Source: Team PR

Long Beach, CA (Saturday, April 15, 2023) – Dale Coyne Racing with RWR driver Sting Ray Robb (#51 Biohaven) and Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports driver David Malukas took part in qualifying on Saturday for tomorrow’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach with Robb qualifying 21st and Malukas placing himself 25th on the starting grid. Details for each driver are below.

Robb to Start from 11th Row on Streets of Long Beach

Long Beach, CA (Saturday, April 15, 2023) –Dale Coyne Racing with RWR driver Sting Ray Robb (#51 Biohaven) qualified 21st on Saturday, for what will be his first Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. 


Starting: 21st

• The rookie, who is making his first ever appearance on the streets of Long Beach, went out in Group 1 of qualifying.
• He was sitting seventh when a red flag interrupted the session while he was on his third timed lap.
• The rookie registered his fastest qualifying time on his seventh lap with a time of 1:07.9105.
• His time initially placed him seventh.
• He ended up 11th in his group when all cars had taken the checkered.
• The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will go green on Sunday, April 16 at 12:45pm local time

Sting Ray Robb #51 Biohaven Honda – Dale Coyne Racing with RWR
“We just finished up qualifying. We’re making improvements, I’m learning a lot while we’re here. This track is all new to me so I’m just trying to figure out what I need from the car and what the car needs from me. We’re going to roll off pretty well tomorrow. We know what we’re capable of doing and I think we’ll be able to go forward in the field. We just have to stay clean and stay off the walls. (Thoughts on the Long Beach circuit) The track is pretty good, I have to say. There’s a lot of bumps and curves and curbs and everything else in between. It’s all the joys of a street course, it’s pretty exciting. It’s a handful, but I do enjoy it. It’s nice and flowing and has a good rhythm to it.”

Contact Costly for Malukas in Qualifying at Long Beach

Long Beach, CA (Saturday, April 15, 2023) – David Malukas (#18 HMD Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports) qualified 25th for Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach after contact in his Group 1 session put an early end to his run. 

Starting: 25th

• Malukas who is making his second appearance on the streets of Long Beach, took to the track in Group 1 of qualifying.
• On his third lap, he made slight contact with the wall in Turn 9, and then lost the tail end of the car going into Turn 4, making heavy contact with the wall.
• He lost his two fastest laps due to causing a red flag during the qualifying session. 
• In 2022, he started 18th and finished 21st after contact from another car took him out of the race at Long Beach.
• The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will go green on Sunday, April 16 at 12:45pm local time
• Malukas currently sits sixth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship Standings.

David Malukas, #18 Dale Coyne Racing with HMD Motorsports Honda
“I’m OK, I have a little bit of a headache. It was unfortunate. It actually started on the previous lap. I went into Turn 9, we looked at the data and we knew we had to break a little bit deeper trying to catch up some time, compared to the top guys. So, I tried to break a little bit deeper. I ended up losing the car and tapped the wall on the left. I gave the car a bit of a shake going down the straight and everything felt OK, but clearly it wasn’t. Going into Turn 4, I hit the brakes and the rear end just whipped out on me and I couldn’t save it. I feel really bad. I feel sorry for the Dale Coyne Racing with HMD team. Obviously, it’s my mistake on my end.”