AVONDALE, AZ – For the primary time in his profession, David Malukas will sit on the pole for Saturday’s Good Ranchers 250 on Saturday. Malukas received the pole with a 175.383 mph common lap velocity, beating out his Group Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, who will begin beside Malukas within the entrance row of the race.
Malukas is in his first yr for Group Penske, taking on the No. 12 seat that Will Energy occupied for 16 years. Going into his second race with the group, Malukas has excessive religion in his automobile.
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“The Verizon Chevrolet No. 12 automobile, it is a rocket ship,” Malukas stated earlier than Friday’s qualifying. “So for me, it is making my job straightforward. I believe it is analogous with Gateway, which is one thing I’ve all the time discovered plenty of success with in my time in IndyCar. … When you might have automobile beneath you, it makes issues straightforward.”
Malukas, like a number of different drivers, has in contrast Phoenix Raceway’s quick oval to Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, the place has raced yearly since 2017. Twenty of the 25 drivers (together with the 24-year-old Malukas) on the grid this weekend have by no means raced at Phoenix Raceway, as Saturday’s race is IndyCar’s first at Phoenix Raceway since 2018. However Malukas, who’s looking for his first profession win, enjoys this observe’s similarities to Gateway, the place he has completed on the rostrum twice in his profession.
Malukas, who’s on his fourth group in 5 seasons, will now search for his first win in Saturday’s race. He is embracing the additional attract and a focus that comes with driving what has been among the finest vehicles within the sequence.
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“It doesn’t matter what group I have been with all through these years in IndyCar, I’ve all the time had a type of strain to cope with,” Malukas stated. “And I believe that for Group Penske, it is a particular strain. And it is one which I am very excited to cope with. For me, Group Penske has all the time been my dream, and I am going right into a automobile that had a legacy.”
In a way, a Malukas victory on Saturday would announce his full arrival as a risk in IndyCar. He is but to complete high 10 within the sequence standings, however a win would put him in place to take action.
Malukas additionally desires his friends to acknowledge his progress, which he feels can be full with a win. Malukas gave himself the nickname “Little Dave” in 2023, after he completed on the rostrum at Gateway on the age of 21. Almost three years later, many nonetheless name him “Little Dave,” however with a win, he’d develop into “Massive Dave.”
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Alexander Rossi – Good Ranchers 250
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Alexander Rossi – Good Ranchers 250
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David Malukas – Good Ranchers 250
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David Malukas – Good Ranchers 250
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David Malukas – Good Ranchers 250
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Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway
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Pato O_Ward – Good Ranchers 250
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Scott Dixon – Good Ranchers 250
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Scott McLaughlin – Good Ranchers 250
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Will Energy – Good Ranchers 250
“He has to win a race earlier than he is Massive Dave, I believe that is the rule,” Newgarden stated. “It is his rule. I believe he got here up with it.”
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“I am, like, man, we have to drop that title,” Malukas stated. “I am pushing actually laborious for this one. That is my primary motivational issue — is that we will lastly drop the Little Dave.”
Malukas has put himself able to win his first race. Group Penske has traditionally had success on ovals, so Malukas ought to have a respectable probability to develop into “Massive Dave.”
