David Malukas Bio
David Joseph Malukas is an American racing driver born in Chicago, Illinois on September 27, 2001. He competes in the IndyCar Series as the driver of the No. 12 Chevrolet for Team Penske, a multi-year arrangement announced in September 2025. Malukas progressed through the Road to Indy ladder before entering IndyCar full-time in 2022, steadily building a reputation for competitive road course performances and dramatic on-track moments.
Malukas’ parents emigrated from Telšiai, Lithuania in 1991, shortly after the country regained independence from the Soviet Union. He was born in Chicago and holds United States citizenship. He is also eligible for Lithuanian citizenship and honors his heritage by placing the Lithuanian flag alongside the American flag on his race cars.
Early Life and Background
David Joseph Malukas was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, the son of parents who relocated from Lithuania in the early 1990s. His family’s background in a country newly freed from Soviet occupation shaped his early identity, and he has spoken openly about carrying that heritage into his racing career. The cultural connection to Lithuania remains meaningful, with Malukas regularly displaying both the American and Lithuanian flags on his cars as a tribute to his ethnic roots.
Malukas began karting at a young age and quickly established himself as a prospect to watch. In 2015, he was featured as one of the drivers in the Kart Life TV series, which offered a behind-the-scenes look into the world of competitive youth karting. That exposure reflected both his talent and the level of commitment he was already bringing to the sport as a teenager.
Path to IndyCar
Malukas’ ascent through the junior open-wheel ranks began in 2016 and 2017, when he competed in the Formula 4 UAE Championship for Rasgaira Motorsports, finishing sixth in the overall standings without contesting the full season. He then moved to Europe to drive for Motopark in ADAC Formula 4 in 2017, finishing nineteenth in the championship. He also ran part-time in the U.S. F2000 National Championship that same year for BN Racing, scoring a pole position and podium finish at the Road America season opener.
In 2018, Malukas stepped up to the Pro Mazda Championship with BN Racing and delivered an impressive season, capturing three race wins and six podium finishes to finish fourth in the championship standings. His performances caught the attention of the racing community and set the stage for his move up to the Indy Lights series. In 2019, he drove for BN Racing in Indy Lights before his father Henry acquired the team’s operation and established HMD Motorsports, a team that would become central to Malukas’ career trajectory.
David Malukas Career
Early Career (2016-2020)
After his partial campaigns in Formula 4 UAE and ADAC Formula 4, Malukas continued building his résumé across multiple series. In the 2020 season, which was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Malukas pivoted to the Formula Regional Americas Championship with HMD Motorsports. He enjoyed considerable success, claiming two race wins and fifteen podium finishes en route to a second-place finish in the championship standings.
His consistency and race-craft during these development years made him one of the most promising American prospects on the Road to Indy. His father’s formation of HMD Motorsports following the acquisition of BN Racing’s Indy Lights operation provided Malukas with a team he could develop within, a rare level of stability and continuity in junior formula racing.
Indy Lights Breakthrough (2021)
Malukas returned to Indy Lights full-time in 2021 with HMD Motorsports, and the season proved to be the most accomplished of his junior career. He claimed his maiden pole position at the second race at Barber Motorsports Park and went on to capture his first series victory. Throughout the season he challenged teammate and rookie Kyle Kirkwood for the championship, ultimately finishing second in the standings. Malukas’ 2021 campaign produced six poles, sixteen podium finishes, and seven race wins across the season, numbers that reflected both his speed and his ability to compete at the highest level of the Road to Indy ladder.
Dale Coyne Racing Era (2022-2023)
On December 15, 2021, it was announced that Malukas would drive the No. 18 entry full-time for Dale Coyne Racing in partnership with HMD Motorsports during the 2022 IndyCar Series season. He made his IndyCar debut in the 2022 season opener and steadily improved as the year progressed. At Mid-Ohio he recorded his first top-ten finish of the season with a ninth-place result, and in Toronto he qualified a career-best fifth and reached the Firestone Fast 6. The defining moment of his rookie campaign came at Gateway, where Malukas took his first career IndyCar podium by finishing second, nearly passing his idol Josef Newgarden for the win on the final lap.
Malukas’ 2023 season with Dale Coyne Racing began with promise, highlighted by a top-ten finish in the chaotic season opener at St. Petersburg and a fourth-place result in a multi-car battle at Texas Motor Speedpark. The season presented challenges through its middle stretch, but Malukas demonstrated resilience by bouncing back from difficult results. He finished third at Gateway, the scene of his 2022 breakout, and delivered strong performances at Iowa with twelfth and eighth place finishes across the double-header. He closed the season with an eighth-place result at Portland after starting twenty-fourth, a drive that showcased his ability to fight forward through a long race.
A.J. Foyt Racing Era (2025)
On August 13, 2024, it was announced that Malukas had signed a multi-year deal with A.J. Foyt Racing to compete in the 2025 season and beyond. The move represented a significant step in his IndyCar career, joining one of the series’ most storied organizations. In the 2025 Indianapolis 500, Malukas delivered one of the season’s most memorable results, finishing second after starting seventh, a performance that demonstrated his ability to compete at the sport’s most prestigious event. The following week at the Detroit Grand Prix, he qualified second and ran among the top-five before contact with Alex Palou resulted in a penalty that affected his finishing position.
Driving Style and Strengths
Malukas has built a reputation as a smooth and calculating driver with particular aptitude on road and street circuits. His Indy Lights season with seven wins and six poles in 2021 reflected a natural speed that translated well to road courses in IndyCar. His near-pass of Josef Newgarden at Gateway in 2022 highlighted aggressive race craft, while his ability to recover from poor starting positions at events like Portland in 2023 demonstrated patience and strategic intelligence behind the wheel.
Notable Races and Milestones
Malukas’ career is highlighted by his second-place finish at the 2025 Indianapolis 500, a landmark result at the most famous race in American motorsport. His maiden IndyCar podium at Gateway in 2022, achieved with a last-lap charge against Newgarden, remains his signature career moment to date. Gateway Motorsports Park has served as a personal stronghold, producing both his first podium and his best road course results across multiple seasons. His second-place qualifying position at the 2025 Detroit Grand Prix further illustrated his ability to produce strong one-lap pace on street circuits.
David Malukas Career Wins
David Malukas has accumulated wins across the Road to Indy ladder and in IndyCar, with his most successful single season coming in Indy Lights in 2021. His progression through junior formula racing produced a consistent record of victories, podiums, and pole positions before he transitioned to IndyCar full-time in 2022. His IndyCar podium at Gateway in 2022, achieved in just his second full season, confirmed that his speed translated to the highest level of American open-wheel competition.
Indy Lights Highlights
In the 2021 Indy Lights season with HMD Motorsports, Malukas claimed seven race wins, six pole positions, and sixteen podium finishes across the calendar, finishing second in the championship behind rookie Kyle Kirkwood. The win total represented the highest of any full season in his junior career and confirmed his status as one of the most accomplished drivers to emerge from the Road to Indy system in recent years. His first series victory came at the second race at Barber Motorsports Park after taking his maiden pole position there.
Other Career Performances
Malukas recorded two race wins and fifteen podium finishes in the Formula Regional Americas Championship in 2020, finishing second in the championship. In the Pro Mazda Championship in 2018, he captured three wins and six podiums. In IndyCar, his best result to date is a second-place finish at the 2025 Indianapolis 500, with his first podium coming at Gateway in 2022 driving the Dale Coyne Racing No. 18 entry.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndyCar Series | 0 | Multiple | Multiple |
| Indy Lights | 7 | 16 | 6 |
| Formula Regional Americas | 2 | 15 | Multiple |
| Pro Mazda Championship | 3 | 6 | Multiple |
David Malukas Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Malukas’ parents emigrated from Telšiai, Lithuania in 1991, shortly after Lithuania regained independence from the Soviet Union. His father, Henry Malukas, played a pivotal role in his son’s racing career by acquiring BN Racing’s Indy Lights operation in 2019 and establishing HMD Motorsports. The team provided David with a consistent platform throughout his junior formula career and into his transition to IndyCar, reflecting a family deeply invested in his motorsport ambitions.
Personal Life
Malukas was born in Chicago, Illinois and holds United States citizenship. He has stated that while he is also eligible for Lithuanian citizenship, he has not pursued it. His connection to Lithuania remains central to his personal identity as a racer, and he honors his ethnic heritage by displaying the Lithuanian flag alongside the American flag on his race cars. Outside of racing, he appeared in the Kart Life TV series in 2015 as one of its featured young drivers.
2025 Season Performance
In 2025, David Malukas competed in the IndyCar Series driving for A.J. Foyt Racing under a multi-year agreement signed in August 2024. The season’s defining moment came at the Indianapolis 500, where Malukas finished second after starting seventh, producing one of the standout results of his IndyCar career. The performance at the Brickyard showcased his ability to run at the front of the field and execute cleanly over 500 miles.
Following the Indianapolis 500, Malukas continued his strong form at the Detroit Grand Prix, qualifying second and running among the top-five cars. A late-race incident with Alex Palou resulted in contact and a penalty that altered his finishing position, but the qualifying result reinforced his speed on street circuits throughout the season. The 2025 campaign with A.J. Foyt Racing represented a new chapter for Malukas, with the multi-year deal providing stability after his 2024 season, which included a stint with Meyer Shank Racing following his release from Arrow McLaren in April 2024 after sustaining a wrist injury in a mountain biking accident earlier that year.
