Malukas Stars For Honda Under the Lights in St. Louis
World Wide Technology Raceway
・David Malukas charges to second-place finish for Honda and Dale Coyne Racing with HMD at World Wide Technology Raceway
・260-lap event runs to full distance following two-hour rain delay
・Chip Ganassi Racing trio remain in championship hunt going into final two races of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Rookie David Malukas starred for Honda tonight in a rain-interrupted Bommarito Automotive Group 500, charging from eighth to second in the closing laps to lead the Honda effort and record his first podium finish in NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition.
Malukas, who was the best rookie finisher at the Indianapolis 500 [16th] and has three previous top-10 results this year, was the quickest car on track once then race resumed after a rain delay of two hours, 15 minutes. Restarting in eighth, he worked his way to third as the race neared the finish, then caught and passed Scott McLaughlin for second place on the final lap.
His Dale Coyne Racing teammate, Takuma Sato, rounded out the top five for Honda; while the Chip Ganassi Racing trio of Marcus Ericsson, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou remain in the thick of the drivers ’ championship battle after finishing seventh through ninth, respectively, tonight.
Fast Facts
・This weekend ’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 was the 14th Indy car race to be held in the St. Louis area, and the seventh at the repaved and updated 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway oval. The 260-lap event is the fifth and final oval race of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.
・In 2018, a second-place finish for Alexander Rossi and third for Scott Dixon was enough for Honda to clinch the 2018 INDYCAR Manufacturers ’ Championship, the first in an ongoing streak of four consecutive manufacturers ’ titles for the company.
・One year later, Takuma Sato won a thrilling night race, besting Ed Carpenter in a tense closing-lap battle. Honda went on to win a second consecutive Manufacturers ’ Championship that season.
・Dixon scored his 50th career win in 2020 at World Wide Technology Raceway, in the opening race of a double-header weekend. He went on to claim his sixth NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship at the end of the season; with Honda winning a third consecutive Manufacturers ’ title. Earlier this month, Dixon recorded his 53rd career victory in Nashville, moving him to sole possession of second on the all-time Indy car winners list.
Next
After a run of seven races through July and August, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES now takes one week off before concluding with a two-race swing to the US West Coast, starting with the Sept. 4 Grand Prix of Portland in Portland, Oregon and then concluding the 2022 season on Sunday, September 11, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Whew, that was really good! Wow! We knew the car was going to be good and it was just getting better and better. And, from the practice yesterday that was around the same time [as tonight ’s race], we knew that the cooler the track got, the better our car was compared to the others. So, this whole red flag deal [during the rain delay], I was just like 'Please, please let it go green again!' And when it went green, I knew that the car was just amazing. I'm not gonna lie though, being up in the front against [Will] Power and Pato [O ’Ward], they know how to defend, they know how to block lines, it was really tough to get around them. All in all, the team did such a good job. They deserve it. What a good race!
This place has always brought us excitement and here we are again! I think it was a fantastic race for the spectators. I was pleased to bring home a top five for Honda, but we needed just a little bit more help. There were some guys a few laps down that didn't let me go, and I think that cost me a place or two. But, nevertheless, I'm thankful for HPD and a great result for all of us.
