David Malukas taken to hospital after heavy Nashville…

David Malukas was dealt a rough blow after crashing in opening practice for the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway.

Update 2: Malukas is "good to go" and will be in the car for practice.

Update 1: IndyCar confirmed on X that Malukas is awake, and alert. He has been transported to a local hospital.

With roughly 40 minutes remaining in the one-hour session, the Chicago native sat second on the timesheets after posting a 196.340mph lap around the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Moments later, he got loose in Turn 2, half-spun and backed heavily into the outside wall.

The impact was so violent that his knee struck the steering wheel, knocking it free. Fortunately, he was able to exit his #12 Chevrolet with the assistance of the AMR Safety team but walked away under his own power.

The impact also damaged the SAFER Barrier, forcing a lengthy stoppage while track crews completed repairs. Series officials later made the decisions to extend the practice session by 10 minutes. Wall repairs took more than 20 minutes.

Trouble for the No. 12!

A heavy impact for David Malukas during Practice 1 at @NashvilleSuperS. pic.twitter.com/pbKkLMfrHf
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 18, 2026

FOX Sports reported that Malukas entered the corner at 201mph, while SMT data estimated the impact speed at 130-140mph.

It remains unclear whether Team Penske will need to switch Malukas to a backup car. He is already set to serve a nine-place grid penalty for an unapproved engine change.

Malukas comes into the race weekend fourth in the IndyCar Series championship standings. He has two podiums (Phoenix Raceway, Indianapolis 500) and three top 10s in all three oval races this season.