David Malukas reinforced Friday afternoon that World Wide Technology Raceway is his best track in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as he led practice for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline.
Malukas was fastest in the 60-minute session with a top speed of 178.830 mph in the No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. The two best finishes of Malukas’ three-year NTT INDYCAR SERIES career have come on this asymmetrical, 1.25-mile oval in the shadow of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, as he placed second in 2022 and third in 2023.
SEE: Practice Results
“The car definitely is on the edge,” Malukas said. “We’re trying to find the limit in 60 minutes, right before qualifying, so we’re trying to do it. We definitely found the limit. (Turns) 3 and 4 were exciting. We were very loose, but we still managed to get that lap in.
“I think a few steps back (on downforce), and we’ll be where we want to be. That’s kind of what we wanted to do. We wanted to make sure we could find that limit before this qualifying comes up.”
NTT P1 Award qualifying is next for the 27 drivers in the field, starting at 4:20 p.m. ET today (live, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). Live coverage of the 260-lap race starts at 6 p.m. ET Saturday on the USA Network, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Colton Herta was second fastest in practice with his top speed of 178.411 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian.
Team Penske teammates Scott McLaughlin and Will Power, winners of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend doubleheader events last month at the Iowa Speedway oval, were third and fourth, respectively. McLaughlin’s top speed was 177.940 in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet, with Power at 177.785 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet.
Championship leader and reigning series champion Alex Palou rounded out the top five at 177.631 in the No. 10 Samaritan Purse Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou, who leads Power by 49 points entering this event, will incur a nine-spot starting grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the last series event last month in Toronto. His teammate and fellow series champion Scott Dixon also will move back nine spots on the grid for an unapproved engine change.