INDIANAPOLIS – Once a year I go to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and am reminded at the incredible number of stories out there. Every IndyCar driver is a story. Every team is a story. Shoot, every fan is a story. As I found out in the column I’m about to mention…
And there are a lot of fans out there these days. The 2025 Indianapolis 500 was a sellout, and so is the 2026 Indy 500. That’s a lot of people – more than 300,000 at each race – and if I had to guess which current driver is the absolute crowd favorite, I’d make it a toss-up between four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves … and Conor Daly.
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Daly has never won the Indy 500 – or any IndyCar race. Not once in 131 starts since 2013. But he challenges every year at the Indy 500, and he’s from Noblesville, though I think his popularity is about more than either of those. Something about the way he drives, talks, even struts, speaks to this fanbase.
That’s as detailed as I can get. It’s like love: Hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. And the IndyCar crowd loves it some Conor Daly.
Which is why my boss suggested, Sunday during Indianapolis 500 qualifying, that I write about Daly.
Me to my boss: Even if he doesn’t made it into the Fast 6 Shootout?
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Boss: Even then.
Love my bosses, so I started following Daly after he fell short of the Fast 6. That allowed me to see two touching moments between Daly and an individual fan, and one mass crowd moment that was so surreal, I wasn’t sure what I was watching until it became obvious. Both are in the column.
Doyel: Alex Palou wins Indianapolis 500 pole, but Conor Daly wins Indy 500 crowd
Let’s go to the Mailbagg™. And join us next time by getting into our free IndyStar text group, in the link below any of my online columns.
Indianapolis 500 crowd loves Conor Daly
From: Gary S.
I’m a big Conor Daly fan.
You don’t say.
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From: John H.
I was Very Happy that Conor made the “Fast 12.” As my Daughter and Her Family kept Cheering Him On. But then we all became sad, when he Barely Missed on getting into the “Fast 6.” But at least He Did Finish Starting the Race 500 in the 4th Row! A Great Spot, to Win the Race From.
I must say, John, I’m fascinated by the way you capitalize certain words. It’s like reading a book title.
A really long book title.
Not sure what any of this has to do with Conor Daly, though.
Alex Palou domination continues with Indy 500 pole
Alex Palou is halfway toward becoming the Greatest of All Time – and no, John H.’s capitalization is not contagious. Alex Palou is halfway to becoming the GOAT of IndyCar.
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But he’s dominating the series at a time when it’s having more and more bizarre incidents: Repeat scandals by Team Penske, the race team founded and still owned by IndyCar series owner Roger Penske, along with a number of on-track incidents that have led to IndyCar making up rules as it goes.
As I wrote, Alex Palou is serious about dominating the unserious IndyCar series.
Doyel on Palou: Alex Palou is serious about dominating the unserious IndyCar series
See?
From: Wayne B.
After reading your IndyCar column two times, I fully agree with your assessment. Yes IndyCar’s new rules committee dropped the ball. Drivers and teams need immediate answers. That’s a rules committee failure in my opinion.
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Had to read it twice? The media is told to write at a sixth-grade level, and I’m pretty sure I limbo beneath that limit. You a fourth-grade dropout, Wayne?
From: Charles M.
I love IndyCar, but they have made a lot of questionable calls. To me, the worst was the 2023 Indy 500 when they threw the red flag when Marcus Ericsson had the lead with one lap to go. We knew he was a dead duck when they went green. Nothing against Josef Newgarden, but Ericsson should have won that race.
Newgarden was and still is a member of Team Penske. And since that 2023 Indy 500, his team has been caught breaking the rules – twice. One violation contributed to IndyCar rewriting its push-to-pass rules. The other violation contributed to IndyCar hiring an independent rules arbiter, to remove the “Roger Penske’s drivers keep cheating” clean-up responsibility from a series owned by Roger Penske.
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Doyel in 2023: Josef Newgarden wins 2023 Indy 500, celebrates with ALL of Indiana
Doyel in 2025: Team Penske at Indy 500: Terrible at cheating, or haplessly innocent?
Ex-Colts player is in ICE custody – and you refuse to read?
From: Me to the group
You know how I share maybe 1-2 stories a week written by someone else? Because I think it will resonate strongly with you? This is one.
Headline: “From ‘Kenyan Hercules’ to detainee: Ex-Colts player is in ICE custody”
Byline: Kristine Phillips and Joel A. Erickson
News: From ‘Kenyan Hercules’ to detainee: Ex-Colts player detained at ICE’s ‘Speedway Slammer’
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From: Thomas D.
I’m not going to read this one Gregg, because whether or not he should be in custody, you will insert your left-leaning opinion. This is the only thing I can’t stand about your writings. You’re a great writer, and it’s OK if you’re a left-leaning Democrat. I’m not, and we can have civil disagreements all day long. However your cryptic shots at the right (at me) don’t go unnoticed.
What cryptic shots, Thomas? Hard to trust your reading comprehension, seeing how you seemed to miss the part in that text WHERE I VERY CLEARLY SAID that was a story written by someone other than me.
From: Carol C.
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The Kenyan Hercules story is so sad. He obviously needs help that he is not getting. And he’s been locked up at the Speedway Slammer for almost one year now.
Better not to read it, Carol. We wouldn’t want to know what our government is doing. Probably not even accurate. Probably just another cryptic shot at the right (by me), even if I didn’t actually write the story. Because my cryptic shots are THAT good.
From: Rosemary K.
This story breaks my heart. This man deserves so much better. He needs treatment, not jail. And being detained by ICE is even worse in that horrible Speedway Slammer. He’s caught in the system with no way out but further mental decline.
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Empathy is good. Only way to fix problems is to acknowledge them first.
Or we could just refuse to read stories that don’t cheerlead for our team. Might be easier that way.
From: Gary W.
My goodness what a sad story; we lose sight of these guys when they no longer play for our teams. I hope he gets the help he needs.
This is why I shared it. A former Colts player, breaking down mentally, in the Speedway Slammer – who wouldn’t be interested in that story around here? Other than Thomas D., I mean.
Mother’s Day, and last week’s Mailbagg
From: Vance W.
Thanks for putting my quote in last week’s Mailbagg. Does that mean I am now published?!
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When I was 12 years old, I wrote a letter to the editor of Sports Illustrated – hand-written; this was 1983 – and they published it! And sent me $2.
They also edited the heck out of it. Still makes me mad. Leave my copy alone!
IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel had a column published in Sports Illustrated in 1983
From: Larry J.
Thanks Gregg for the tender and poignant column about your mother. You made me laugh and cry. I read it to my wife (the mother of three children) and she enjoyed and was also touched by it.
Thank you Larry. Not sure I’ll write about Mom again. Not sure I won’t, though. I write what moves me. We’ll see…
Mailbagg last week: Was NBA Draft lottery result a crime against Pacers – or the verdict on Zubac trade
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Doyel on Mother’s Day: This is the first Mother’s Day since she died, but my mom’s everywhere
Not printing these
From: JP Jr.
OK then. Probably you should call around 1:00 or 2:00.
Every week I get one of these texts intended for someone else. Unless this was for me, in which case I forgot to call you and I’m sorry!
From: James B.
You know what would be really cool? If your text messages also linked to an audio version of your columns. I would love to add you to people I listen to in my car!
Bosses? You see this?
Love my bosses!!!!!!
More: Join the text conversation with sports columnist Gregg Doyel for insights, reader questions and Doyel’s peeks behind the curtain.
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Find IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel on Threads, or on BlueSky and Twitter at @GreggDoyelStar, or at www.facebook.com/greggdoyelstar. Subscribe to the free weekly Doyel on Demand newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 champ Alex Palou owns IMS track. Conor Daly owns IMS crowd.