Conor Daly revealed that he urinated inside his race car before the start of the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday, explaining that a weather delay forced drivers to wait on the grid for over 30 minutes. This unexpected situation occurred during the 109th running of the race and created a challenging experience for the Juncos Holinger Racing driver.
Due to light rain delaying the event, Daly was seated in his car for an extended period, leaving him no option but to relieve himself in the cockpit. He then endured the entire race sitting in the resulting mess, as the car could only be cleaned after returning to the garage upon race completion.
Conor Daly Opens Up About His Unusual Pre-Race Incident
At the Indy 500 banquet following the race, Daly spoke candidly about the incident, thanking his mechanics for their support amid the awkward situation.
“I want to thank my mechanics, specifically, because there’s been a lot of talk tonight and I saw on the internet a lot of toilet talk and maybe some using the bathroom because we had to wait a long time before the race,”
he said.
He continued,
“Never in my life have I urinated in my race car, until Sunday. I was sitting on the grid, and I was like ‘this is the best car I’ve been in my whole life. I’m going to have to pee in this thing’.”
Daly emphasized the timing:
“I kid you not. I legitimately urinated in my race car before the race even started. Before the race even started.”
Explaining the prolonged wait, he said,
“People ask me like ‘when did you do it?’ and I was like ‘we didn’t even start’. We sat in there for 30 minutes. I had to go really bad.”
Daly also reflected on possible reasons behind his urgent need, admitting uncertainty:
“I don’t know if it’s the diabetes or I’m just getting older. Helio [Castroneves] should know, he’s like 100. I don’t know if that happens to him a lot.”
Despite the discomfort, Daly endured the race:
“Maybe it is getting older, but I literally did the entire race sitting in my own pee. That was a tough one.”
He added with humor,
“I felt like we’re in a trust tree here. We don’t have to show that on Fox. Maybe you guys can just keep that to yourselves.”
Concluding his statement, he thanked the team again:
“So, thank you mechanics for dealing with that. I was honest. I came clean. It was an embarrassing moment…”
Race Performance and Impact of the Delay
Daly remained competitive throughout the Indianapolis 500, leading 13 laps and being a strong contender before experiencing sudden tire degradation with 40 laps remaining. Ultimately, he finished in 10th place but was later promoted to eighth after penalties affected Andretti Autosport drivers Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood.
Bathroom-related issues during races have occurred in motorsport history. For instance, former Red Bull Formula 1 driver Mark Webber vomited due to food poisoning during the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix, leading to his early retirement from that race.
The Struggle of Coping with Bathroom Needs During a Race
Daly admitted he never imagined himself having to urinate during a race, describing it as an unpleasant experience. “Not good,” he confessed.
“Honestly. I tell you what, it’s just not what I ever expected to do with my life.”
He described the mental challenge:
“I went through this mental battle because I thought ‘what is underneath my seat? Is this going to ruin my day? What’s going to happen?’”
Though he had heard of drivers managing this issue in the past, Daly was skeptical.
“I’ve heard drivers tell these stories before – ‘you can do it, it’s not that bad, just go’ – and I’m always like, ‘nah, you sweat too much’. It was cold. We weren’t sweating that much.”
He summed up the ordeal bluntly: “That was rough.”
Other Drivers Share Their Pre-Race Bathroom Challenges
David Malukas, driving for A.F. Foyt and classified second after post-race penalties, also faced toilet discomfort due to the prolonged delay.
“Before the race even started I had to pee so bad,”
Malukas admitted.
The extended postponement only intensified his problem:
“All these delays, it just made it so much worse. I just kept thinking about it.”
Once the race finally commenced, he found relief but was soon frustrated again by a caution period.
“Then finally the green flag drops, I was able to focus on the race and immediately it was caution again. I’m like, man, we need to just go or I’m going to piss myself in this car.”
Significance and Reflections on Race Delays and Driver Comfort
The unusual challenges faced by Daly and Malukas highlight the physical toll that race delays can impose on drivers, who must remain seated and focused while managing basic human needs in confined spaces. Such incidents shed light on the importance of considering driver comfort during unforeseen hold-ups, especially in high-stakes competitions like the Indianapolis 500.
Daly’s frank confession humanizes the intense pressures of professional racing, offering fans insight into the often hidden struggles behind the scenes. While his performance earned him a respectable finish, the experience of enduring a race while sitting in his own urine underscores the endurance and resilience demanded of drivers beyond just speed and skill.
