Earlier this year it was announced that Will Power would be moving on to drive for Andretti Global; however, Power will not be allowed to assume his new position until the conclusion of his contract at the end of December.
Team Penske has announced Power’s replacement in the NTT IndyCar Series with David Malukas taking over the driving duties of the number 12 IndyCar. Verizon will sponsor the car.
A Lithuanian American, the 23-year-old Maluka has yet to win a race in IndyCar in his three years as an IndyCar driver; but has 16 top 10’s – five in the top five – in 61 races.
Team Penske will be his fourth team in four years and only the second driver to get behind the wheel of the Team Penske number 12 car.
Team owner Roger Penske spoke on his new driver saying, “we feel that Team Penske will provide David everything needed to take the next step in his career, and we are confident that he will continue the great legacy of the Verizon Chevrolet.”
David Malukas began racing go-karts in 2013 and in 2019 he won the Rookie of the Year Award in Indy NXT Series. In 2021, Malukas won seven of the 20 races and came in second in points behind champion Kyle Kirkwood.
Speaking on driving the number 12 car Malukas said, “racing for Team Penske is the goal for every young racecar driver, and I am honored to be one that gets to live out that dream. Will Power is one of the legends of our sport and the number 12 Verizon Chevrolet is one of the most-recognized cars on the grid.”
He added, “these are big shoes to fill, but I look at it as an opportunity because I know that it is one of the best teams in the paddock.”
The general consensus is that a driver needs 100 races before they can be expected to begin winning races.