IndyCar: Key detail omitted from David Malukas announcement
By Asher Fair
David Malukas has signed a multi-year contract to join A.J. Foyt Enterprises for the 2025 IndyCar season and beyond, a move considered somewhat of a surprise amid rumors that he was speaking to Meyer Shank Racing about an extension and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing about replacing the Arrow McLaren-bound Christian Lundgaard.
Malukas competed for Dale Coyne Racing with support from his father's HMD Motorsports team in 2022 and 2023 before signing with Arrow McLaren for 2024, but after he missed a number of races with a wrist injury he suffered in a preseason mountain biking accident, he was released by the team before ever having the opportunity to compete in a race.
Meyer Shank Racing then signed Malukas to replace the struggling Tom Blomqvist, starting with the June race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and he has been impressive. He has not qualified worse than 14th place and has an average starting position of 8.8 in five races, and he recently finished in a season-high sixth on the streets of Toronto.
The 22-year-old's performance has elevated the No. 66 team into the top 22 in the entrant standings, putting it in position to make the Leaders' Circle and earn a $1 million payout from IndyCar after its outlook looked extremely bleak following Blomqvist's opening lap Indy 500 crash in late May.
Malukas joins Foyt
A.J. Foyt Enterprises' technical alliance with Team Penske, which went into effect ahead of the 2024 season, has made the team arguably the "next team up" behind tier one (Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing) and tier two (Arrow McLaren and Andretti Global).
Additionally, a move to A.J. Foyt's team could potentially put Malukas in position to make the move to Team Penske whenever two-time series champion and 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power decides to retire.
But what hasn't been confirmed about Malukas' 2025 plans is whether he will be replacing Santino Ferrucci behind the wheel of the No. 14 Chevrolet or Sting Ray Robb behind the wheel of the No. 41 Chevrolet.
Ferrucci has had the best season for a Foyt driver in over two decades and has been a contender in both of his Indy 500 starts since joining the organization last year, while Robb brings significant to the team.
A similar scenario unfolded last offseason, when the team announced Robb as a part of their driver lineup for 2024. Benjamin Pedersen put out a statement welcoming Robb to the team, but as it turned out, Pedersen was the driver whom Robb ended up replacing.
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A pairing of Malukas and Ferrucci could elevate A.J. Foyt Enterprises even beyond what they have been able to achieve through the first 12 races of the 17-race 2024 season, but Robb's backing could result in Ferrucci being left on the outside looking in. At this stage in the game, it's anybody's guess as to which car Malukas will drive next year.
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