One of IndyCar’s most likeable drivers, Conor Daly, made his 100th IndyCar start last weekend.
The Ed Carpenter Racing driver is one of the most fun people to speak to in the paddock, and because of his love for all things racing, Podium Life knew he would be the perfect person to ask what he has in his possession from motorsports that he loves the most.
It may surprise some to know that Daly’s helmet collection spans F1 and NASCAR champions as well as those special to him.
That’s why, in the hypothetical scenario we tasked him with in which he has to leave his house with only possessions he can carry, he’s “taking those before everything else, I’ve got a bunch of bags for them!”.
Here’s what Daly told us when asked what he’d take with him in the event he had to leave his house with only what he could carry.
“I keep everything so it’s hard,” laughs Daly, who has also secured a part-time NASCAR Cup Series deal with ex-boxer Floyd Mayweather’s team for this year.
“The [IndyCar] pole trophy from Iowa, that was pretty cool, my Long Beach [Indy Lights] winners trophy.
“But actually the helmets. I’ve got Carlos Sainz’s helmet, Jimmie Johnson, you’ve got guys that I think are really, really cool dudes. Fernando’s [Alonso] helmet! I’m like, taking those before everything else, I’ve got a bunch of bags for them.”
“I think the helmets are the coolest things you can possibly own. Because it just means so much, it’s stuff that’s like, I’m still a fan of the sport so even though a lot of these guys I consider to be friends, we race together, but it’s really cool.”
Daly isn’t the only driver to be obsessed with helmets. Not only do they protect drivers on a daily basis, they also allow the ultimate statement of expression through the paint schemes they carry that can go on to define a driver’s career.
Just think Ayrton Senna’s yellow with stripes or Nigel Mansell’s Union Jack arrow.
What this obsession also means is that you need a lot of space to display your favourite helmets, especially when you amass so many!
“I don’t have a big enough house to have a cool area, so they’re all just in my living room!” adds Daly.
“I bought two things at Ikea to put them up, but I’ve run out of space now on that too.”
Like most of the field, Daly is a Bell helmet athelete, and he’s run everything from Pokemon to a tribute to the late Ken Block earlier this year. He works with Octane Visual on some of IndyCar’s most striking designs.
There’s only one design that stands out of his own though, and that’s the 2020 edition.
“I would say when I led the most laps at the 500, that one.
“A fan gave me a really cool picture of us leading and it says Conor’s first laps leading at the 500 and I have that with the helmet.
“Like that’s pretty cool. It’s just leading, but it was something that’s neat and very special to me. That’s probably the one of mine.”
