9/1/2019
CONOR DALY MAKES BC39 RETURN WITH PETRY
Speedway, Indiana .......Conor Daly, a top-ten finisher in this past May's 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500, has filed his entry to compete in a USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget in the September 4-5 Driven2SaveLives BC39 powered by NOS Energy Drink at The Dirt Track at IMS.
The 27-year-old Noblesville, Ind. native will take the wheel of the Petry Motorsports No. 35 for the second running of the event. Daly's ride, sponsored by Jonathan Byrd's Racing, FK Rod Ends and Keizer Wheels, will be part of a four-car stable for the Petry team alongside USAC standouts Kevin Thomas, Jr., Dave Darland and Jerry Coons, Jr.
Daly is a veteran of 48 career NTT IndyCar Series starts, including six Indianapolis 500 appearances, starting 11th and finishing 10th in May. Just last weekend, he recorded a season-best finish of sixth in the IndyCar event at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
Daly has made two previous USAC Midget appearances, both in 2018. His first race came in the inaugural BC39 for Landon Simon Racing with the most recent coming in the season finale indoors at the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, the Junior Knepper 55, for owner Jody Rosenboom.
Greenfield, Indiana-based Petry Motorsports has two cars and two drivers residing in the top-ten of USAC's NOS Energy Drink National Midget standings. Thomas (Cullman, Ala.) is fifth in the standings with one win to his credit, back in April, during the Kokomo Grand Prix at Kokomo Speedway. Coons, a two-time series champ, sits seventh in the standings with five top-fives and 14 top-ten finishes in 21 starts.
On track action begins Wednesday, Sept. 4, beginning with the drivers meeting in the IMS Media Room at 2pm. Public gates open at 3pm with cars hitting the track for practice at 5pm, followed by opening ceremonies at 6:30pm. Heat races and the Stoops Pursuit race will conclude the night's racing action.
The finale, on Thursday, Sept. 5, will have the public gates opening at 3pm and cars on track for practice at 4:30pm, with qualifying races to follow at 5:30pm. Opening ceremonies are slated for 7pm and immediately followed by the main feature events, starting with multiple D-Mains, C-Main, the semi-feature and the 39-lap main event.
Spectator tickets and any competitors still looking to buy seats in the competitor section can purchase through www.ims.com/usac.
The BC39 officially gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 3 with team parking at noon. From 4-6pm, catch five USAC icons at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum's USAC Stars: From the Dirt Track to the Brickyard series. The event will feature legends Don and Mel Kenyon, and current drivers Michael Pickens, Chris Windom and Chad Boat. Pat Sullivan, longtime USAC public address announcer, historian, and author, will emcee this evening of entertaining banter and thrilling stories.
Tickets are available to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum members for $15 and non-members for $20. Limited seating. Tickets must be purchased in advance. For more information or to buy tickets, contact Kelly Hartman at khartman@brickyard.com.
Following the event, make your way to USAC headquarters, just across the street from the IMS Administration office at 4910 W. 16th Street, for the BC39 Draft Party from 5:30pm to 8:30pm Eastern where drivers will draw for their heat race positions. All cars entered will be randomized into a draft order for the heat race draft. Teams will be able to pick their heat race spot, either in person with a representative, or remotely through USAC officials. Any unrepresented team will be given the first available spot. The heat race position draft is open to the public with team members getting priority into the new USAC worldwide headquarters. Food and beverages will be available.
Article Credit: Richie Murry
