David Malukas was 0.0233 seconds from achieving his lifelong dream.
On Sunday, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was Felix Rosenqvist, not Malukas, who earned the right to chug a bottle of milk after crossing the finish line first and winning the 110th running of the Indy 500. The race featured a record 70 lead changes and was decided by those 0.0233 seconds—the closest margin of victory in Indy 500 history.
That’s it. Twenty milliseconds separated the latest winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” from the runner-up David Malukas, who stayed toward the top of the leaderboard all day Sunday, and even led on the final lap, only to fall just short. Twenty years from now, Rosenqvist’s name will be remembered as a winner of the Indy 500. Malukas’s name will not—at least not yet.
After the race, Malukas was very emotional as Rosenqvist celebrated with his team. The Fox Sports broadcast caught up with him, and he had this to say:
“I don’t know what else we could’ve done,” Malukas said. “We were the fastest car that whole race. I just—I don’t know. I gave it 150%. I mean, I almost crashed this damn car every lap, and we still ended up with a P2. I can’t believe it. I don’t know what else I can give.”
He gave it his all. An emotional David Malukas is with @Ghenneberry47 after finishing second in the Indy 500. pic.twitter.com/fqXKjEWPY8
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 24, 2026
After taking off his helmet, Malukas looked absolutely dejected as he hugged his girlfriend Kamila Jurkus.
David Malukas is completely shattered. pic.twitter.com/QVwtKI2TuY
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 24, 2026
An utterly heartbreaking result for David Malukas 💔 pic.twitter.com/GyeXJ9ZD6j
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 24, 2026
A few hours after the Indy 500, Malukas posted a photo of himself hugging his girlfriend with the caption, “No words.”
No words pic.twitter.com/FGnTU5kRQn
— David Malukas (@malukasdavid) May 24, 2026
That’s a tough watch, indeed.
Malukas also finished the 2025 edition in second place. He crossed the finish line in third but was bumped up to second after Marcus Ericsson’s car failed the post-race inspection.
Will 2027 finally be Malukas’s year? We’ll see next May. What a story that would be.
