LEBANON, TN – Team Penske’s No. 12 Chevrolet will not be able to qualify at 3 p.m. Saturday in this weekend’s Music City Grand Prix following a crash during IndyCar practice, the team announced. Driver David Malukas remains under evaluation at a hospital. “Further information will be shared when available,” the team posted on X.
Team Penske appointed Conor Daly as Malukas’ replacement for qualifying until it was determined the car could not be repaired. The team is re-evaluating “where David’s at” for the two night practice sessions, beginning at 6 p.m., according to Team Penske president Jonathan Diuguid.
IndyCar has also clarified that if Daly had qualified the car, he would have had to drive in Sunday’s race.
Malukas spun out into Turn 2 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday morning, causing the rear of the No. 12 to slam into the wall. The car’s steering wheel appeared to hit Malukas’ leg before it flew out of the car. Malukas spent around an hour at Nashville Superspeedway and IndyCar’s infield medical units before being transported to a hospital via a private vehicle.
Since Daly raced in the Indianapolis 500 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, he would have been allowed to drive on an oval without further refresher laps. The No. 12 entry will be required to serve a nine-spot grid penalty as it has surpassed IndyCar’s season-long limit of four approved engines if it can race.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at @z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Team Penske’s No. 12 car will not qualify after crash at IndyCar’s Music City Grand Prix
Reporting by Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zion Brown, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
