Polkadot-backed IndyCar racer Conor Daly achieved a top 10 finish at the prestigious Indianapolis 500. Reports indicated that Daly led for 22 laps during the race but faced challenges maintaining his lead due to his car’s speed limitations. Nonetheless, he secured a commendable top-10 position, advancing 19 places from his 29th-place starting position.

Reflecting on his performance, Daly mentioned that starting from the back affected his ability to compete with the frontrunners. He noted, "We hadn’t run with them the entire month, not even in practice because we were starting so far back. We usually were running with the other guys, so we weren’t geared long enough when we had to trim out. We trimmed out on the limiter in sixth gear when I tried to pass Scott (McLaughlin) a couple of times. So that held us back a bit, lacking just a bit of speed, but the car performed well."

Despite the challenges, Daly acknowledged that achieving a top-10 finish was a significant accomplishment and proudly displayed the "biggest mover" trophy he received.

Polkadot’s official social media platform also celebrated Daly’s achievement, highlighting the blockchain network’s representation in one of the world’s largest single-day sporting events and motorsport races.

Daly was appointed as Polkadot’s brand ambassador for the Indianapolis 500 race approximately one month earlier, marking the first major athlete sponsorship through a blockchain-based community. The sponsorship received strong community support with a 95.8% approval rating. Its primary goal is to enhance visibility for the Polkadot network, initiating a year-long collaboration involving community activities and digital campaigns to promote Polkadot’s technology.

Following the success of Daly’s sponsorship, the Polkadot community has been exploring additional partnerships in sports, including an $8.8 million deal with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami football club.