Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (Saturday, June 17, 2023) – David Malukas (#18 HMD Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports) qualified 13th on Saturday for tomorrow’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America, missing out on the Fast 12 by less than 0.05 seconds.
Starting: 13th
- After placing in the top four in both practice sessions so far this weekend, Malukas went out in Group 1 for the first round of qualifying.
- He registered an initial fast lap of 1:41.6562 on his second lap which placed him third in his group before heading to pit lane to switch to the alternate Firestone tire.
- The sophomore driver improved his time on his final two laps of the 12-minute session, recording a fastest lap of 1:41.5204.
- Unfortunately for Malukas, his time was just under 0.05 seconds from making it to the Fast 12 for the first time this season.
- So far this season, the #18 HMD driver has a best starting position of ninth and a best finish of fourth (both at Texas Motor Speedway).
- In 2022, Malukas started 14th and finished 16th at Road America.
- The 2023 Grand Prix at Road America goes green at 1:30pm ET and will be broadcast live on USA starting at 1pm ET.
David Malukas, #18 Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports Honda
“We thought we had a shot at the Fast 12 this weekend. With our results in the practice sessions, I really thought that was achievable, but we didn’t make it. It’s so frustrating. We looked at the data and know what the issue was and it’s an easy fix that we can learn from and hopefully that will allow us to make it the Fast 12 in future qualifying sessions. Onto the race, we’re still starting P13, and we can definitely work from there.”