David Malukas Is Still Pinching Himself
(L-R) Arrow McLaren Team Principal Gavin Ward, David Malukas, CEO Mclaren Racing Zak Brown (Photo by James Black/Penske Entertainment)
It’s early days for NTT INDYCAR Series driver David Malukas as he integrates himself into his new surroundings at the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team.
But from what he’s seen so far, he’s been blown away.
“Yeah, I mean there's there's so much to it, you know? The first few days it was the first few days at school at Arrow McLaren. It's been amazing. There's been so much that we've gone up to and so many new people to meet with and they have a lot of resources for me. They spoil me. I've managed to communicate with TK (Sporting Director, Tony Kanaan) and Sean is going to be kind of my trainer and give me a program and a meal program and everything.
“So there's a lot more on the training side of perspectives and kind of getting ready for what's to come going into the car. But yeah, it's overall it's been a very good experience so far.”
Coming from the relatively small Dale Coyne Racing team, Malukas says the size of the Arrow McLaren operation has been amazing.
“I mean, everything has been a shock to me, every single corner I'd say. I'm just like, whoa, that's crazy. I turn to the left and like, Oh man, it's even more crazy and then you go up the stairs and it's like, Oh, my God, it just keeps going.
“No, it’s been amazing. It's just, I'd say just as a whole the team is just so organized and everybody has their purpose and everybody just works so fluidly and the connections and everything is just super well perfected and it, to me, it just made me so happy being a part of it and being a part of the team and walking around and everybody was just so friendly. Just, it felt like, all those meetings, so many new people, it just felt like I knew this person for such a long time. And that's kind of the people that you want to be surrounded with.
“So, it's just, I guess, just the sheer amount of people that are there but how everything is just so well organized and perfected. So I'd say that's kind of been the big shock factor for me.”
In his first two weeks with Arrow McLaren, Malukas has hit the ground running, including a test of INDYCAR’s new hybrid system at Sebring International Raceway, recently, that will debut in the series in 2024.
“I can say it was a very good test. It was, of course, a lot of new things happening. And new team, new engine. But overall, that the hybrid stuff, I think is a massive plus. It all went very well. We went through a lot of different programs. And by the end of the day, and just from a driving standpoint, it adds just an extra tool that we can use alongside Push To Pass during a race so it's kind of going to be a lot more strategic from a driving standpoint and just strategy in general.”
(Photo by James Black/Penske Entertainment)
Malukas also represented the team at the recent announcement of INDYCAR’s return to the Milwaukee Mile and is looking forward to next year’s double-header on Labor Day weekend.
“Yeah, I'm very excited. The schedule looks very good as a whole, not even just looking at the Milwaukee Mile. I think it's very well set up. There's gonna be a lot more traveling back and forth from West Coast back to the Midwest. But other than that, I think it's very well played out and the addition of the Milwaukee Mile is going to be very special. I was there with INDYCAR when they announced it. And you know, I kind of got my first looks there. There is a lot of history at that track. It feels very good to have INDYCAR back at a place that has that history. And it feels special to me that I can be there and race there and kind of be a part of it. INDYCAR plan to do a lot of renovations, a lot of improvements to the track by the time we get going there for next season.
“I think it's gonna be a very good race, especially with the timing of it. If you look at it in the schedule, it's right at the end right before Nashville, two races. I think it's gonna be pretty big.
“Although Alex Palou this season kind of changed things up a little bit on that, but the INDYCAR championship normally comes down straight to the last wire, and I think two races, a lot of points to play. I think it's going to be a really good kind of end of season big points battle and might have a big sweep at the end.”
Then there’s creating content for the team’s social media offerings.
“Yeah, I understand the importance of content and I love creating it and doing it. We had our own little content day and I was very excited for it and trying to get (teammates Alexander) Rossi and Pato (O’Ward) that kind of, you know, like oh let's let's get like different angles, different shots and all this stuff, trying to get as much content as we can and there's definitely a lot of good stuff funny stuff coming. I think it's a really good trio with Rossi always being so like, I don't want to do anything, and me and Pato kind of being a little bit more high energy. It's like Rossi is our dad, we’re the kids, so it's a really good trio, especially content I think it's gonna be very funny.”
“I’m just still pinching myself that this is all happening. It just makes me so happy. I just feel like I’ve achieved another dream of mine that I’ve had since I was a kid.”
A change in the familiar, moving from one racing team to another, and one city to another, has Malukas both excited and a little nervous.
“Yeah, things have changed. Definitely quite a bit. It's been a big change just even from you know, outside of a racing perspective. This is gonna be the first time I'm going to be moving out of the Chicago area. It's gonna be down at Indy, it's gonna be a new place for me. So it's a lot of big life changes going on and a lot of new new connections and a new format that I've never worked with before. So it's just trying to get used to all of it.
“But you know, from my side all of it has been amazing. I've enjoyed every single change that's happened and just looking forward to the next big move. So from the announcement till now, it's been a lot of different emotions as well. It's kind of been a roller coaster - excited and nervous and back to excited and just feeling comfortable and just happy. It's just been very, very good. And I'm just still pinching myself that this is all happening. It just makes me so happy. I just feel like I've achieved another dream of mine that I've had since I was a kid.”