Star Mazda champion to break Road-To-IndyCar

The way the Road to IndyCar ladder is supposed to work is that the Star Mazda champion is supposed to move up to Indy Lights and then if successful, up to IndyCar. Conor Daly, the soon to be Star Mazda champion for 2010 has other ideas.

"I've been to a lot of IndyCar races this year and a lot of people have been saying, 'Oh, we've got to have you in IndyCar,'," Conor says. "But my passion is Formula One. We need an American doing well representing this country in Formula One. That's what I want to do and to be in Formula One you have to race in Europe. So I think overall the goal is to be racing in Europe. But first I have to finish this year and see what opportunities present themselves towards the end of the year."

Conor's primary sponsor this year is Indeck Power & Capital owned by former CART and Champ Car team owner Jerry Forsythe who is also the co-owner of Cosworth with Kevin Kalkhoven. Following Champ Car's unification with the IRL Forsythe decided not to continue in Indy car racing, but he remains a great racing enthusiast and is a strong supporter of young Daly.

Conor will test a GP3 car with the Status team at Silverstone on September 6th. He and his father will then fly to the Italian GP at Monza the next weekend as they begin to decide on the right move for next year. In part from this Gordon Kirby article.