Q&A with professional racing driver Conor Daly

As the celebrity endorser of this spring/summer’s Pineapple Mint Circle Kombucha, we had a few questions for Conor Daly. (Mostly “does kombucha make you, like, drive faster?! Kidding.) Conor’s about to buckle up for a fast-paced couple of months, and it’ll all start right here in Circle’s own neighborhood—Indianapolis. We invite you to crack a can, enjoy the read and stay tuned for the official release date of Pineapple Mint later this May. And maybe send us your personal opinion on blueberry scone kombucha…

Q: Conor, we’re so glad we caught you before your life becomes racing tunnel-vision. Can you give us a snapshot of what your average day looks like May-August?

A: The month of May is very unique compared to the rest of the season. We literally live at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for almost an entire month, which is actually quite fun. It’s also the most amount of track time that we get all year which means a lot of driving! The Indy 500 is our biggest event, and the biggest event in general in the world. But depending on how it goes, it can really affect the rest of the season as we go through the summer. If it goes well, you feel great entering the rest of the season. If it doesn’t, you’re on a path for redemption all summer long!

Q: Oh wow, no pressure. At Circle, we try to integrate our mission of “Finding Balance and Feeling Good” into every area of our lives—even the busiest, high-pressure seasons. How will you “Find Balance and Feel Good” in your racing chaos ahead?

A: Physical training and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is massively important to drivers. The balance of pushing your body to the absolute limit during race weekends and making sure you recover properly is also quite important as well. It takes a lot to perform at an elite level. But preparing to do that and making sure you’re doing your job at the highest level makes me feel ‘balanced’ and ‘good’.

Q: You’re also a guy who feels good when he’s giving back. As you know with Pineapple Mint Circle Kombucha, 2% proceeds benefit JDRF. What makes that organization important to you?

A: I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 14 years old and it was definitely a difficult life adjustment to make. I never let it stop my racing though, and I really enjoy being able to share that message with young people because so many struggle with diabetes. The JDRF is always working to help kids with diabetes while doing research on new technologies that will help all diabetics live a better life. Anything I can do to help raise money for them, and continue to tell my story about how diabetes doesn’t stop me, is very special.

Q: We think it’s pretty special too. One of our founders is also a Type 1 diabetic and it’s a huge part of Circle’s story in making low-sugar, great tasting drinks. And as you know, our flagship beverage is our kombucha. Conor, what was your first kombucha experience like? We’ll be the first to admit it’s an acquired taste…

A: I didn’t know if I would like kombucha at first to be honest. As I tried to find a healthy drink that tastes good (also that I didn’t necessarily have to make myself in a blender), I found that kombucha was that solution. I’ve enjoyed being able to drink it and feel good after. I want to be able to help my body as much as possible so I can perform on race weekends.

Q: And we want to be able to watch you on race weekends! You’ve been a generous supporter of Circle Beverage for awhile now, might I ask…why?

A: Some of the unique flavors available from Circle are really what I enjoy. As a kid from Indiana, I love supporting local businesses and the fact that the Circle offices are just down the street from my house is pretty cool!

Q: We’re all about that neighborly love, too. And speaking of love, that about sums up our feelings on the new Pineapple Mint can design. Okay, maybe even obsessed on our end. What do you think of it?

A: I also love the can design! I think everyone in the Midwest can understand the magnitude of the Indy 500. So to have a go-to beverage for all of us this summer as we celebrate the racing season, it means a lot to me. I also love pineapple so the flavor was the perfect fit.

Q: We are so ready to be throwing around #PineapplePit once we release the cans into the wild! Okay, last question. We’ve *hypothetically* deemed you head brewer for the day at Circle. What new kombucha flavor do you roll out?

A: That’s a tough question. Can we make a birthday cake flavor? Blueberry scone? I don’t know, it doesn’t sound like a diabetic is making these flavor choices but those do sound delicious in my head…ha!

Q: We love you but maybe let’s both just stick to our day jobs. Best of luck this season, Conor—Cheers!