My Haters Love to Say I’m Rubbish: Conor Daly Breaks Silence After Juncos Hollinger Signed Rinus VeeKay Without Informing Him Despite the Messy JHR Seating Situation

In the high-stakes world of IndyCar, where driver contracts can shift faster than a car on an oval, few stories capture the raw emotion of the sport like Conor Daly’s recent fallout with Juncos Hollinger Racing. The 33-year-old Hoosier native, known for his oval prowess and unfiltered candor, has spent his career defying odds and doubters. But on October 14, 2025, when JHR announced the signing of Rinus VeeKay as their lead driver for 2026, Daly was left stunned—and sidelined. The move, which came without a heads-up to the man who’d piloted their No. 76 Chevrolet through a turbulent 2025 season, has ignited a firestorm of speculation, sympathy, and sharp-tongued retorts from Daly himself.

Daly’s tenure at JHR was never smooth sailing. He joined the team late in 2024 as a mid-season replacement for Romain Grosjean, inheriting a car that had struggled to find consistency. By 2025, with sponsorship woes looming large—Daly famously lost a $3.5 million deal just weeks before the opener—he stepped up as a one-year hire, tasked with stabilizing the operation. Driving alongside rookie Sting Ray Robb, Daly delivered where it mattered most: the ovals. He notched four top-10 finishes on the high-banked circuits, including a career-highlight fifth place at the season finale in Nashville’s Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. That result not only salvaged JHR’s Leaders Circle status—securing over $1 million in series payouts—but also etched Daly’s name into the team’s fledgling IndyCar history. His third-place podium at Milwaukee in 2024 remains the outfit’s best finish to date.

Yet, road and street courses exposed the team’s limitations. Daly’s top road result was a 14th at Laguna Seca, a far cry from the front-running form that once saw him challenge for wins with Ed Carpenter Racing. Critics pounced, labeling him “oval-only talent” unfit for a full-season bid. Whispers in the paddock suggested JHR, co-owned by Ricardo Juncos and Brad Hollinger, was eyeing an upgrade—a driver with broader versatility to elevate their ambitions. Enter Rinus VeeKay.

The 25-year-old Dutch sensation’s 2025 campaign with Dale Coyne Racing was a revelation. Sacked by ECR at the end of 2024 after five seasons marred by crashes and inconsistency, VeeKay landed with the underfunded DCR squad as their last-minute signing. What followed was a masterclass in redemption: a top-10 opener in St. Petersburg, a stunning fourth at Barber Motorsports Park, and a podium second at Toronto—DCR’s first since 2018. Despite tire woes at the Indy 500 that dropped him to 20th, VeeKay’s 14th-place championship finish outshone his teammate Jacob Abel by a mile, proving his racecraft on all track types. His history with Juncos runs deep; the team propelled him to the 2018 Pro Mazda title and a runner-up in 2019 Indy Lights, forging a bond that made his return feel predestined.

JHR’s announcement framed VeeKay as the “clear statement of intent,” a lead driver to anchor their push up the grid. Team principal Dave O’Neill hailed the reunion as a “natural continuation,” praising VeeKay’s speed, consistency, and six seasons of IndyCar experience. No multi-year details were disclosed, and Sting Ray Robb’s contract remains intact, leaving the second seat tantalizingly open. But for Daly, the omission stung deepest. In a candid interview with RACER just hours after the news broke, he revealed the blindsiding nature of it all. “I knew Rinus was coming, but not like this,” Daly admitted. “Heck, his manager was crashing in my trailer during Nashville weekend—hints were there, but no one from the team pulled me aside. I was hoping to build on what we started, ovals or not.”

The messy seating situation at JHR underscores broader IndyCar dynamics. The team, now in its fifth full season, has cycled through high-profile talents: Callum Ilott (2021-23), Grosjean (2024), and now Daly out. Budget constraints forced Hollinger’s hand; with VeeKay bringing Team Chevy ties and proven road speed, the shift prioritizes long-term viability over loyalty. Daly, ever the pragmatist, expressed no bitterness toward his successor. “I’m happy for Rinus—he’s an absolute weapon,” he said, echoing earlier podcast praise where he floated VeeKay for a Penske seat. “My haters love to say I’m rubbish, especially after a road course DNF. But I’ve got four oval top-10s this year, a top-five in Nashville, and I saved their Leaders spot. That’s not trash; that’s results.”

Daly’s resilience shines through the frustration. A veteran of 100-plus starts, he’s no stranger to upheaval—bouncing from A.J. Foyt to Schmidt Peterson, then ECR, and now this. Post-announcement, he pivoted to endurance racing, joining the Indianapolis 8 Hour this weekend at the IMS, following Will Power’s footsteps into IMSA. “Indy’s my home; if not in IndyCar, I’ll race here somehow,” he told RACER. Talks with A.J. Foyt Racing for their open No. 4 seat—vacated by David Malukas’ Penske move—have cooled, per insiders, but Daly’s oval pedigree could lure Rahal Letterman Lanigan or a part-time oval deal. His Speed Street podcast, a fan favorite for its irreverent takes, has buzzed with support, turning personal slight into rallying cry.

This saga isn’t just about one driver’s detour; it’s a microcosm of IndyCar’s cutthroat “silly season.” As of October 16, 2025, only two full-time seats remain: one at A.J. Foyt and potentially another at JHR if Robb’s pairing needs tweaking. Romain Grosjean’s imminent DCR return alongside Dennis Hauger closes another door, while free agents like Linus Lundqvist and Jacob Abel scramble. For JHR, VeeKay’s arrival signals ascent, but at what cost to team morale? Daly’s ouster risks alienating the very grit that fueled their 2025 survival.

In breaking his silence, Daly reclaimed the narrative with characteristic defiance. “Haters gonna hate, but I’ve outlasted plenty who called me done,” he posted on X, alongside a throwback to his Nashville charge. As the offseason churns, all eyes on the Hoosier who refuses to fade. Whether it’s a full-time miracle or oval-only redemption, Conor Daly’s story—rubbish or not—is far from over. In IndyCar, silence is surrender, and Daly? He’s just getting started.