On the charge he’s going, Arrow McLaren could be sensible to ask David Malukas if he’d be prepared to return again and drive.
On his NTT IndyCar Collection return two weeks in the past at Laguna Seca with Meyer Shank Racing — the Illinois native who injured himself within the preseason, received reduce in April after lacking the opening 4 occasions for McLaren and was picked up by in June MSR — certified the No. 66 Honda contained in the Firestone Quick 12, regardless of the lingering points along with his left wrist.
He’d race inside the highest 10 and was on tempo for a top-10 end at Laguna till a late puncture dropped him again to sixteenth. Saturday’s work at Mid-Ohio was yet one more revelation for Malukas because the 22-year-old rocketed into the Firestone Quick Six, then claimed third, proper behind former McLaren teammate Pato O’Ward and polesitter Alex Palou.
It’s the Lithuanian-American’s greatest highway or road course qualifying efficiency since his opening marketing campaign in 2022, and with MSR’s technical alliance with Andretti International, it additionally made Malukas the quickest driver throughout the five-car squad that features MSR’s Felix Rosenqvist and Andretti’s Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson, and Kyle Kirkwood.
Granted, it’s solely qualifying, however Malukas’ arrival has been nothing in need of a revelation for MSR throughout a season change that began with a pole at Lengthy Seashore with newcomer Rosenqvist.
“Speak about a flip round,” Malukas stated. “This yr has been an emotional rollercoaster and simply wanting again on all the pieces, I’ve been allowed to achieve my max potential. At Laguna, there was a lot tempo there, however with the hand, I needed to break it in and get it again to the place it must be.
“I knew coming into right here the blokes have carried out an unbelievable job prepping the automobile, and Josh with Honda did an superior job as effectively. I knew that the arrange was there and the automobile was there and we simply needed to put it collectively. It was an ideal scenario for me and I couldn’t be happier.”
Malukas confirmed he was particular at instances throughout his rookie and sophomore seasons with Dale Coyne Racing, and with a brand new probability to develop at an even bigger group like MSR, he’s profiting from the chance.
“I really feel unbelievable right here, and it’s a giant group effort,” he stated. “That was very a lot the group’s job there. They did a extremely good job. I simply turned left and proper. That’s all I did.”
