David Malukas balances championship ambitions with the search for a maiden victory
David Malukas finds himself in a fascinating spot as we hit the midway point of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Currently holding down third in the standings for Team Penske, he is the highest-ranked of Roger Penske’s trio, yet he is still hunting for that elusive first victory. It is a classic racer's dilemma: push for the win and risk everything, or play the long game for the championship? Malukas is keeping his head, noting that the points race is the priority, but he admits a win is a personal goal he is desperate to cross off the list.
History tells us this is no easy task. Since the 1996 season, 21 champions have reached the crown with an average of 8.3 career wins, showing just how vital that top step of the podium usually is. To bridge the gap to Alex Palou—who has already taken four wins this year with Chip Ganassi Racing—Malukas knows he cannot just be consistent. He needs to find that extra gear. The driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet has been solid, with seven top-seven finishes in nine races, but he knows he has more to give.
As the field prepares for the 55-lap XPEL Grand Prix of Road America Presented by AMR, the pressure is on. Malukas, who clocked the 12th fastest time in Friday’s practice, has a personal connection to this 4.014-mile circuit, having grown up watching his father race here. It would be a poetic place to break his duck. That said, he is realistic about his performance so far, grading his own season a "B-plus" and acknowledging that there is still room to clean up his mistakes as he tries to chase down both Palou and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood.
