A new beginning is in the making for David Malukas as he will be joining Arrow McLaren on a multiyear basis, beginning in the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series season.
The move comes as the 21-year-old Malukas from Chicago, Illinois, is currently wrapping up his second full-time season in the IndyCar circuit for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports, where he has achieved a podium in the form of a third-place finish at World Wide Technology Raceway in August. He has also racked up six top-10 results through 16-scheduled events as he is currently ranked in 16th place in this year’s driver’s standings.
“I can’t wait to race in papaya next season,” Malukas said in a released statement. “Arrow McLaren has been a threat to the top contenders all season long, and I’m excited to join the team and see what their Chevrolets can do. Pato [O’Ward] and Alexander [Rossi] both know what it takes to win, so it will be fun racing alongside them and learning from them as well.”
A former race winner across the Pro Mazda Championship and Indy Lights, Malukas made his inaugural presence in the IndyCar circuit in 2022, where he piloted the No. 18 Dallara-Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports on a full-time basis. Finishing 26th in his series debut at the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, Malukas finished no higher than 11th twice during the first eight events on the schedule before notching his first top-10 career finish with a ninth-place run at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Despite achieving only a single top-10 result during his next five starts, which was an eighth-place run at Iowa Speedway in July, the Chicago native delivered with his maiden podium in IndyCar competition by finishing in the runner-up spot behind Josef Newgarden at World Wide Technology Raceway after making a late rally to overtake Scott McLaughlin on the final lap. Ultimately, Malukas would end up 16th in the final championship standings with 305 points and fall short in claiming the 2022 IndyCar Rookie-of-the-Year title to Christian Lundgaard.
Through 33 career starts in IndyCar, Malukas has recorded two podiums, 12 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.0 as he aims to elevate his IndyCar status and performance within the McLaren organization, where he will be replacing Felix Rosenqvist as Rosenqvist will be departing the McLaren organization following a three-year run for Meyer Shank Racing in 2024.
“We’ve been extremely impressed with how quickly David has gotten up to speed in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” Gavin Ward, Arrow McLaren Racing Director, said. “At 21, he’s already one of the strongest oval racers in the field and his competitiveness on road and street courses has been steadily improving. That speed combined with an excellent attitude and work ethic makes us thrilled to have him join the team.”
“David is an up and comer in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and based on what we’ve seen from him so far in his first two seasons, I’m confident there’s a lot of talent we can extract from him through the resources we have at Arrow McLaren,” Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, added. “Beyond what he can do on a racetrack, he’s got a great personality and we’re excited to welcome him to the McLaren Racing family.”
The addition of Malukas completes Arrow McLaren’s 2024 IndyCar lineup as the Chicago native will be teammates to Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi, both of whom return for their fourth and second year, respectively, with the McLaren team. Arrow McLaren is also set to run four cars in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 as the 2021 NASCAR champion Kyle Larson will attempt to qualify for the event while piloting the organization’s No. 17 entry.
With his future plans set, Malukas aims to conclude the 2023 INDYCAR season on a strong note by competing in this weekend’s season finale Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The event’s coverage is scheduled to occur on Sunday, September 10, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
