Conor Daly has conceded his departure from AJ Foyt Racing at the end of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series season came as “a bit of a surprise” as he continues to work on finding a future in the championship.
Daly was dropped by the Foyt team after a single season in 2017 alongside teammate Carlos Munoz as it opted to draft in two new faces for 2018, picking up Tony Kanaan from Chip Ganassi Racing and signing Indy Lights race winner Matheus Leist.
Speaking to the official Verizon IndyCar Series website, Daly admitted that his departure from the Foyt team came as a surprise, but said he remains determined to try and resolve the situation to secure a drive for next year.
“I’m not going to lie, it is tough, but I want to see this through. I never want to give up on what I am doing,” Daly said.
“After the last two years, I’m extremely hungry for the right situation. I just have to continue to push hard and control my own destiny.
“It was a bit of a surprise to me. The seats at the [other] teams who had sponsors were full, so it just kind of compounded a difficult situation.
“But you’d also hate to know in July or August that by the end of it you’ll be out of a job.
“In the racing world right now, it’s a tough game.”
Dale Coyne Racing holds the only full-season seat that is vacant for the 2018 season, needing a teammate for Sebastien Bourdais. Daly raced for Coyne through 2016, taking his first podium in the series with a run to second in Detroit.
The only other option for Daly lies at Ed Carpenter Racing, which requires a driver to fill the street and road course schedule in the No. 20 Chevrolet in place of team boss Ed Carpenter, who only features on the oval rounds.