LONG BEACH, Calif. – Conor Daly will have to catch up in the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program, but plans were in place to accommodate his international race schedule well before INDYCAR announced this week a rescheduling of the program for May 11-12.

Daly will be competing in a GP3 race in Barcelona, Spain, during Opening Weekend for the 500 Mile Race. Daly, 21, of Noblesville, Ind., will drive the Honda-powered No. 41 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing. A test with the team in December 2012 at Sebring International Raceway was the catalyst of the May program.

“It’s a busy weekend for me in Barcelona, but the INDYCAR guys have been really good to us in saying we can do Monday,” said Daly, who watched Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach practice and qualifications April 20 from the A.J. Foyt Racing pit stand. “It’s unfortunate that I’ll miss the first two days but it’s still a lot of track time. I’m just excited to get to work.”

The Rookie Orientation Program is designed to provide first-year Indianapolis 500 drivers with an informal opportunity to get acquainted with the 2.5-mile oval.

Candidates must complete two of the three phases of car control, placement and consistent driving (10 laps at 200-205 mph, 15 laps at 205-209 mph and 15 laps at 210-plus mph) on May 11-12. Drivers may complete the third phase during the first week of practice, and speeds/phases may be adjusted by track and weather conditions. Pole Day is May 18 and Race Day is May 26.

A.J. Allmendinger (Team Penske), Tristan Vautier (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports) and Carlos Munoz (Andretti Autosport) also are scheduled to participate in the program led by IZOD IndyCar Series driver stewards Arie Luyendyk and Johnny Unser.

The program had been scheduled for mid-April, but the forecast for inclement weather at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway forced postponement.

“Conor already has assured me that his trip back will allow him to be fresh on Monday morning at which point we plan to get him through as much of the rookie orientation as possible,” IZOD IndyCar Series race director Beaux Barfield said.

“The important part of that is that it consists of the first two phases. The third may occur when the track is open for all cars. Based on his ability and the team’s ability, they’ll be able to do that quickly enough.”

The on-track schedule of activity for May 11-12:
Noon-2 p.m. - Track open to all cars
2-4 p.m. - Rookie Orientation Program
4-6 p.m. - Track open to all cars