Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing sharply criticized Conor Daly following their collision during the 2025 IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland. The crash occurred on lap 15 amid an intense race battle, with Daly ending up crashing into the barriers at high speed during their fierce contest on the track.
Conor Daly, driving the #77 Juncos Hollinger car, was forced to retire from the race after this incident. The crash happened as Daly attempted an outside pass through Turn 10 but was clipped by Rasmussen. Commentators described the moment as one of the day’s most intense, with both drivers fiercely competing for position.
Rasmussen, however, does not accept responsibility for the crash and voiced his frustration towards Daly over the team radio during the race.
“He’s just ramming into me now. He ran out of talent there. Watch the bottom here. I don’t know what he expected me to do there.”
Despite Daly’s exit from the race, Rasmussen remains in the competition and is working his way up the leaderboard. After completing 34 laps, he is currently running in 17th place and aiming to break into the top 10.
In the overall 2025 IndyCar season standings, Rasmussen holds 14th place with 239 points, including one top-five and five top-ten finishes across 14 rounds. Daly stands 17th with 215 points and three top-ten finishes.
Conor Daly Responds, Criticizes Rasmussen’s Driving in the Clash
While Christian Rasmussen has openly criticized Daly, the latter also voiced his displeasure following the collision. Speaking on pit road to IndyCar on FOX after receiving medical clearance, Daly described Rasmussen’s driving as reckless and “stupid.”
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, I saw him drive Colton almost into the wall on the back straight, and that’s how I got Colton and got his position. He was quite slow and, so I tried to pass him into 7 and then again, drove himself off the track to make sure I drove off the track.”
“So again, I’m not really sure what was the point of that. It kind of seems stupid in my opinion. An then, he was really slow down the straight and I just went past him and he just never stopped.”
Race Progress and Remaining Season Outlook
With only two races remaining after Portland on the 2025 IndyCar calendar, every point is critical. Daly’s crash has ended his hopes of gaining valuable points in this round, while Rasmussen continues to capitalize on his position.
Currently, 48 laps into the 110-lap race, Rasmussen has impressively moved into the top 10 and presently occupies ninth place, demonstrating resilience in a race marked by high pressure and aggressive competition.