David Malukas earns breakthrough Team Penske podium in chaotic Phoenix race

Written by Hope Van Beek, Edited by Morgan Holiday

Credit: Joe Skibinski

David Malukas delivered a standout performance by finishing third at Phoenix Raceway after leading the field to green and battling through a race of strategic shifts, bold overtakes and constant pressure on the one-mile oval.

Malukas’ podium was his first with Team Penske, marking a milestone early in his tenure with the team. After a turbulent 2025 season, this result highlighted his growth as a driver and immediate competitiveness at Penske.

Phoenix returned to the IndyCar calendar after an eight-year absence, and the race quickly delivered exactly the kind of spectacle fans had hoped for. With multiple racing lines, changing strategies and constant overtaking, the event produced one of the more action-packed oval races in recent memory.

Malukas entered the weekend with momentum from the opening championship round. At Phoenix, that momentum earned him pole position, putting him at the front of the grid and giving him his first chance to lead the field to green in his IndyCar career.

He went on to convert that strong starting position into a podium finish, though the path to that result proved anything but straightforward. 

“I mean, I was really happy,” Malukas said after the race. “That race, like Kyle said, it was awesome. There were so many different strategies, so much going on.”

The opening laps set the stage for a dramatic race. Even before the green flag waved, Romain Grosjean encountered technical issues in the pits and was unable to start alongside the rest of the field, leaving the grid one car short as the race began.

When the lights went out, Malukas immediately had to defend from his experienced Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden. The two ran closely together in the opening laps, with Newgarden attempting to challenge around the outside.

Malukas held firm on the inside line, maintaining the lead as the race settled into its first rhythm. Behind them, the field began to shuffle as drivers explored multiple racing lines. The emerging second groove offered new overtaking opportunities, which became especially decisive during a key sequence after the first round of pit stops. By then, the extra rubber on the top lane allowed bolder moves, dramatically shifting the running order and setting up the late-race battles among frontrunners.

For Malukas, these changes on track demanded total concentration from the moment the green flag flew. “I mean, yeah, dude,” he said when asked if he could feel how intense the race had become. “For my brain-rotted TikTok brain, I was so focused. I didn’t have a second to think about anything else.”

Credit: Joe Skibinski

With strategy changing on the fly and grip evolving each lap, several pivotal moments shaped the outcome. Notably, when Dennis Hauger spun off the final corner, a caution bunched the field and allowed leaders to reset their tactics, while Malukas narrowly avoided trouble. Later, Newgarden's decisive pass on Malukas during the pit sequence proved crucial in determining the podium.

Intense racing continued as drivers ran side by side across multiple lanes, searching for grip as tyre wear began to build. “We were full drift the whole time,” Malukas explained. “It was an awesome race. I had a really good time from start to finish.”

The high intensity of the race also meant mistakes carried significant consequences. Early cautions shuffled the strategies, while pit-stop timing became a crucial factor in determining track position.

One of the first major incidents occurred when Hauger spun exiting the final corner. The Dale Coyne Racing rookie somehow kept his car out of the wall, then executed a dramatic recovery before rejoining the race.

Later, contact between Rinus VeeKay and Álex Palou eliminated the reigning champion from contention. The incident broke Palou’s remarkable streak of leading the IndyCar championship standings.

Through all of this chaos, Malukas remained focused on maintaining his position near the front. As the race progressed, pit strategy began to shape the battle for victory. In particular, the undercut proved powerful, as drivers who stopped earlier gained track position once the cycle completed. At one point, Malukas found himself exiting pit road side by side with Newgarden, the two Penske drivers battling wheel to wheel as their tyres came up to temperature.

Malukas’ colder tyres briefly left him vulnerable, allowing his teammate to sweep around the outside in a decisive move. Yet the fight between the two drivers remained respectful and competitive throughout the race. “We were just bobbing and weaving a little bit,” Malukas said about their early battles. “It wasn’t intentional.”

Despite driving for the same team, neither driver held back on the track. “When it comes to racing, we’re racing side by side the same way we would with anybody else out there,” Malukas explained. “It’s nothing different just because we’re teammates.” The race continued to evolve as drivers experimented with different lines around the track.

Historically, Phoenix has sometimes produced single-lane racing, yet this event proved the opposite. Malukas pointed to a shift in driver mentality as one of the reasons the second lane became so effective. “I think it also adds to the drivers now,” he said. “We’re trying that second lane more.” “I just feel like the first few years in INDYCAR when I came, people didn’t really go up there. Now I feel like there’s more people trying and keeping it clean throughout the race.”

The result was a race that produced hundreds of overtakes and constant position changes throughout the field. Even from inside the cockpit, Malukas could sense how quickly the race unfolded. “That race felt like an instant to me,” he said. “Thirty minutes and we were done.”

Credit: James Black

Christian Rasmussen’s aggressive driving style saw him charge through the field with several daring moves. Malukas briefly defended against the Danish driver before deciding the risk was too high to continue fighting.

“He’s just all attack,” Malukas said. “Even when he was behind me for a few laps, I mean, I don't know, I was defending. I came to the point that I'm going to stop defending this because I feel like we're going to crash. He is all or nothing. He is all or nothing. It's into the wall or I'm making that move. Obviously that strategy works very well.”

 Rasmussen’s relentless approach eventually caught up with him in the closing stages of the race, when contact with the wall dropped him down the order.

Meanwhile, as the final stint unfolded, Malukas remained firmly inside the podium battle. The closing laps became particularly challenging for drivers managing tyre wear. “Last stint, I don’t know what Kyle thought, but that’s the hardest I pushed a tire before, Malukas said. “That was drifting,” he added. “I never drifted in an INDYCAR that much before.”

Phoenix’s unique layout created especially tricky cornering conditions, with drivers effectively transitioning between two directions mid-corner. “Through one and two, the first turn is actually left,” Malukas explained. “Then when you’re in the corner, the rest of it you’re turning right. Some big moments.” The physical and mental demands of those closing laps pushed drivers to their limits. For Malukas, the race provided several moments that nearly ended in disaster. “I’m very excited to go back and clip all the videos of almost spinning out in one and two,” he joked.

Despite the challenges, Malukas ultimately crossed the line in third place behind race winner Josef Newgarden and second-place finisher Kyle Kirkwood. The result marked a significant milestone for the young driver. It was his first podium since joining Team Penske. It was also his first chance in some time to celebrate a trophy finish. “I haven’t touched a trophy I feel like in a long time,” Malukas admitted. “It’s been a very long time.” The podium also represented an encouraging sign for Team Penske. It followed a difficult previous season.

Across the organisation, the early part of the 2026 campaign has delivered strong results. “I think it goes to show the resilience of Team Penske,” Malukas said. “They had some mad moments last year. Now they come back. We’re hitting it off on a very high note.” For Malukas personally, joining the historic organisation has already provided a unique experience. Being inside the Penske environment has given him a deeper appreciation for the team’s long-standing success across multiple forms of motorsport. “Just being in that environment, I can see why the 60 years of victories and podiums and all this stuff is the way they run things very well,” he said.

Looking at the event overall, the Phoenix race also served as a reminder of how exciting oval racing can be when the conditions allow drivers to explore multiple lines. Malukas believed the event delivered the exact spectacle needed to attract new fans. “I had a fantastic time,” he said. “I think everybody here thought it was a good race.” For those in attendance, particularly NASCAR fans who may have been watching IndyCar for the first time that weekend, the message was simple. “I would assume from their perspective they’re going to say, ‘Hell yeah, INDYCAR is awesome,’” Malukas said with a smile.

As the championship moves forward, Malukas’ podium at Phoenix represents more than just a single result. The valuable points scored have propelled him into sixth in the championship standings, putting him firmly in the mix as the title battle intensifies. With demanding tracks like Long Beach and the Indianapolis 500 up next, this result could signal a turning point in his pursuit of both race wins and a serious shot at the overall championship.