Detroit, MI (Sunday, June 5, 2022) – Dale Coyne Racing drivers Takuma Sato (#51 Nurtec ODT – Dale Coyne Racing with RWR) and David Malukas (#18 HMD – Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports) ran strong in Detroit but the end results were not what they had hoped for after starting the race second and sixth, respectively. Details on each driver’s race is below.

David Malukas Registers Fastest Race Lap and Ties Season Best Finish in Detroit

Detroit, MI (Sunday, June 5, 2022) – Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports rookie David Malukas tied his best finish of the season on Sunday by placing 11th in the Detroit Grand Prix after also starting a season best.

Started: 6th
Finished: 11th

• Malukas started the race in sixth place after an impressive run in qualifying on Saturday, making his first trip to the Firestone Fast Six.
• The rookie elected to start the race on the alternate Firestone tire and headed to pit lane on Lap 6 to switch to the primary tire.
• While he fell to 20th following his stop, he made his way back up the field and was sitting seventh before he returned to pit lane on Lap 26.
• The rookie made it as high as fifth before making his final stop on Lap 46.
• He registered the fastest lap of the race on Lap 52 with a time of 1:16.4034.
• His 11th place finish was his best finish on a road or street course this season. It tied his previous best finish of 11th at Texas Motor Speedway.

David Malukas – #18 HMD Honda – Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports
“It was an unexpected race. We were expecting the red tires to last longer than they did. Thankfully we made the early call to pit and switch to the primary tire. From that point on I had Rinus Veekay just kind of towing me around the rest of the stint. On my last stint, I tried really hard to get around Rosenqvist but couldn’t get it done, it’s always tough on a street course to pass. We managed to get the fastest lap near the end of the race. It destroyed the tires a little bit, but it was worth it! I’m quite happy with our result. It kind of stings when you start P6 and finish 11th you usually want to move up, not go backwards. But being a rookie, I’m happy to finish the race and to be the highest finishing rookie.”

Takuma Sato Runs Strong, Places 13th in Detroit

Detroit, MI (Sunday, June 5, 2022) – Takuma Sato and his Dale Coyne Racing with RWR team were hoping for a better end result on Sunday after starting a season best of second for the Detroit Grand Prix, but despite running competitively he had to settle for a 13th place finish.

Started: 2nd
Finished: 13th

• Sato fell to fourth at the start of the race and maintained that position until he entered pit lane on Lap 9 to switch from the alternate Firestone tires to the primary.
• Following his stop, he fell to 23rd but made his way back up to seventh before heading to pit lane for his second stop on Lap 33.
• The two-time Indy 500 Champion returned to the track in 15th place and once again made his way up to seventh before making his final pit stop on Lap 50. 
• With other cars on a two-stop strategy, Sato had to settle for a 13th place finish despite running some of the fastest lap times in the final laps of the race. 
• In seven races in 2022, Sato has a best finish of 10th on the streets of St. Petersburg.

Takuma Sato #51 Nurtec ODT Honda – Dale Coyne Racing with RWR
“It was a tough day for us in Detroit. We were happy to get a front row start but we were also hoping to have a great race, of course. But we couldn’t manage the red tires well as the drop off point was significant, so I started to lose too much compared the cars on primary tires. It was unexpected to be honest. So, we had to stop three times and that cost us. Overall, at the end of the weekend the team did a fantastic job. We showed great speed and hopefully we can carry this momentum to Road America next weekend.”