NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY (Lebanon, Tenn.) — David Malukas was taken to a local hospital for further testing after a hard crash in INDYCAR practice and will not qualify his car for the race.
Conor Daly, a journeyman who has a deep resume as a substitute driver and competed in the Indianapolis 500 this year, originally was set to drive the Team Penske No. 12 car in qualifying, Team Penske INDYCAR President Jonathan Diuguid told me and other reporters Saturday afternoon. However, the team was not able to get the car ready for qualifying.
The status of Malukas for the final practice from 7-9 p.m. ET today and the race tomorrow is still to be determined, Diuguid said.
“David is still being evaluated, and we’re waiting for some feedback on that,” Diuguid said.
Malukas already had a nine-spot grid penalty for the race Sunday because he is on his fifth engine of the season. So the team will ask Daly to just shake down the backup car to make sure there are no issues and the car would start from the rear of the field.
“If the car is ready for qualifying, Conor is going to go do a shakedown run for us and treat it as an install check,” Diuguid said. “We obviously already have a nine-place grid penalty so [we’re] mainly simply making an attempt to get that automotive ready.”
Malukas was taken to the hospital by non-public automobile, not in an ambulance nor a medical helicopter. He was awake and alert and in good spirits, in accordance with Dr. Angi Fiege of the INDYCAR Medical group.
Fourth within the INDYCAR standings, Malukas posted the third-fastest lap in apply however crashed on his fifth lap on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. From video of the incident, it appeared his proper knee hit the steering wheel following the influence with the wall.
“He received out of the automotive underneath his personal energy and walked alongside,” Diuguid stated. “He is simply being evaluated by INDYCAR medical doctors proper now.”
David Malukas crashed at Nashville Superspeedway making ready for Sunday’s Borchetta Bourbon Music Metropolis Grand Prix.
The rear of the automotive was destroyed, and the group had the backup chassis out and was engaged on it to get it prepared for the rest of the weekend. Diuguid was hopeful it might be prepared for qualifying.
“They’re pushing fairly onerous proper now, so we hope [it’s ready],” he stated.
INDYCAR guidelines do enable for Group Penske to make use of a substitute driver to qualify for the race, and with a purpose to race, the substitute driver would wish to take part within the apply session on Saturday night time or a particular apply session sooner or later previous to the occasion.
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