Conor Daly to race in 2013 Indianapolis 500 with AJ Foyt

The 21-year-old had his first taste of IndyCar when he tested for the team at Sebring at the end of last year, after which he set his sights on securing a drive in the United States.

Daly, the son of six-time Indy 500 starter Derek Daly, has spent the past two seasons racing in GP3 and will partner regular Foyt driver Takuma Sato in the May event.

"I almost can't describe what it means to have the opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500," said Daly.

"I am so thankful that A.J. and [team director] Larry [Foyt] have given me my first shot at the greatest race in the world.

"I know this will sound cheesy but I've never been happier in my life, this race means so much to me."

Foyt, a four-time Indy 500 champion, said Daly's pace and technical feedback during his test had convinced the team to give him a seat.

"He ran well at Sebring when we needed someone to do some testing in the off season," said Foyt.

"He was fast, smooth, and didn't get in trouble. When we made a change on the car he felt it.

"I found him to be very savvy on the chassis setups.

"In fact, when we made a minor change which was really nothing, he thought about it and said it felt no different.

"I told him that was the right answer because we didn't do anything he'd be able to feel, so that impressed me, too.

"I've run a lot of rookies at Indy and I think Conor will do a good job for us."

Daly is the fourth driver scheduled to participate in the Rookie Orientation Program at Indianapolis on April 11.

AJ Allmendinger, Tristan Vautier and Carlos Munoz are also scheduled to test.