After injury and layoff, David Malukas returns to Meyer Shank Racing

While theIndyCar hits its mid-season mark this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, David Malukas' 2024 is already looking like one hell of a roller coaster! After a dizzying descent, the result of a broken wrist during mountain bike training in February, then his dismissal by Arrow McLaren At the beginning of May, the American-Lithuanian has been on the rise since June, with his signing within the team of Michael Shank and Jim Meyer.

Replacing a disappointing Tom Blomqvist in the first rounds of the year, Malukas was inevitably a little apprehensive before arriving at Laguna Seca two weeks ago, for his first race. Apprehension due both to the state of his left hand, still bruised but healing, but also to his adaptation to a new environment, which he is still discovering. Once qualified in Q2, however, Malukas brushed aside any doubts, as he explained this Saturday after qualifying at Mid-Ohio.

“Before Laguna Seca, there was a lot of thinking, I wondered how my hand was going to hold up, if I was going to get along well with the team, work well too”, he explained on NBC Sports. Once we reached the top 12 there, I knew we were at the start of a great adventure. My hand is quite strong, I was able to train it a little thanks to the Laguna Seca race. I also had to adapt my riding style slightly to accommodate my wrist. But I knew from the simulator that this team would be very fast here and that we had the potential for a good qualifier. »

The top 3 at home!

The potential that David Malukas is referring to was relevant to this weekend's event in Lexington, Ohio. With a base in Columbus, barely 100 kilometers from the circuit, MSR is playing at home this weekend. And if Felix Rosenqvist usually impresses since the start of the season on Saturday, the Swede experienced an uncharacteristic poor form in qualifying, with an elimination in Q1. Adding to this a six-place penalty for an unauthorized engine change, the pressure of a good result rested on Malukas' shoulders.

The one who nicknames himself “Little Dave” did not fail, and signed a brilliant third time, behind Palou and O'Ward! A thunderous return that the former resident of Dale Coyne Racing was incapable of imagining. But he finds in the very family atmosphere of the MSR team an element of explanation of his performance.

“It’s just incredible. The chemistry in this team is truly superb, they give me the environment I need to perform at my best. With everything that's happened for me this year, that's one of the reasons why it's so important to achieve this performance in qualifying. I feel at home here, the team did a really good job on the car, I just had to turn left and right! », he finished, with a big smile!

All that remains is to finish the job with a demanding race this Sunday, starting at 19:45 p.m. If Malukas' left wrist is less and less of an unknown factor, the presence of the hybrid system could create opportunities, or potential concerns. One thing is certain, the Chicago native arrives with confidence in the firmament…

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