Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz will join A. J. Foyt Enterprises for the 2017 IndyCar season, as confirmed by the team on Tuesday.
Following an underwhelming season in 2016 that yielded just two top-five finishes, the previous line-up of Takuma Sato and Jack Hawksworth has been overhauled ahead of the new season.
Daly, 23, joins following his first full year in IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing, where he produced a number of stand-out drives including a charge to second in Detroit.
The former GP2 driver made his IndyCar debut with Foyt back in 2013 at the Indy 500, and has remained in contact with team boss and American open-wheel racing legend A. J. Foyt ever since.
"They gave me such an opportunity to get into the Verizon IndyCar Series,” Daly said. “They took a chance on me when Takuma couldn’t get into the country for a test, they tested me.
"After that, they hired me to drive in the Indy 500. They paid me to drive when I was 21 and coming out of Indy Lights. It was a really cool programme to be a part of. They gave me my first taste and ever since then I’ve had a really good relationship with them.
“I’m certainly a very, very different driver compared to 2013. I’m certainly much more ready to jump in and deliver. Thankfully, Dale Coyne gave me an opportunity to get my foot in the door and here we are. We make the progression to another team.
"Hopefully we can be here for a good amount of time. I’d like to be with this team for more than a year. You have to take it as it comes day by day, but I’m excited to at least get back to work and have a deal done sooner rather than later."
Munoz, 24, spent three full seasons in IndyCar with Andretti Autosport and is a two-time Indianapolis 500 runner-up, and is relishing the chance to race with Foyt in 2017.
"It’s a new chapter in my life. I’m really honored to be on this team,” Munoz said. “There were a lot of options and I know a lot of drivers called [team president] Larry Foyt. I think the best teammate is Conor. First, he’s American. Fans really like him and he’s a really good driver. He has experience.
“INDYCAR needs a change in generations and it’s starting right now. We are both young and we are both really fast drivers, so I think it’s a great combination for the team."
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