David Malukas wished extra, however left Barber Motorsports Park happy with a fourth-place end.
After beginning second on the two.3-mile, 17-turn pure terrain street course, the Chicago native tried to maintain tempo with pole-sitter – and eventual race winner Alex Palou. The influence of beginning on a set of softer alternate (crimson sidewall) tires reverse of Palou’s tougher primaries (black sidewall), left him sliding backwards after 15 of 90 laps.
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Regardless of the transient slide, Malukas by no means dropped under fourth on technique. Within the closing laps, he started to make a late cost and stress Graham Rahal for the ultimate spot on the rostrum, however was left settling for fourth on the end.
The outcome continues a powerful begin to the 2026 IndyCar season for Malukas, who joined Group Penske over the offseason to take over the #12 Chevrolet. After ending thirteenth within the season-opener at St. Petersburg, he’s now grabbed three consecutive high six finishes, together with two high fives; already matching his profession greatest in a season.
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Nonetheless, Malukas can’t assist however marvel if there was extra in it on the Alabama circuit if he opted to start out Sunday’s race on the first compound.
“All of it comes all the way down to the start, on selecting to start out on the reds, that was not the best technique,” mentioned Malukas, 24. “However on that technique although, we had been the primary automobile. The automobile #7 (Christian Lundgaard), they had been by far the quickest automobile on the market, however we had been excellent behind them.
“I believe the most effective that we most likely may have executed is perhaps a P3, if I arrange Rahal slightly bit higher on the finish there, perhaps we may have gotten a podium.”
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Malukas now sits fourth within the championship standings, 40 factors behind chief Kyle Kirkwood (156-116).
“Total, it is nonetheless an excellent factors day for us and Group Penske,” Malukas mentioned.
“We realized quite a bit. And yeah, now we all know we obtained to remain forward of the sport in terms of selecting these tires. If we began primaries, who is aware of, we’d have been proper up there and had a unique battle. However both approach, thanks to Group Penske, Verizon, and Chevrolet.”
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