Polkadot has decided to appear at the upcoming Indianapolis 500 car race with the selection of IndyCar driver Conor Daly as its new ambassador. The collaboration was announced at a press conference by Daly’s company. The collaboration, spanning just one year will take effect at the race scheduled to begin in May.
Conor Daly signs with Polkadot as an ambassador
A proposal on the Polkadot community to sponsor Daly was widely accepted by the majority of the community members. The results on the Polk Assembly website showed that about 95% of the community was in favor of the ambassadorial deal. The proposal was up for debate from February 19 to March 14. It also required about 290,000 DOT tokens worth $2.1 million to cover the fees for the sponsorships and other expenses.
Reacting to the update, the community contributor that led the proposal on Polkadot Chris Wade said that the Indy 500 is iconic and one of the greatest racing events. He noted that most drivers have a dream of winning the tournament. He added that the sponsorship would cover a NASCAR truck, Nitro Cross Race, which Daly is already experienced at using.
Daly’s reaction and role as ambassador
Conor Daly took to his X account to announce the deal to his followers. “What is @Polkadot and how did this deal become a reality? Here is a quick video that might help answer these questions!,” Daly said.
What is @Polkadot and how did this deal become a reality? Here is a quick video that might help answer these questions! @DreyerReinbold @TheKusamarian #SecuredByDOT #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/n5Eslc6yzV
— Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22) April 9, 2024
In his statement, said that he was honored with the vote by thousands in the Polkadot community to select him as their ambassador. He noted that it reflects the importance of a free and open internet for the future.
Daly is a regular in the Indy 500 tournament, combining it with an appearance in the Daytona 500 and the Formula 2 series held in Europe. Wade pointed out that Daly is fast, powerful, and adoptive just like Polkadot. Polkadot is a multi-chain network to connect several chains into a single network. According to CoinGecko data, it is the 15th largest blockchain and its token DOT is trading at $8.84.