Drivers who don't currently have a ride for the Rolex 24 at Daytona often hang around the paddock looking for open seats. There's a decent chance of this being successful, too, given the fact that drivers are totally human and get sick, come up short on funding, have family emergencies to tend to, and the like.
PSA for shorthanded teams: Conor Daly's looking to sweeten the deal. That's not one, but two gift cards. Two!
There's also the fact that he's a GP3 stand-out who's always on the short list of Americans we'd like to see in Formula One, but really, when there's a bunch of talent standing around with full gear ready to go, those two gift cards are totally going to tip things in Conor's favor.
There are a ton of drivers who do this, for what it's worth, so it's not as desperate as it might sound. When I spoke with touring car driver and occasional Jalopnik contributor Robb Holland a couple weeks ago, he mentioned how drivers would even show up for the Roar Before the 24 looking to do the same thing: "Hey, your guy can't make it, and I'm available."
So, uh, have I mentioned that my pile-o-gear lives pretty close to Circuit of the Americas? I have 24 Hours of LeMons experience, sorta-know the track and a there's half-used gift card in my purse for tradesies. If anyone's short in September...hahaha.
Photo credit: AP Images