The Indianapolis 500 is a race every IndyCar driver dreams of winning. It’s the one event the entire paddock, fanbase, and motorsport world anticipates. Crossing the line doesn’t just mean victory: it cements a driver’s name into motorsport history, where their name will join the 77 elusive drivers that have completed the challenging feat.
But for coming second, it’s the shattering realisation: how close racing immortality was, only to slip out of grasp, its position no driver wishes for. And, for David Malukas, it’s a feeling he is becoming all too familiar with.
The heartbreak of the 2025 Indianapolis 500
After missing the beginning of the 2024 season due to a wrist injury, Malukas was subsequently dropped by Arrow McLaren. For the 2024 Indy 500, Malukas sat in the media centre, watching on, with an unsure vision of his future in racing.
But Meyer Shank Racing provided Malukas with a ride for the final ten races of the season. In those races, Malukas had to prove to the IndyCar paddock he deserved another chance, and as he qualified third three times, his highest result of the season being a sixth-place finish, he finally found his break.
Malukas made his full-time IndyCar return last season with AJ. Foyt Racing. While his best result of the season so far was only 13th, he entered the Month of May as not only a strong runner but a potential victor.
The Chicago native led the race twice and ran consistently in the top five, and positioned himself perfectly for the shootout. On the last lap, he was running in third, but a late caution froze the grid, meaning Malukas was locked into third. In the aftermath of the race, Marcus Ericsson, in second, was dropped to 31st after the car failed post-race inspection, which promoted Malukas into second.
Reflecting after the race back in 2025, Malukas expressed his hurt about his finishing position:
“Definitely picturing it, and man, we gave it our all in those last — I think it was about 15 to go, and we turned it up, and I was just hanging on for dear life trying to get something out of it.
Those two lap cars kind of came in and ruined the fun for us and chose this winner. That’s just kind of how this track goes.”
Malukas left the speedway that day, knowing one thing: he was going to come back to Indianapolis stronger, and he did.
A new chapter
The 2026 season was a new era for him, as he joined the most successful team in IndyCar history, Team Penske. As the first handful of races went underway, Malukas was a strong front-runner, earning a podium, a pole position, and sat third in the standings. He was producing results that bettered both his experienced teammates Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.
As the Month of May approached, Malukas started well, finishing second in the Indy Road Course, which set the tone, but it was in qualifying that his true speed emerged. Suddenly, he wasn’t just a favourite anymore; he became a threat for pole position.
He entered the Fast 12 shootout and sealed the second-best time to advance him through to the showdown for pole. Malukas rolled out of the garage, with Alexander Rossi’s mammoth time of 231.990mph to beat. His lap was on par with the No.20 car, with his second lap going slightly quicker than his rival, but it wasn’t enough as his average speed was 231.877mph.
As race day approached, all eyes were on the field with anticipation of who might write themselves into history next. Could it be someone’s first, or could Alex Palou seal back-to-back 500’s?
History repeats itself
One thing is for certain about the speedway: its unpredictability means no matter what position a driver begins in, they have a shot at victory.
The race already had five cautions and a red flag period, but the speedway had one final twist in the closing laps. As Caio Collet’s fiery car brought the second red flag out, neutralising the pack.
When the field returned to the track, Felix Rosenqvist led the grid but was overtaken by his teammate Marcus Armstrong. As the final lap approached, another caution was thrown as Mick Schumacher made contact with the wall, meaning that when the circuit went green, it would be a final lap showdown for victory.
Armstrong pushed his car to the limit in a desperate attempt to keep a luring Malukas behind him. Though it wasn’t enough as the Team Penske No.12, launched past the New Zealander.
Behind, chaos unfolded as the Meyer Shank teammates went wheel-to-wheel with the Swede succeeding and moving past Armstrong. Up front, Malukas could almost taste the sweetness of victory with only two turns to go as immortality was within his grasp.
But, Rosenqvist had extra power to use, as he snaked behind Malukas for a tow and made an ambitious outside pass on the Penske car. The pair went wheel-to-wheel as they approached the chequered flag and crossed just 0.0233 apart.
It was celebrations on one side of the paddock for the 77th victor of the 500; on the other, it was heartbreak once again, coming close, only to watch it fall out of grasp on the final turn, proving that nothing is certain at Indianapolis until the chequered flag.
“I don’t know what else — I don’t know what else we could’ve done,” Malukas said in an emotional interview after the race.
“We were the fastest car in that whole race. I just, I don’t know, I gave it 150 percent.“
“I almost crashed this damn car on every lap and we still ended up with a P2, man, I can’t believe it, I don’t know what else I can give.” Malukas reflected.
“Lot of anger, lot of pain. I feel like I’m mourning and just a lot of shock,“
“I just — I still can’t believe it. Just to be that close to winning the damn thing. I just can’t believe it.“
A stark reminder of how much it stings to finish second in Indianapolis. While 2025’s second-place result warranted a celebration for an incredible comeback. This time around, the crushing devastation of coming so close and missing out was immeasurable for Malukas.
“I just don’t know what else we could have done. We were driving 150 percent that whole race. The guys did a fantastic job getting the car where it needed to be. We had the fastest car out there that whole race. It was ours to win, and I knew that.
“I’ve never pushed that hard in my whole life. Just to finish, like — I can’t believe it. This whole season, even before, just keep getting a lot of seconds, but we just can’t get — now it’s like — I don’t know how much closer you can get to getting it. So yeah. Now we’re even P2 in the championship. It’s great, so many seconds.”
“I’ve been through many different teams, although I’m still young, 2024, from the wrist injury, been to so many different teams, and nobody is like Team Penske,” Malukas expressed.
“Everybody here is just so closely connected and truly feels like family. Obviously coming from all of that, Roger (Penske, team owner) was one of the first guys to come to me and tell me that he believes in me and told me to keep on pushing.
“Because of him, I can sit here and cry that I’m going for a P2 position. I think that’s why it’s really emotional for me because I wanted to get a win for this team and just wanted to be written across those history books. Everything happens for a reason. I think there’s a reasoning to this. We’re going to just use it as more motivation and just keep pushing forward, and someday maybe it’ll happen.”
“I think that was the IMS gods telling me that it’s not my time.” While disappointment echoed in Malukas’s ears, there was hope for the 24-year-old, who looks ahead to 2027, where he aims to be the 89th driver on the Borg-Warner trophy.
“This place, man. We’re going to come back again, though, and bring in everything. We’re going to give 160 percent next time,” Malukas told the media.
“Thank you, everyone, here, for staying here through the rain and everything. Incredible race. Thank you, everyone, at Team Penske and Roger Penske for believing in me when nobody else did, and we’re going to keep on going.“
While the sting of second will linger, the IndyCar season moves on to Detroit from May 29-31. And for Malukas, his pursuit to etch his name into silver on the Borg-Warner trophy is far from over.
Featured image credit: Aaron Skillman