Conor Daly, currently racing for Juncos Hollinger Racing, has publicly voiced his concerns over the Detroit Grand Prix circuit and its scheduling in the IndyCar calendar. Daly believes that holding the Detroit street race immediately after the iconic Indy 500 is not ideal for the series’ image.
Speaking on the Speed Street podcast, Daly reminisced about the former Belle Isle circuit—a 2.5-mile street track that hosted the Detroit GP until 2023. He expressed his fondness for the Belle Isle event, calling it one of his favorite races and recalling his proud moment of standing on the podium with Juan Pablo Montoya and Sebastian Bourdais during his rookie year in IndyCar. Daly lamented the loss of Belle Isle, saying:
“The Belle Isle race in Detroit was one of my favorite events. I still have a trophy from it right behind me. That’s one of my proudest moments, to stand on the podium with Juan Pablo Montoya and Sebastian Bourdais, my rookie year in IndyCar. So many good moments from Belle Isle, and it’s a shame we can’t race there.”
Criticism of the Current Downtown Detroit Circuit
Daly elaborated on why the current 1.6-mile downtown Detroit circuit isn’t suitable, especially right after the Indy 500. He pointed out that the bumpy track offers limited overtaking opportunities and doesn’t showcase the best of IndyCar racing:
“First of all, I don’t believe having this race directly after the 500 is a great look. I look at this track, and I look at our cars, and I’ve seen better races and better racing elsewhere. And I don’t believe this is a great look for our racing series, to be honest. Pato was out there talking some wild stuff too.”
Pato O’Ward Shares Similar Sentiments
Pato O’Ward, driver for Arrow McLaren, echoed Daly’s sentiments after the race. O’Ward was blunt in his criticism, telling reporter Tony Donohue:
“You guys know, I don’t sugarcoat it. I hate this place. It sucks. It’s a horrible track. I really miss Belle Isle. You get to really appreciate what an Indy car can do in Belle Isle. Here, you’re just Mickey mousing around the whole time. It’s just been very challenging. So I’m glad that it’s over.”
Daly Calls for Negotiations to Return to Belle Isle
Daly expressed his desire for IndyCar to renegotiate with Belle Isle organizers to bring the race back to its former location. He acknowledged the historical significance of Belle Isle for IndyCar, noting that the series began racing there in 1990 and, despite interruptions, it was a mainstay until 2023. However, local opposition to the annual transformation of the public park into a racing circuit led to the move downtown.
Daly remains hopeful for a compromise:
“I don’t even know if there’s a way to get back to Belle Isle. I think with the way nature and the folks out there have decided things that they wanted to take the race off of Belle Isle, maybe there’s a way to renegotiate that and we can figure it out because I don’t want to not race in Detroit.”
Daly’s Current Season
Conor Daly is currently experiencing a challenging first season with Juncos Hollinger Racing. Despite his struggles, he performed well at the 109th Indy 500, where he was in contention for the win before a right rear tire issue dropped him to an eventual eighth-place finish—his best result of the season so far.
