David Malukas

David Malukas
Born:
September 27 2001
Nationality:
United States
First race:
St. Petersburg, 2022
Races:
61
Wins:
0
Race Win %:
0%
No.:
12
Team:
Team Penske

About David Malukas

  • Biography
  • Performance by Circuit Type
  • Results

    • Biography

    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. Thanks to these performances, he was offered a contract by the renowned Team Penske, which placed him at partner team AJ Foyt Racing for 2024.

    Strong Season at AJ Foyt Opens the Door to Team Penske

    Malukas initially had a rough start to the season with AJ Foyt Racing, but after taking second place in the Indy 500, he continued to impress. Malukas shone especially in qualifying, securing a spot on the front row three times. His race results remained inconsistent, though he still managed four additional top-ten finishes.

    For Team Penske, this was enough to bring him over to the top team for 2026. At Penske, the #12 car had become available after contract renewal talks with Will Power fell through, giving Malukas the chance to make his dream move to Penske.

    Performance by Circuit Type

    TypeRacesAvg FinishWinsRace Win %
    Roadcourse2415.833300%
    Oval2212.590900%
    Streetcourse1516.533300%

    Results

    2022
    Date (ET) Race Type FP
    February 27 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg    		 Streetcourse 26
    March 20 XPEL 375
    Texas Motor Speedway    		 Oval 11
    April 10 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
    Long Beach    		 Streetcourse 21
    May 1 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
    Barber Motorsports Park    		 Roadcourse 20
    May 14 GMR Grand Prix
    Indianapolis Road Course    		 Roadcourse 12
    May 29 106th Indianapolis 500
    Indianapolis    		 Oval 16
    June 5 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
    Detroit Belle Isle    		 Streetcourse 11
    June 12 Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America
    Road America    		 Roadcourse 16
    July 3 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
    Mid-Ohio    		 Roadcourse 9
    July 17 Honda Indy Toronto
    Toronto    		 Streetcourse 12
    July 23 Hy-VeeDeals.com 250
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 14
    July 24 Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 8
    July 30 Grand Prix of Indianapolis
    Indianapolis Road Course    		 Roadcourse 13
    August 7 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix
    Nashville    		 Streetcourse 19
    August 20 Bommarito Automotive Group 500
    Gateway    		 Oval 2
    September 4 Grand Prix of Portland
    Portland    		 Roadcourse 14
    September 11 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey
    Laguna Seca    		 Roadcourse 13


    2023
    Date (ET) Race Type FP
    March 5 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg    		 Streetcourse 10
    April 2 Texas Indy 375
    Texas Motor Speedway    		 Oval 4
    April 16 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
    Long Beach    		 Streetcourse 20
    April 30 Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix
    Barber Motorsports Park    		 Roadcourse 19
    May 13 GMR Grand Prix
    Indianapolis Road Course    		 Roadcourse 26
    May 28 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500
    Indianapolis    		 Oval 29
    June 4 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
    Detroit    		 Streetcourse 23
    June 18 Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America
    Road America    		 Roadcourse 27
    July 2 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
    Mid-Ohio    		 Roadcourse 6
    July 16 Honda Indy Toronto
    Toronto    		 Streetcourse 20
    July 22 Hy-Vee Homefront 250
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 12
    July 23 Hy-Vee One Step 250
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 8
    August 6 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix
    Nashville    		 Streetcourse 27
    August 12 Gallagher Grand Prix
    Indianapolis Road Course    		 Roadcourse 16
    August 27 Bommarito Automotive Group 500
    Gateway    		 Oval 3
    September 3 Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland
    Portland    		 Roadcourse 8
    September 10 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey
    Laguna Seca    		 Roadcourse 20


    2024
    Date (ET) Race Type FP
    June 23 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey
    Laguna Seca    		 Roadcourse 16
    July 7 Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
    Mid-Ohio    		 Roadcourse 12
    July 13 Hy-Vee Homefront 250
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 26
    July 14 Hy-Vee One Step 250
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 13
    July 21 Honda Indy Toronto
    Toronto    		 Streetcourse 6
    August 17 Bommarito Automotive Group 500
    Gateway    		 Oval 21
    August 25 Grand Prix of Portland
    Portland    		 Roadcourse 20
    August 31 Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s - Race 1
    Milwaukee Mile    		 Oval 15
    September 1 Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250s - Race 2
    Milwaukee Mile    		 Oval 22
    September 15 Big Machine Music City Grand Prix
    Nashville Superspeedway    		 Oval 9


    2025
    Date (ET) Race Type FP
    March 2 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg    		 Streetcourse 13
    March 23 The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix
    The Termal Club    		 Roadcourse 18
    April 13 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
    Long Beach    		 Streetcourse 17
    May 4 Alabama Indy Grand Prix
    Barber Motorsports Park    		 Roadcourse 16
    May 10 Sonsio Grand Prix of Indianapolis
    Indianapolis Road Course    		 Roadcourse 23
    May 25 109th Indianapolis 500
    Indianapolis    		 Oval 2
    June 1 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
    Detroit    		 Streetcourse 14
    June 15 Bommarito Automotive Group 500
    Gateway    		 Oval 12
    June 22 XPEL Grand Prix at Road America
    Road America    		 Roadcourse 7
    July 6 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio
    Mid-Ohio    		 Roadcourse 17
    July 12 Synk 275
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 12
    July 13 Farm to Finish 275
    Iowa Speedway    		 Oval 4
    July 20 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto
    Toronto    		 Streetcourse 9
    July 27 Java House Grand Prix of Monterey
    Laguna Seca    		 Roadcourse 13
    August 10 BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland
    Portland    		 Roadcourse 19
    August 24 Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250
    Milwaukee Mile    		 Oval 8
    August 31 Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix
    Nashville Superspeedway    		 Oval 26