David Malukas’s bid for a maiden IndyCar win evaporated on the Milwaukee Mile when Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren slotted in under him on the final restart, taking the victory with 19 laps remaining.
Malukas lost control on the restart
The 24‑year‑old Chicago native led 93 laps after a strategy pit stop on lap 120 propelled him from third to the front in Race 1. But on the 19‑lap final surge, the #12 Team Penske Chevrolet hesitated, allowing O’Ward to overtake in Turn 1 and claim the finish.
Chevrolet blamed for the slip‑up
In post‑race radio, Malukas described the open‑car engine as the culprit. “Chevy just let us down,” he told IndyCar Radio’s Michael Young, citing “plenum events” that forced him to lift in first and second gear after every pit exit. He suspected a rev‑limiter glitch but declined to elaborate, adding that “we should have won that.”
Championship consequences
Malukas finished second, 1.7535 seconds behind O’Ward, marking his fourth runner‑up position this season and tying him with former driver Romain Grosjean for the most second‑place finishes without a win. The result leaves him fifth in the standings, 23 points behind Christian Lundgaard as the season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Scahe approaches.
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