Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has announced a driver replacement for the upcoming oval race set in St. Louis. British driver Jack Harvey, who had been behind the wheel of car no. 30 for the past year and a half with a best result of tenth achieved at the 2022 Music City GP, has been dropped.
In his last race for the team, Harvey ended in P14 at Indianapolis last weekend, whereas him teammates Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard both had the chance to lead the race and crossed the line in P2 and P4 respectively.
Former Ed Carpenter Racing and Meyer Shank Racing driver Conor Daly will fill in for the British driver at the next round on the 27th of August at the World Wide Technology Raceway, as it was announced by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with the following statement:
“Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announced a change to their 2023 driver lineup for the No. 30 entry today. Veteran Conor Daly will compete for the team at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway on August 27. The driver for the No. 30 entry for races at Portland International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will be announced at a later date.”
Team co-Owner and winner of the Indy 500 Bobby Rahal commented on the news, thanking Harvey for his hard work and confirming that the remaining three rounds of the 2023 season will be used to evaluate and test possible full time drivers for the next year:
“First, I would like to thank Jack Harvey for all of his efforts on behalf of RLL for the last year and a half. He committed fully to the team but for whatever reason, we weren’t able to achieve the results that he or the team deserves and we wish him well in the future.
“We will use the final three races of the season to gauge other racing talent. I’m very pleased that Conor has agreed to join us in St. Louis. He’s been strong there and I feel that he can bring value to the team while also providing us with a strong effort. I look forward to having him with us.”
Photo credit: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Conor Daly is joining his third team of the season, after having started 2023 as a full-time driver for Ed Carpenter Racing in car no. 20. The American driver, who had scored a podium in Detroit in 2016, parted ways with the team after the 2023 round in Detroit, and replaced Simon Pagneaud in Meyer Shank Rcaing’s car no.60 for the races at Mid Ohio and Iowa.
Ahead of his debut with RLL, Daly, who has a best finish of fifth at the WWTD, has commented on the news as well, thanking his new team for the opportunity:
“It means a lot to have a chance to drive for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team. I’ve known Bobby ever since I was a child, our families are very close. Mike Lanigan is someone that has known my dad for a long time, and I’ve known him well too. And David Letterman is a friend of our family as well so it’s very special to have the chance to drive for this organization.”
“I will obviously do the best job that I can for them to make them proud and make their partners proud and I hope to be able to deliver everything they are looking for. I’m excited for the chance to get back behind the wheel at one of my favorite tracks at World Wide Technology Raceway.”
Departing driver Jack Harvey has also issued a statement from his media channels, thanking his former employers and expressing his wish to return racing in the series as soon as possible:
“It’s no secret that my time at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing didn’t go as planned. It was not through a lack of effort. I leave confident that I put my everything into every moment as a member of the team.”
“I am thankful for the time and effort that every crew member put in over the last two years. This has been challenging for everyone involved. I love my crew and their unwavering support.”
“Only time will tell what the future holds. I am more motivated than ever to find a new home in IndyCar to showcase what I am capable of doing behind the wheel of a race car.”
“We are not defined by our failures but rather how we respond to them. This is just one chapter in my story and I look forward to writing the next,” he concluded on a higher note.
