Early setback for Daly in Phoenix testing

AJ Foyt Racing's Conor Daly caused the first caution period of the 2017 IndyCar season when the Chevy engine in the back of his No. 4 car erupted in a cloud of oily smoke at Phoenix International Raceway.

The Indiana native said he felt the back of the car wiggle exiting Turn 4 during the opening test session, and by the time he reached Turn 1, a growing trail of oil was left on the circuit until he reached his box in pit lane.

A Chevy representative told RACER the engine was undamaged, and Daly confirmed the issue was traced to an oil leak rather than a mechanical failure.

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"The motor was running when I got to pit lane and it was fine," he told RACER after completing just seven laps. "It was a leak of some kind and the team is looking everything over and cleaning it up so we can keep going."

The son of Formula 1 and IndyCar veteran Derek Daly is sporting a new helmet livery his father wore for many years. The decision to use Derek's black-and-yellow design with the forward-pointing arrow was made after the recent passing of Derek McMahon, who ran the elder Daly in Formula 3 and later sponsored Conor in karting.

"It's a tribute to the Big D," Daly added. "He was such a big part of my dad's early career that we wanted to pay tribute to him with the livery and the photo on the back."