One of the goals and challenges for the Verizon IndyCar Series in its offseason is to keep its drivers in some sort of national consciousness once the offseason hits after the season finale.
This occurred well last year with James Hinchcliffe on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” after partnering with Sharna Burgess. The likable “Team Stop and Go” finished runner-up to Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez.
Meanwhile in another racing-to-pop culture connection, one-time Indianapolis 500 starter and Indy Lights veteran Arie Luyendyk Jr., son of INDYCAR Race Steward and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Arie Luyendyk, has been named the new “bachelor” for ABC’s series of the same name.
Now it appears, although it hasn’t been confirmed yet by CBS or INDYCAR, that a pair of IndyCar rising stars, good friends, roommates and popular Americans in Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly will be part of the 30th and next season of CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” the popular adventure competition show.
A few posts that circulated on Twitter on Sunday revealed Rossi and Daly as anticipated new contestants. You can see those below, including from one of Rossi’s top fans, Sarah Connors.
Someone looks familiar….. @AlexanderRossi @ConorDaly22 https://t.co/fJ62etSmQT
— Remy (@RemyConnors) October 1, 2017
Interesting. 🤔 Well, he does know a few things about #Racing. https://t.co/HupKus3UVb
— HPD-North American Motorsport (@HondaRacing_HPD) October 1, 2017
Daly made his competition show debut in NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” this year after a trio of drivers - Helio Castroneves, Tony Kanaan and Josef Newgarden - did so in 2016. He switched to A.J. Foyt Enterprises this year after racing in 2016 with Dale Coyne Racing.
Interestingly, Daly posted a cryptic tweet after the season that he’d be taking a break from social media, but he didn’t give a reason why.
Taking a break from social media, which I'm sure most of you think isn't possible for me, lol should be good for the soul ✌️
— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22) September 26, 2017
Rossi won the 2016 Indianapolis 500 and has found a home in IndyCar with Andretti Autosport and NAPA Auto Parts over the last two seasons, coming home to America after his long pursuit of Formula 1 that saw him make five Grands Prix starts in 2015.