David Malukas Embraces Thrill of Racing and Closing Gap to Alex Palou

David Malukas enters Portland needing to trim Alex Palou’s 83-point lead with six races remaining in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Sunday’s OnlyBulls Grand Prix at Portland sets the stage, with Palou chasing a fifth championship and tightening his grip after another authoritative practice performance.

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Palou tops Friday with 58.5716 in the No. 10 DHL Ganassi Honda, while Malukas records 58.9888 for eighth, underlining the reigning champion’s one-lap edge.

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Kyle Kirkwood sits 87 points back, with no one else within 100. Palou’s push for title number five would place him alongside A.J. Foyt and Scott Dixon.

Malukas still hunts his first win in start 74, but momentum helps. He’s delivered four podiums in his last seven races, including three runner-up finishes.

That form follows a roller-coaster campaign that steadied after he joined Team Penske’s No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet this season.

Penske’s Portland knowledge is a factor. The team won the last two races here with Will Power, giving Malukas a proven setup direction and rich data history.

Malukas calls Friday “a really good start,” accepting there’s still speed to find. He relishes measuring against Palou, describing him as among INDYCAR’s all-time best.

Palou’s qualifying baseline remains formidable, reinforced by recent Portland practice form that points to controlled race management if he secures track position.

Felix Rosenqvist targets gains from seventh in the standings. He trails Josef Newgarden by 14 for sixth and Pato O’Ward by 40 for fifth with Meyer Shank Racing.

MSR has only won at the Indianapolis 500, where Helio Castroneves triumphed in 2021 and Rosenqvist won this May. He owns two Portland runner-up finishes.

Kyle Kirkwood chases his first road-course win at the top level. He dominated junior road courses, winning 32 of 41, including five of six at Portland International Raceway.

He was second-fastest on Friday and believes a revised setup addresses last year’s limitations, after taking a breakthrough road-course podium at Mid-Ohio in July.

Rinus VeeKay’s preparation looks timely. Juncos Hollinger tested at Portland with Ganassi after Mid-Ohio, and he was third-fastest Friday despite hotter conditions this weekend.

VeeKay says a genuinely quick car should translate across track temperatures, which adds confidence for varied stints and potential strategy pivots.

Penalties reshape the grid. Malukas and rookie Caio Collet drop six places for unapproved engine changes outside seasonal allocations, underlining the cost of reliability resets.

Louis Foster changed within limits and avoids sanction. Rahal Letterman Lanigan overcame early issues to record the fifth-fastest practice time, signaling upside potential.

Arrow McLaren confirms a multi-year Aurora Innovation partnership, with expanded 2027 branding on driver suits and the No. 6 car’s engine cover.

Saturday brings practice at 1 p.m. ET and qualifying at 7 p.m. ET. Rising temperatures between sessions could skew balance and tire performance trends.

Portland’s significance is plain. The event could consolidate Palou’s control or reopen contention in a packed INDYCAR SERIES calendar sprint to the finish.

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Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson focuses on IndyCar Series news, from qualifying speeds at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to street-course race strategy. He delivers concise feature stories and technical breakdowns on chassis setups, tire choices, and championship standings for open-wheel enthusiasts.