INDIANAPOLIS — David Malukas is a month away from the first race of the biggest opportunity of his racing career.
After bouncing from team to team for five years, including an impressive season last year with A.J. Foyt Racing, Malukas has joined Team Penske as a replacement for two-time IndyCar Series champion Will Power.
Malukas will team with Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden.
According to Malukas who moved to Charlotte during the offseason to be near the Team Penske shop in Mooresville, N.C., the transition is off to a good start.
“It’s been real comfortable. These guys have treated me with open arms. They’ve been really friendly,” Malukas said. “We’ve already been getting along, doing a lot of data work and also just with the crew guys, just working with them every single day on all sorts of the cars. This is the most prepped and most ready I’ve ever felt going into a season.”
Malukas said consistency will be important.
“I think that’s what really matters in IndyCar,” the Illinois native said. “We have so many different circuits. You have street, road, ovals. Through all of it, they’re all just so different.
To have consistency between all of them, that would be a successful year for me.”
Malukas said he doesn’t feel any pressure replacing Power, who is one of the winningest drivers in Team Penske history.
“From my side, yeah, it’s not really going to be much of an effect to me,” Malukas said.
I’m going to be focused on own thing, focused on the 12. I have to be creating my own legacy in the 12 car, David Malukas, Verizon No. 12. That is what I will be focused on. It’s not really going to be affecting me. I’m going to be focused on results from my side. That’s going to be my big focus.”
The timing of the move to Team Penske is perfect according to Malukas.
“ I feel like everything is timed to perfection in that perspective,” Malukas said. “We were changing all these teams, but throughout that time I was still dealing with some wrist stuff even last season, the start of it, having some residual pain and these weird things. So just also getting back into the seat.
“I was also some tough struggles that I didn’t really speak about because I knew eventually it would go away. That injury, it really stayed. Now is the first time ever where I’m injury free, there’s no more residual things. I don’t need to do any PT, no more stretching, the wrist is what it is now, and it feels good.
“Everything is just timed to perfection like I said. I moved to Charlotte, can work on all this data, and put my head down and get ready.”
