David Malukas

David Malukas is a driver who races under the American flag but also holds a Lithuanian passport in addition to his U.S. passport. The racing talent, born in Chicago, Illinois, started his career on four wheels, like many others, in karting. Towards the end of 2016, he eventually made his car racing debut in the Formula 4 UAE Championship with Rasgaira Motorsports.

Debut in US F2000 and Pro Mazda

In 2017, Malukas made his debut in the U.S. F2000 National Championship, the first step on the road to the NTT IndyCar Series, after the season was already a few races in. He drove for BN Racing, now known as HMD Motorsports. That year, Malukas competed in nine of the fourteen races on the U.S. F2000 calendar, with a second-place finish in the first race at Road America as his best result.

Despite not achieving any other podium finishes that season, he moved up to the Pro Mazda Championship the following year, which is now known as the Indy Pro 2000 Championship.

In hindsight, this proved to be the right choice, as Malukas had an excellent season in this second step towards the IndyCar ranks. The 2001-born talent finished his first and only season in the series in a respectable fourth place, with three race wins.

Indy Lights and COVID-19 Impact

In 2019, Malukas made the jump to the Indy Lights series. Though racing under the American flag, he faced a challenging season, finishing with two third-place results and ending up sixth in the overall standings.

In 2020, Malukas was set to compete in Indy Lights again, but due to the season’s cancellation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he switched to the Formula Regional Americas Championship that year. He had a solid season in the series, finishing second with two race wins.

Return to Indy Lights leads to IndyCar breakthrough

In 2021, Malukas returned to the final step on the road to the NTT IndyCar Series. He enjoyed a successful season, finishing second behind champion Kyle Kirkwood, with seven wins and six pole positions. These performances were impressive enough to earn him a promotion to the top open-wheel category in the United States.

IndyCar Debut with Dale Coyne Racing

In 2022, David Malukas made his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series, competing for the full season with Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports. He especially stood out during the short oval races, with a second-place finish at Gateway as his best result. In 2023, he continued to race full-time for Dale Coyne Racing, again excelling in oval races.

Move to McLaren Derailed by Injury

His performances in 2022 and 2023 were strong enough to secure a move to the much larger McLaren team, where he was set to drive in 2024. However, things took a different turn: just before the season started, Malukas broke his wrist in a mountain biking accident, and due to a slow recovery, he was ultimately released from the team.

Return at Meyer Shank Racing Leads to Foyt Contract

Malukas was then picked up by Meyer Shank Racing as a replacement for Tom Blomqvist, where he was able to showcase his speed on multiple occasions. As a result of these performances, he was offered a contract with AJ Foyt Racing, where he will race in 2025.