IndyCar: Arrow McLaren need a new driver to start the 2024 season

David Malukas, who moved from Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports to Arrow McLaren as the replacement for the Meyer Shank Racing-bound Felix Rosenqvist behind the wheel of the No. 6 Chevrolet for the 2024 IndyCar season, suffered an injury in a mountain biking accident last weekend.

Malukas underwent successful surgery earlier this week to repair torn ligaments in his dislocated left wrist. He is set to have his stitches removed next Thursday, February 22. At that point, it is expected that he will need six weeks to recover.

The 2024 IndyCar season is scheduled to begin on Sunday, March 10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, which is less than three weeks from that date.

Arrow McLaren will need to find a new driver for the No. 6 Chevrolet for at least this race.

While the long break between the season's first and second races has been a point of contention in recent years, the positive here is that Malukas should only end up missing one points race.

The only other race without that six-week window is the Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge, which is scheduled to take place at Thermal Club on Sunday, March 24. This race is a non-points race.

The 17-race season's second points race is the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, which is scheduled to take place on the streets of Long Beach, California on Sunday, April 21, nearly two months after Malukas' stitches are set to come out. As of now, it is expected that he will make his Arrow McLaren debut in this event.

In his first two seasons in IndyCar behind the wheel of the No. 18 Honda, Malukas finished in 16th and 17th place in the championship standings and recorded two podium finishes, both at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Despite a one-position drop-off in the standings last year, he posted six top 10 finishes, doubling his total from his rookie season.

Pato O'Ward and Alexander Rossi are Arrow McLaren's other two full-time drivers. O'Ward has driven the No. 5 Chevrolet since 2020, and Rossi has driven the No. 7 Chevrolet since last year.