Arrow McLaren announced April 29 it has released driver David Malukas from his 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES contract.
Malukas, from Chicago, joined the team after the 2023 season but never competed for Arrow McLaren after he suffered an injured left wrist that required surgical repairs in a mountain bike accident Feb. 11, less than a month before the season started March 10.
The team statement said Malukas was released “due to him being unavailable for the entirety of the season to date, with no confirmed return date, as a result of a left wrist injury, which occurred February 11, in a mountain biking incident.”
Arrow McLaren’s statement said the team is finalizing driver assignments for the rest of the 2024 season and will announce drivers for its No. 6 Chevrolet for upcoming races “in due course.”
NTT INDYCAR SERIES veteran Callum Ilott and reigning Formula 2 champion and INDYCAR SERIES rookie Theo Pourchaire have split duties in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet this season.
Ilott drove at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the non-points The Thermal Club $1 Million Challenge and the Indianapolis 500 Open Test. Pourchaire made his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut April 21 at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. He also raced the car in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst on April 28 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Malukas, runner-up in the 2021 INDY NXT by Firestone championship, was entering his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in 2024 after driving for Dale Coyne Racing with HMD in 2022-23. He recorded a best finish of second in 2022 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“The past three months have been challenging,” Malukas said. “I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to drive for Arrow McLaren and regret that it never materialized. I would have loved to have continued representing the team and its partners going forward. They have been good, and I appreciate all they have done for me.
“I’ve done everything possible to speed up the rehab process – treatments, physiotherapy, strength training – but my recovery has taken longer than anticipated. Every injury is different, and every body heals at a different pace. I’ll turn my full attention to getting back to 100 percent and then prove that I am ready and able to compete to win.”