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Callum Ilott replaces injured David Malukas for Arrow McLaren in $1 Million Challenge

After a solid, relatively mistake-free weekend with the new team on substitute duty at the season-opener in St. Pete, Callum Ilott will reprise his role as David Malukas's replacement in Arrow McLaren's No. 6 Chevy later this month in IndyCar's $1 Million Challenge, the team announced Thursday.

The ex-Juncos Hollinger Racing driver will also run for the team during a a private test next Monday at Barber Motorsports Park.

Ilott logged a 13th-place finish in Sunday's 100-lap street race after qualifying 16th that saw little passing as most teams ran massive fuel-save efforts to make it on two stops with only three cautions and nine total laps run under yellow. Four cars that started ahead of Ilott -- Christian Lundgaaard (12th), Romain Grosjean (5th), Marcus Ericsson (6th) and Marcus Armstrong (10th) -- all either crashed or suffered temporary or permanent mechanical failure that hampered their finishing positions. Just one car that started behind the 25-year-old Brit -- Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood -- managed work his way ahead by the checkered flag (12th).

Following his debut with the team in St. Pete, Callum Ilott will again replace the injured David Malukas at The Thermal Club in IndyCar's $1 Million Challenge March 22-24.
Following his debut with the team in St. Pete, Callum Ilott will again replace the injured David Malukas at The Thermal Club in IndyCar's $1 Million Challenge March 22-24.

Friday's initial practice of the weekend marked Ilott's first laps in the series' slightly altered formula for the year, including a car that registers just over 30 pounds lighter due to offseason parts replacements for less heavy components but does not yet have the hybrid system installed. Ilott had previously subbed for Malukas during a manufacturer hybrid test at Homestead in February but was yet to log laps in the car he drove at St. Pete. Still, he managed the 10th-fastest lap during Practice 1 and finished less than one-tenth-a-second from advancing into Round 2 of qualifying on Saturday.

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In comparison to his Arrow McLaren teammates, Alexander Rossi shared Row 8 with Ilott (15th) and moved up to 8th by the race's end, while Pato O'Ward started 3rd and finished runner-up.

Ilott will get five hours of testing in Arrow McLaren's No. 6 Chevy on Friday at The Thermal Club to open the non-points-paying weekend, followed by another four hours Saturday before a pair of group qualifying sessions Saturday set the field for Sunday's two heat races -- from which six drivers each will advance to the main event on Sunday.

Barring an elongated recovery timeline for Malukas, who just over a month ago dislocated his left wrist mountain biking, requiring surgery to repair torn ligaments, the $1 Million Challenge could be the final stand-in effort Ilott will make with Arrow McLaren for its third-year driver. His WEC schedule with Hertz Team Jota has him competing in the Six Hours of Imola the same weekend as IndyCar's next race weekend at Long Beach April 19-21. At the time of his surgery, Arrow McLaren said doctors had told Malukas he would need six weeks to recover after stitches from his surgery were removed Feb. 22, leaving his return to on-track action either the Indy 500 Open Test at IMS April 10-11 or the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Callum Ilott replaces David Malukas in IndyCar's $1 Million Challenge