Juncos Hollinger Racing star, Conor Daly, is the only American motorsport athlete with Type 1 diabetes who competes in a top-level racing series. The 33-year-old, recently featured in a YouTube video where he detailed the impact of diabetes, as he reflected on life in motorsports with the disease.
Conor Daly interviewed with FanAmp for the latest episode of the FanAmp Insider series. The IndyCar star was questioned about how he first found out about Type 1 diabetes. As Daly recalled the incident, he said,
“It was actually on the way to the Skip Barber racing school for my first three day school.” (5:10 onwards)
The JHR driver explained how his mother freaked out after finding that his son was diagnosed with diabetes. However, Conor, on the other hand, got the answer to his unusual habits. He added,
“It’s not normal that I’m consuming, like, a gallon of water every five minutes and really losing weight and looking like… I had a problem. It was tough, but, I mean, it never stopped me from doing anything.”
Conor Daly then explained how, unlike his parents, he solely focused on the fact that he had to control and become great at managing diabetes if he wanted to continue racing. He added,
“For me, the racing meant more than anything. So to be the best racing driver that I had to be, I also have to be really good at being a type one diabetic, so it was hard.”
The 33-year-old then detailed how people lacked awareness about the disease about a decade ago, and refrained from talking about the same. He detailed an incident when he signed with Force India in the 2010s as the F1 reserve driver.
“When I signed my contract with Force India, they were like, ‘Hey, don’t say anything about this.’ We’re like, all right, we’re just going to keep it chill. It was just something that was kind of under the radar until,” said Daly
However, in recent times, Conor Daly has been openly talking about his Type 1 diabetes, sharing his journey with the fans, and helping fellow drivers who are trying to make it up the racing ladder with a similar disease.
Conor Daly partnered with MannKind to raise awareness about diabetes at the 2025 Long Beach Grand Prix
Conor Daly, who lost his primary sponsor, Polkadot, before the start of the 2025 season, partnered with MannKind for the Long Beach Grand Prix. Daly’s JHR featured a special pink livery raising awareness about diabetes and the campaign InhaleMyInsulin.com.
“Really appreciate the support from @MannKindCorp this weekend and can’t wait to have them back onboard later in the season! #tiredofpricks” posted Conor Daly on social media platform X after the Long Beach Grand Prix.
Daly’s entry at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix and World Wide Technology Raceway on June 15 will also feature MannKind as the primary sponsor.
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Edited by pranavsethii
