With the 110th Indianapolis 500 drawing near, David Malukas is set to roll off from the outside of Row 1 for Team Penske and credits lessons from legends like A.J. Foyt and four-time winner Rick Mears for the mindset he plans to bring to the Brickyard.
David Malukas keeps one eye on the grid and the other on the stories legends pass down—because at Indianapolis, the advice isn’t just about speed. It’s about surviving long enough to matter.
As the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 inches closer. Malukas is set to roll off from the outside of Row 1 for Team Penske. This is a return to a familiar kind of pressure: a year ago. the Chicago native captured a runner-up finish in the Indy 500 while driving for A.J. Foyt, a four-time winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”.
Now, he’s part of Team Penske’s camp, taking in wisdom from another icon—four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears. Malukas said the guidance has a specific feel, even when it’s delivered in a way that makes you stop and listen.
“Well, I think they’re just different in their demeanor,” Malukas told Motorsport.com. “You know, with A.J., I try to get information from A.J., but he’s telling me stories about fighting tigers and stuff. A.J. is just, obviously, a character.”
He described how those conversations with Foyt came packaged with perspective, not just technical talk. “Hearing from Rick, firstly, he obviously told me some incredible stories,” Malukas said. “How much has changed in the Indy 500. Actually. listening to his stories. I thought. ‘Man. I don’t know if I would actually be a driver back then from how unsafe it was.’”.
In Malukas’ telling, the legends may differ in style, but the message lands the same way. He said the recurring theme from drivers past and present is simple—and built for a long race.
“These guys were legends in their own ways,” he said. “But, obviously, we’re just picking up information. He’s been telling me a lot of things. At the end of the day. the racing’s different. but they all kind of tell me the same thing. ‘Look. you’re a young guy. Try to keep it calm. Don’t be going out there doing stupid things. It’s a long race.’ Always just got to think ahead and think of the future plan. And you want to be there in the end. You’re not going to win a race early on. And that seems to be repetitive information between all drivers.”.
Inside Team Penske’s orbit, Malukas isn’t gathering advice alone. He has a pair of teammates with Indy 500 success in their resumes: Josef Newgarden. a two-time Indy 500 winner. and 2024 Indy 500 pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin. Malukas pointed to the way McLaughlin has also absorbed what Mears has to offer.
“Considering McLaughlin was also a sponge to anything Mears told him, perhaps Malukas can try to extract something different to gain an extra edge?” the story asked.
“Yeah, maybe,” Malukas replied. “However, Malukas also wants to be respectful, let it grow organically and not overstep.”
The challenge. he said. is that mentorship doesn’t always feel easy when the person across from you is a racing hero. “But it’s hard for me because I look at him as like I’m trying to talk to a famous person. So, it’s really hard for me. It’s a little bit awkward. I’m just like. ‘Hey!’ And I don’t want to pick his brain because I know he’s trying to just be there and enjoy the race.”.
What he wants most isn’t a grab bag of answers. It’s access earned through trust—something that feels personal rather than transactional. “I don’t want to be a new kid coming in and being like. ‘Hey can you give me all this information?’ I want to build that relationship and get close because I think that would be very special to say I have a close relationship with Rick Mears.”.
At 24, Malukas is carrying the kind of uncertainty that comes with trying to learn fast without chasing shortcuts. The Brickyard demands both restraint and stamina—exactly the habits he says he’s trying to take from the people who survived earlier versions of the same dream.
David Malukas Rick Mears A.J. Foyt Indy 500 Team Penske Josef Newgarden Scott McLaughlin 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500
Outside row 1 sounds like bad luck already lol
So basically he’s saying the old guys told him stories and that helps him survive? I mean yeah okay but isn’t the car what matters.
Wait, A.J. Foyt was fighting tigers?? I’m not trying to be rude but I feel like that’s gotta be made up or like, a metaphor? Either way, unsafe Indy 500 back then… I guess that’s why they don’t let “regular people” race. Also Team Penske outside row 1 is weird.
I only saw the headline and it already sounds like politics in racing. Rick Mears, A.J. Foyt, all these legends, but then they still crash every year. Malukas is talking about mindset like it’s motivation quotes, but Indy is Indy. Also the article says ‘the grid’ like he’s doing magic, idk. Brickyard pressure is real though, so sure stories help, whatever.