July was a quieter month in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, with only two races. However, this did not take away from the number of standout performances the drivers put on. In Mid-Ohio, it was Pato O’Ward taking the victory, and Nashville saw Álex Palou extend his championship lead with another win. And while both wins were equally impressive, David Malukas’ gritty performance in Nashville really stood out.
Looking at the events leading up to and the effort in his last-to-third performance cannot be ignored, even if it didn’t translate into a victory.
Crash in Practice
Malukas’ race in Nashville looked to be over before it had even started. On Saturday morning, cars took the track at Nashville Superspeedway for the first practice session of the weekend. The session, which was expected to be essential for understanding track conditions and fine-tuning setups for both qualifying and the race, ended prematurely for Malukas. Four laps into practice, his car slammed the Turn 2 wall.
His right knee got most of the impact, hitting the steering wheel so hard it was knocked off its mount. As a result, the Team Penske driver was sent to a local hospital for evaluation. Conor Daly was called to be on standby had the car been ready for qualifying.
Ultimately, the car was not, and Malukas, who was still getting checked out, was forced to miss qualifying. That meant if he got the green light to race, he would have to start at the back. Luckily, nothing was broken, and he was cleared and returned to the track in time for the evening’s final practice. Malukas wasted no time proving the car was fast, as he put down the fastest lap in the session.
Recovery Drive
What was meant to be a race on Sunday evening ended up taking place on Monday afternoon due to rain. That extra day might’ve been a blessing in disguise for Malukas. In a post-race press conference, the American said it was better that he raced a day later
“From yesterday, my quote was: If we race yesterday, it was survival; today was game on.”
And game on it was from the start of the race. During the race’s first caution on Lap 19, Malukas was one of four drivers who stayed out. The strategy put Malukas in the lead on Lap 33. He would lead 59 laps at the front. Only Palou led more laps with 97.
Malukas looked poised to earn his first INDYCAR victory until Lap 124. Malukas made his third and final pit stop from the lead on Lap 121. Three laps later, drivers Alexander Rossi and Scott Dixon crashed, bringing out a caution. That caution dropped him down, and he found himself playing catch-up instead of defending the lead.
The Team Penske driver put everything into the race as he tried to become the first driver since Simon Pagenaud at Iowa Speedway in 2020 to win from the last starting position. Ultimately, that didn’t happen, but it was good enough for third, and as much as he wanted to win, he was beyond happy with his performance.
“That was the best race that I think I’ve ever performed in. I
was trying so hard with everything going on. Just kept
asking for one more. My body kept giving it to me till the
end.”
Second in the Championship
Malukas’ performance in Nashville earned him 36 points for second in the championship, ahead of Andretti’s Kyle Kirkwood and 83 points behind Palou. With five races remaining, anything can happen. Malukas said he’s keeping an open mind. “We have to keep trying, keep pushing hard, maybe it will come down to the end.”
So far this season, Malukas earned his first pole, six top 5’s and 10 top 10’s, but he is still waiting on that first INDYCAR victory. If he manages to keep improving and have consistent good results, it’s only a matter of time before he gets the monkey off his back and possibly challenges Palou for the championship title.