What a roller coaster of a day for David Malukas.
Final Practice – The Kid is Alright
Tag: David Malukas
Malukas Released; Cleared to Drive
David Malukas returned to Nashville Superspeedway about an hour after qualifying ended. He demonstrated to the satisfaction of IndyCar medical staff that he could enter and exit the car without any issues.
Malukas sustained a knee injury in this morning’s practice and spent much of the day at a local hospital for evaluation. He told FOX news r=that he did not have any broken bones.
\Team Penske issued the following statement”
A large corwd had gathered at the garage of the 12 car waiting for Malukas to undergo the test.
He had no problem entering or exiting the cockpit.
Malukas has gone on track for an install lap. I’m happy to see Malukas return, but it’s hard not ot feel bad for Conor Daly, who would have subbed for Malukas. Daly has driven for every team in the paddock except Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing.
Daly to Qualify Car 12
Conor Daly will qualify the 12 car for David Malukas, who was injured in a practice crash this morning. Malukas’s knee hit the steering wheel and popped it out of the car.
The number 12 car will serve a nine grid spot penalty for an engine change no matter who qualifies it. It is uncertain whether Malukas will return for this evening’s practice sessions.
No announcement, therefore, has come about who will be in the car on race day. Daly is the most likely driver since he drove in the Indianapolis 500 in May.
The 12 car is scheduled to make the 22nd qualifying attempt this afternoon. The Team Penske Verizon crew is currently assembling a backup car.
Should Malukas be able to race on sinday, he car will start 25th.
110th Indianapolis 500 Wrap Up
The Indianapolis 500 ending people dream of, followed by the victor’s unbridled joy, and the runner-up’s dejection, was the perfect ending to a compelling race. It was a day tha many thought would not happen on this particular Sunday, with storm clouds looming and pessimistic forecasts even from the most optimistic of forecasters.
Here are the highlights from my perspective from the back of the media center.
The Agony of Defeat
David Malukas’s heart rending post-race interview with FOX was tough to watch, but I admire his outpouring of what he was going through at the time. We rarely get such a heartfelt interview with the second place driver anymore. David’s time to win is coming, perhaps as soon as June 7 at Gateway.
The Fall of 500 Favorites
Things tend to run in cycles, but the drop-off in results from ECR and Andretti Global is painful to watch.
ECR used to be a qualifying powerhouse, with two poles and a consistent top nine presence. While Alexander Rosswi grabbed the middle of the front row and led a few laps, his car, the same one he drove in last year’s race. caught fire as did in 2025.
His teammates also watched the end of the race from the pits. Ed Carpenter was knocked out after being squeezed by Takuma Sato in turn 1 on a restart, and Christian Rasmussen leaving the fray with mechanical issues.
Andretti Global started the practice week strong, but lost speed every day, and were relegated to the back of the starti9ng grid. Will Power lost5 an engine before t5he halfway point, and Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood soldiered on all day, improving their positions. Ericsson finished 13th, and Kirkwood 16th.
I hope both teams can find some answers for next May. The race will be even more fun with these two teams mounting a challenge.
The Other Photo Finish
I did not see whether FOX covered the race for third or not- I’m guessing they didn’t because of the incredible finish, but Scott Mclaughlin, O Pato O’Ward, and Marcus Armstrong crossed the line in a near photo finish for third, fourth, and fifth. McLaughlin beat O’Ward by0.0066 seconds for third, and O’Ward nipped Armstrong by another 0.0089 seconds. The difference from third to fifth- 0.0155 seconds.
The Race
Many years ago (around the time Joe Dawson won) I created my guidelines for a good race- No driver leads more than a third of the laps, and caution periods consume no more than 25% of the day. Yesterday fit those criteria.
The yellows came at just the right times to trigger multiple fuel strategies, and they were spaced just right to allow teams to fine tune their plans. When the early leaders fade because of pit strategies, we are going to see a great race.
besides the record 70 lead changes, many of which I dismiss as merely a fuel saving tactic by the leader, not real competition passing, there was close racing throughout the field.
Yesterday’s 500 was one of my favorite all time races. It did not change my top three of 1986, 2024, and 2014- but it will definitely be in the top 10, perhaps as high as fifth.
The Pre Race and Pace Laps
Maybe it’s the old man who lives inside me talking, but the opening ceremonies seemed overly long this year. The speech by the army officer was much longer than necessary and devolved into propaganda and jingoism. I think this part of the program can be eliminated.
While I was disappointed to see the helicopters ruining the pace laps again, I was glad that there were only two instead of four and that they left after just a couple of laps. The speedway should continue to eliminate two helicopters each year.
369 More Days- UGH
Now we wait a very long 369 more days until the 111th Indianapolis 500, w2hen the race runs on its proper date. I always feel gypped when the race is on the 24th.
Thanks to everyone who followed along during the fortnight of May.
Malukas Takes First Pole; Schumacher Grabs the Headlines
Some thoughts on qualifying:
Imagine winning your first IndyCar pole yet being only the second biggest story of the day. David Malukas won the pole for the race at Phoenix this afternoon. It is a huge accomplishment for him in only his second race at Team Penske replacing the legend, Will Power. I’m sure the pole takes some pressure off of him.
A first career pole for anyone is a great story, but today, a bigger story took place. Mick Schumacher, driving in competition for the first time on an oval qualified fourth- yes 4th. Schumacher held the provisional pole through seven challenges, and he was only bested by Malukas, Josef Newgarden, and his teammate Graham Rahal.
Will Power is off to a difficult start at Andretti Global. He crashed twice last weekend at St. Pete, and today he crashed during qualifying on his second lap. Power complained of pain in his knees after the crash, He will start in the last row tomorrow with Félix Rosenqvist, whose car did not get repaired in time to make a qualifying run.
I did not expect things to be so rough for Power. I knew it would take time to adjust to a new team, but this is beyond what anyone anticipated.
Graham Rahal had his best qualifying effort on an oval since IndyCar raced at Richmond. RLL locked out the second row with Rahal and Schumacher. RLL appears to be much improved on ovals in2026. I hope this carries over to the Indianapolis 500, where they have str4uggled lately.
Six teams qualified cars in the top 10. In addition to Penske and Rahal, McLaren place two cars near the front with Pato O’Ward seventh and Nolan Siegel ninth, Alexander Rossi placed ECR in sixth, Rinus VeeKay qualified eighth for Juncos Hollinger racing, and Alex Palou will start 10th for Ganassi.
FOXSports continues tgo treat IndyCar as a sideshow this weekend. As Malukas, the obvious pole favorite was on track for his qualifying run, FOX decided this was a good time to take up past of the screen and interview Joey Logano, a Nascar driver. They could have had a word with him while Malukas was on his cool down lap instead of interrupting one ofr the two runs I really wanted to watch today. I hope lots of IndyCar drivers get airtime during the nascar shows. End of rant.
Results
Malukas Leads Phoenix Practice
David Malukas led this morning’s practice session at Phoenix Raceway as Team Penske left no doubt that they are the team to beat on ovals. Josef Newgarden finished third, while Scott McLaughlin finished seventh. Malkus’s fast lap of 175.605 was more than a mile an hour ahead of second place Pato O’Ward.
About halfway through the 60 minute practice, Felix Rosenqvist spun and backed into the wall, destroying both front and rear suspensions. Rosenqvist was not hurt, but the team has a busy three hours before qualifying ahead of them.
Aside from Penske’s three cars in the top 10, ECR put both of their cars in the top six with Christian Rasmussen fourth and Alexander Rossi sixth.
Andretti Global also had a pair of cars in the first 10. Will Power was fifth and Kyle Kirkwood ninth.
Mick Schumacher came in 11th fastest in his first oval session. He struggled early with tire balance but then had a solid run the final half of the session.
Points leader Alex Palou was only 18th fastest.
Notes
It took FOX more than seven minutes to show a car on track at the start of the broadcast. We know what the booth talent and pit reporters look like. I tune in to see race cars running.
IndyCar is at Phoenix this weekend in order to show off the series to NASCAR fans, yet their first time on track is a practice run in front of empty stands. I wonder how many people will be there for qualifying. If this shared weekend happens again next year, I hope the schedulers rethink this early morning practice.
Qualifying is at 2 pm Eastern on FS2.
Results
Sebring Test and Other Notes
Photo: Mick Schumacher testing at Sebring. All photos by Chris Jones, Penske Entertainment
Some personal news:
Winter headquarters is no more, and I will be staying in Indianapolis most of the year from now on. While I enjoyed my winters in Florida, the cost of living there got to be hard on the budget.
The two day IndyCar test at Sebring International Raceway The previous two days didn’t tell us a lot about what to expect for the season, but it was fun seeing cars on track. Thanks to my friends who sent photos and videos of a session I would have attended.
Start Getting Used to It
I am happy for the visuals of Will Power5 in the 26 and David Malukas in the 12. I bet I will still mix them up at St. Pete.
Here is Will Power in his new home:
The car has more yellow than it idi in 2025 when Colton Herta drove it, so that helps me remember there is a new driver in the cockpit.
David Malukas is now Power’s former ride:
The predominant red and the yellow band across the top of the aeroscreen says, “New driver.”
For the record, Alex Palou led session 1 Monday morning. Marcus Armstrong led sessions 2 and the first group on Tuesday morning. Kyle Kirkwood led the final session Tuesday afternoon.
All teams had the opportunity to work with the 2026 tire compound. Marcus Armstrong didn’t see a lot of difference from last season’s tire.
Is He or Isn’t He?
Romain Grosjean, long believed to be the mysterious TBA, drove car 19 for Dale Coyne Racing during the test. We are still waiting for a formal announcement that Grosjean will drive the number 19 entry for the season. I guess we will know February 27.
St. Pete Homecomings
The support races at the season opener in St. Pete will likely have more people paying attention to them this year.
Last week four time IndyCar champion and three time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Fr5anchitti announced that he will drive in the NASCAR truck race Saturday afternoon..
This morning, another four time IndyCar champion, Sebastien Bourdais, was announced as a driver in the MX-5 cup events.
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a great event, and adding these former IndyCar stars to the support races takes the program up several notches.
I will be back in a couple of days with The Pit Window’s highly anticipated (dreaded?) season preview.
Malukas Confirmed at Team Penske
From Team Penske:
Team Penske announced today that it has signed David Malukas to a multiyear agreement to drive the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES (NICS) season and beyond. The 23-year-old becomes just the second driver to race the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet made famous by two-time NICS Champion (2014, 2022) and 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power.
“We are excited to add David Malukas as the next driver of the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet,” said Roger Penske. “We feel that Team Penske will provide David everything needed to take the next step in his career, and we are confident that he will continue the great legacy of the Verizon Chevrolet.”
A first generation Lithuanian American from Chicago, Malukas was drawn to the sport by watching his father, Henry, compete as a driver at the iconic Road America circuit. He began his karting career in 2013, scoring numerous wins and championships before moving on to the INDYCAR SERIES ladder system. Malukas won the INDY NXT presented by Firestone Rookie of the Year in 2019, setting the stage for his breakout season in 2021 when he won seven races and six pole positions to go with 16 podium finishes – a series record – in 20 starts on the way to a second-place finish in the standings.
Malukas made his NICS debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 2022, tallying five top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes in 61 races in which he has competed through the 2025 season finale. His skill at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been noteworthy for a young driver; winning Rookie of the Year in the 2021 Indianapolis 500, taking the fastest lap of the race in 2022 and finishing second in 2025.
“Racing for Team Penske is the goal for every young racecar driver, and I am honored to be one that gets to live out that dream,” said Malukas. “Will Power is one of the legends of our sport and the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet is one of the most-recognized cars on the grid. These are big shoes to fill, but I look at it as an opportunity because I know that it is one of the best teams in the paddock.”
Malukas will make his Team Penske debut in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet at the 2026 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 1.
O’Ward Wants Win from Pole
Pato O’Ward has won poles. O’Ward has won races. He has never won a race where he started on the pole. He wants to win the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix tomorrow. Badly.
“I’m determined to make it happen tomorrow,” he declared.
O’Ward took his first oval pole today with a blistering first lap of 202.932 mph, and he averaged 202.621 mph for the two laps.
For the second week in a row, David Malukas qualified on the provisional pole and had to wait to see if any of the last 10 drivers to make their runs could top his 201.922 mph average.
Last week, Alex Palou, the last driver out, beat Malukas for the pole. This week O’Ward by just under seven tenths of a mile per hour.
A somewhat subdued Malukas said, “We’re gonna get there.”
Series champion Alex Palou will start fourh tomorrow.
Nolan Siegel posted the fast speed in the first group of qualifiers, then Josef Newgarden went to the top spot six drivers later. His time there lasted just five more runs until Malukas bumped him down. Malukas survived eight attempts until O’Ward’s scorching laps.
Notes and Quick Thoughts
All three Mclaren cars qualified in the top 10. Christian Lundgaard starts third, and Nolan Siegel rolls off seventh tomorrow.
Andretti Global dominated qualifying and the race last year with Kyle Kirkwood on the pole and Colton Herta winning the race, but they didn’t have the pace today. Kirkwood qualified 13th and Herta15th.
Christian Rasmussen qualified 16th, but will start 25th after serving an engine change penalty. It will be fun watching him come up through the field.
I can’t imagine the frustration David Malukas is going through to come so close to his first career pole and lose it at the last minute. He doesn’t have another chance for six months at St. Pete.
Silly season rumors continue to swirl. Herta going to F2 seems to be gaining momentum. He told FOX sports that he didn’t know if he will be in the number 26 next year.
I still think IndyCar needs to revamp oval qualifying and have the order based on practice speeds instead of point standings. I don’t think it would have changed much today as O’Ward would have been the last driver on track, and Malukas would have gone sixth from last. Still, with the points leader somewhere mid-session, there could be more drama.
Cars are back on track at 3:30 Central for high line groups, followed by a full practice at 4:30 Central. Both sessions are on FS2.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 