It’s Muscle Memory for Daly, Sato at Indy Open Test

By Dennis Krause

Neither Conor Daly nor Takuma Sato have full-time rides in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Yet both drivers finished this week’s two-day open test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway near the top of the speed charts.

Driving the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet, Daly posted the third fastest lap of the two-day session with a lap of 225.394 mph on Tuesday.

Sato, in the No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda had the seventh fastest speed of the open test, putting in a lap of 224.957 mph on Wednesday.

According to Sato, if there’s one race a driver can drop in to do, it’s the Indianapolis 500 because of all the practice time leading up to it.

“I think there is a bit in there. If you do the full season, there is something, of course. I think this place, I think you have muscle memories. Experience does matter in halfway, shall we say. Plus, we have this two-day open test, five days in practice before the qualification, which you don't have luxury of the practice for any other single weekend.

“If we had similar, I think anybody came back as a spot race I think can be more competitive. But Indy 500 is doable because of that.”

While it may be second nature for the drivers, that’s not necessarily the case for the crews, according to Daly.

“Yeah, I think it's probably harder on the crews and the folks that maybe don't quite do it full-time. That's tough, I mean, just thrown right into the Super Bowl, let's get everything perfect all the time. That's hard.

“For us, I think it's just second nature. Experience I think is super crucial here and super important and super helpful. For me, I'm ready to go now. I will take every practice day possible because that is always helpful. I think it's super helpful for all the crew members, as well.”

A two-time Indy 500 winner, Sato knows it takes a full team effort in May to be the one kissing the bricks after 500 miles. While not a full-time competitor on the circuit as he was when he won his 500’s, Sato feels good about his team at the Speedway.

“I think the biggest challenge, as I said, I think the environment you get for the team,” said Sato. “Both '17 with Andretti Autosport and the 2020 with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, both I was in regular basis. I have my guys full season, full preparation, everything, where the last few years, although I had a really good shot last year, which boys did a tremendous job as one-off guys, but we picked lots of people from outside, they did a really, really good job.

“It's a little bit the way you prepare the car and the team is a little bit different. Like Conor mentioned, too, pit stops is extremely important here. To have some good relationship and cooperation is extremely important.

“All in all I think we have a very good the people together. Have a great shot hopefully once again for this year. I have no worry about it.”

Considering the Dreyer & Reinbold team hasn’t raced since last year’s 500, Daly views his performance this week as validation for all the hard work the team has put in since then.

“Yeah, I mean, they haven't done anything since May,” Daly said, smiling. “The race car hasn't rolled since May. We've come out here and the car's really fast. I can kind of feel that it has a little bit of that natural speed that you want and that you desire so badly here at the track. Even those last two runs I think were real telltale signs. Takuma, Santino (Ferrucci), (Alex) Palou and Pato (O’Ward), that's a pretty solid group of people. It felt like we were able to tow up better than anybody else. I was like on the 20- to 30-lap tire window.

“It did feel pretty competitive. I kind of struggled in the middle of the day with the balance of the car. Encouraging signs for us. Just thankful that the team once again proves that they do a great job.”

As a side note, one of Sato’s teammates at RLL is Mick Schumacher. Back when Sato was racing in Formula 1 for the BAR Honda team, he stood on the podium with Schumacher’s dad, Michael, at the 2004 United States Grand Prix at Indy.

“That’s crazy,” noted Daly.

But for Sato, it has been a great experience.

“It is fantastic. It is fantastic to see Mick,” said Sato. “You can see there is a lots of DNA from his father. Michael Schumacher was everybody's hero. I was fortunate enough to go wheel to wheel with Michael Schumacher. But it's a phenomenal experience.

“Seeing his son Mick, the way he speaks, intonation, down on earth, great guy, is exactly like his father. Obviously Mick wanted to be Mick, not Michael's son. Of course, I respect that.

“But seeing that, really happy to see him. Look, I mean, he is now really quick. Only second day for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We had lot of good discussion. Really happy to work with him. Great win from outside for our team. I think everybody respect that. Very happy, happy. Happy memory with his father here, too.”

While both Daly and Sato have been fast in the open test in their one-off Indy 500 bids, how likely is to that they will be just as competitive when the month of May rolls around?

“I mean, honestly I think we'll be pretty similar,” Daly offered. “It's not like worlds will change when we come back here in May. Ganassi will show up with their Speedway cars, some other people will show up with their Speedway cars.

“For the most part, mountains don't move from now to May. You might be able to find a few small things here and there. We also will get better. We know immediately how to get better. I think that's kind of what excites us most.

“Again, like I mentioned earlier, the last two runs were really encouraging just with heavy fuel, having tires degrade. Being able to run close to some good cars, that felt ideal. But I kind of already know what I want differently. I think my engineer does, too.

“Again, a lot of notes to take from here. The setup book is massive at this place. You could go through so many different things to find kind of what suits you exactly right. I think that's what our plan is.”

Sato feels confident his car will be just as strong when practice gets underway in a couple of weeks.

“Yes, I would say I'm really happy, happier than the last few seasons. We were able to build very fast car to do that in single lap or by yourself in leading the pack. Certainly our weakest was in the race. Certainly not the strongest car. From that point of view we came here with kind of different philosophy. Super happy to see that is starting to working.

“We are still halfway to what we want, but I think it's certainly much better. In the pack already day two, not even May yet, I think this is the best preparation I ever had from the years with Rahal.”

Up next for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Sonsio Grand Prix, which opens the Month of May on May 8-9 on the IMS road course. The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24.

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

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