David Malukas going to backup car after “massive hit” in IndyCar Detroit qualifying

The Indy 500 runner-up will start in last position for the IndyCar Detroit GP

David Malukas will be going to a backup car after a violent crash in qualifying for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

The Chicago native, fresh off a runner-up photo finish in last weekend’s Indianapolis 500, was part of the second group of the opening round. Pressing on a set of the softer alternate tires, he rolled around the nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit trying to advance into the Fast 12. However, the chance to do so ended in the final second in the session after an attempt to push through a slight bobble into Turn 7 resulted in his #12 Team Penske Chevrolet tapped the inside wall and bounced into the outside wall with a vicious hit.

The damage was severe to the right-front, which hit first before the right-rear whipped around and also made hard contact. The destruction was enough that the team elected to switch to a backup car. Malukas will start 25th (last).

“Yeah, everything is good,” Malukas said. “It was a massive hit, but you know, I'm already shy from my wrist from my previous year, so I let go really early and brace for impact, but it was a big hit.

“Unfortunately, I mean, sorry for the guys are gonna have a lot of work to do overnight, but we weren't we weren't going to transfer through and we needed just that little bit more and I had a little bit of a wobble on the entry and I decided to just keep the foot planted and hope that it would keep it together and it did not.

“So yeah, it's just fine margins here and we missed out but a lot of work to do for the race. But you know, I trust these guys will see how strategy plays out and hopefully we can get something done.”