Top News

David Malukas’ weekend at the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix began on a rough note, as the Team Penske driver suffered a heavy crash into the wall just 20 minutes into the first practice session on Saturday morning.

While approaching Turn One at the Nashville Superspeedway from a low line, Malukas lost control of his Team Penske Chevrolet, sending the car spinning and slamming into the outside barrier at Turn Two in reverse.

The impact was so severe that the force caused his knee to jolt upward, dislodging the steering wheel in the process.

According to the Fox Sports broadcast, Malukas entered the corner at 201 mph, while SMT Data estimated the crash impact occurred at a speed between 130 and 140 mph.

Initial medical evaluation took place at the Nashville Superspeedway’s infield care centre, where INDYCAR Deputy Medical Director Dr. Angi Fieg confirmed that Malukas was conscious and in good spirits, as reported by the official NTT IndyCar Series channel.

Approximately 20 minutes later, Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass reported that Dr. Fieg and the INDYCAR Medical team had transported Malukas to a nearby hospital using a private vehicle for further assessment.

Before the incident, Malukas had recorded the third-fastest lap on the 1.33-mile oval circuit, trailing Kyle Kirkwood and Alex Palou, with an average speed of 196.249 mph.

As Malukas undergoes medical evaluation, his No. 12 Verizon Penske Chevrolet is being fitted with a new chassis tub to replace the damaged one.

It remains uncertain whether Malukas will be able to return in time for IndyCar qualifying scheduled for 3 PM Eastern (2 PM local track time) or if he will receive medical clearance to participate.

UPDATE: Fox Sports has reported that Conor Daly will step in to qualify the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet on behalf of Malukas, provided the car is ready in time. Since the repairs to the vehicle already result in a nine-place grid penalty, the qualifying lap will primarily serve as a shakedown run to verify the changes made.

However, the car was not prepared before the qualifying session, so the decision to have Daly substitute for Malukas has been deferred to the final practice session. Should Daly take over the car, he would be the confirmed driver for Sunday’s race.