytona 500.
“We look forward to seeing him put on a show and compete against Travis and a stacked field in Oklahoma.”
The new Oklahoma track includes over 150-feet of overall elevation change, a huge banked hairpin turn – the biggest berm ever in rallycross – tight snaking corners and an over-under Joker lap split.
Track builder Nate Wessel claimed: “This is going to blow people’s minds. There has never been anything designed or built like this on the planet for these types of cars.”
