Patience, experience key for David Malukas as he tries to become IndyCar's 'Yoda'

For young professional athletes, the pressure of having to perform at the highest level is often an obstacle that trips up even the most hyped prospects. 

In his 2021 Indy NXT campaign with HMD Motorsports, David Malukas won seven races and finished second in the championship with an average finish of 2.9. Four years later, the 23-year-old from Chicago is in his fourth NTT IndyCar Series season with his third different organization. 

Malukas' career hasn't exactly gone by the book. A two-year stint with Dale Coyne Racing bore some fruit, but his supposed big break came when he was signed by Arrow McLaren in what was supposed to be a multiyear deal. 

But that deal fell apart after a mountain biking incident and subsequent surgery. While he landed with Meyer Shank Racing for the final 10 races of the season, 2025 would see Malukas join his third team in four years as a talented but relatively unproven driver. 

So far, however, Malukas and the AJ Foyt Racing No. 4 team have put together a solid 2025 campaign. Through the first 10 races of the season, Malukas in 12th in the standings with a runner-up finish in the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500. 

As he looked back at his career ahead of IndyCar's doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway, Malukas said his experience at a young age has been helpful as he navigates a rough-and-tumble professional racing landscape. 

"Experience is king," Malukas said during a media call on Tuesday. "With the skill being so high between all the drivers, I think that's where experience is really going to come out and shine. Looking at a positive in what was a rough season in 2024, I've already been with multiple different teams and seen multiple different setups. Having that experience is what is going to make me a better driver at the end of the day. Being 23, my mind is still fresh for learning, and I'm trying to absorb as much information as I can." 

Malukas cracked that he's a much "wiser" driver now than he was as an IndyCar rookie in 2022, but the knowledge he's gained is no joke. 

"If I would tell something to my younger self, it'd definitely be patience," Malukas said. "When you're a young driver, you want things to come quickly (and) get results. Seeing how these past few seasons have come out, I feel like I've matured 40 years in one, really. It's been a big one for me. I feel like I'm in a much better state (as a driver) than I was in 2022. I'm a lot less hot-headed and more calculated when it comes to things I want to do." 

Malukas was then asked how wise he'll be in five years time at age 28. 

"I'll be so wise, my new nickname will have to be Yoda." 

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.