Conor Daly has urged IndyCar officials to enforce stricter penalties after a collision between Christian Rasmussen and Kyffin Simpson during the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg early this season. The crash occurred on lap 27 while both young drivers were battling for 10th place, highlighting concerns about aggressive driving and race control.
Simpson, running in 11th position, made a risky move to pass Rasmussen inside Turn 1. Despite limited space, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver pressed forward until his front left tire touched the rear right tire of Rasmussen’s car, causing Rasmussen’s Chevy to spin. IndyCar’s independent officiating board reviewed the incident but chose not to penalize Simpson.
Daly Highlights the Need for Consequences in Aggressive Racing Incidents
With a history of on-track conflicts involving Rasmussen, Daly weighed in on the incident during a recent episode of the Speed Street podcast. He emphasized that while Rasmussen generally accepts aggressive driving, Simpson’s attempt crossed a line in this case.
“As Rasmussen says, he’s never going to lift, which again, he shouldn’t have in this case anyway. Kyffin was overly aggressive and did stick it in there. Like, if the shoe is on the other foot, if Rasmussen did that to Kyffin, he probably would have just been like, ‘Yeah, no that’s how racing is.’ So I think we have to, as a series, I think that should have been probably a penalty.”
Currently serving as a reserve driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, Daly also referenced a prior collision at Portland last year caused by Rasmussen’s aggressive maneuvering. However, he made it clear that Rasmussen was not at fault in this particular incident.
“And I’m taking Rasmussen’s side on this one, like, hey, he should not have been spun out there. But if you’re asking for that and if you’re going to be doing that, then you got to be willing to take it as well. (But) I don’t like that. I don’t think that should be acceptable because if you’re going to be able to turn into a corner, get to their left rear, and just spin them out, I don’t see how you don’t penalize them for that. That’s just wrecking someone,” the 34-year-old IndyCar veteran added.
In the race outcome, Simpson finished 15th while Rasmussen ended in 19th, both losing several positions compared to their qualifying spots.
Daly Addresses First-Lap Crash Involving Sting Ray Robb
During the same podcast, Daly also reflected on another notable incident during the St. Petersburg race, a substantial crash on the opening lap triggered by Sting Ray Robb. Robb, a former Juncos Hollinger Racing teammate, suffered a tire lockup at Turn 4 and collided with Santino Ferrucci, causing both cars to crash into barriers and collecting Mick Schumacher in the resulting pileup.
Though the error was Robb’s, Daly refrained from harsh criticism, emphasizing the human side of racing mistakes.
“After being teammates with Sting Ray – he’s such a great person. Like, he’s a really nice guy, and I have nothing bad to say about him. And people do make mistakes, right? This could be someone else in Phoenix (next race), right? But just a really tough way to start. Turn 4 is very inviting to go down the inside, but when you’re that far back in the pack, you do lose a lot of that aero capability of the car.”
Conor Daly’s Evolving Role with Juncos Hollinger Racing
Although Daly is not guaranteed a permanent spot on the 2026 IndyCar grid, he continues to maintain a connection with Juncos Hollinger Racing as a reserve and development driver. His involvement remains significant through the sponsorship deals he facilitated, including ARCO and ampm, which will feature on the cars driven by teammates Rinus Veekay and Sting Ray Robb.
Implications for IndyCar’s Approach to Race Officiating and Driver Conduct
Daly’s call for tougher penalties underscores ongoing tensions around driver conduct and race officiating in IndyCar. These incidents reveal a delicate balance between aggressive racing and fair competition, with officials facing pressure to adapt their disciplinary measures to prevent dangerous maneuvers while respecting competitive spirit. As the season progresses, how IndyCar handles such incidents could have lasting effects on driver behavior and race outcomes.
Christian Rasmussen goes around after contact from Kyffin Simpson. pic.twitter.com/Y6QZlrM9q4
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) March 1, 2026
