Inaugural INDYCAR Classic At COTA - Rebirth Of Motor Culture & A Boost To A Series

Harding Steinbrenner Racing No. 88 Honda driven by 18 year 11 month old Colton Herta as he drives the final laps in the lead of the Inaugural IndyCar Classic At Circuit Of The Americas. Image Credit: Stephen Lautenschlager (2019)

Inaugural INDYCAR Classic At COTA - Rebirth Of Motor Culture & A Boost To A Series

The stage was set for a perfect storm of competition and history-making when the NTT IndyCar Series took to the Formula 1 purpose-built track, Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) near Austin, Texas, for the first time in anger this weekend of March 22-24, 2019.

In this second race of a seventeen race season, all of the teams looked to this track as a mark in the modern age, of a racing series that can prove it was on equal par at putting on a show, on this pavement, as the Formula 1 cars that it will be replacing had.

"No Track Limits" showing itself as a permanent part of the IndyCar line in Turn 19. This turn helped to create the scenario that decided the Inaugural INDYCAR Classic at COTA. Image Credit: Chris Owens via NICS (2019)

Sure, the IndyCars are not as fast, or expensive, or as unequal in matching up to the competitive formula template, or have power steering, but IndyCars do have an incredible depth of seasoned driving talent that is adding on an even stronger crop of competitive and savy Rookie drivers, with a race direction staff that had the guts to make the call to abolish the concept of "Track Limits" which would allow competitors freedom to drive the track as they saw fit.

What happened during the INDYCAR Classic event weekend hit all of the traditional tick off points. Will Power placed a Team Penske car on the pole position after each of the Team Penske drivers in their Chevrolet powered Dallara cars showed the top pace in 3 of the 4 practice sessions. Alexander Rossi was able to break this Penske party, but another name, a Rookie name, also popped up twice at P2 in Practice and this was no surprise to anyone on the grid. Colton Herta had shown his pace at COTA during the IndyCar Spring Training in February.

In the pits, Colton Herta is all nomexed up and ready to slap on his lid. Image Credit: Stephen Lautenschlager (2019)

This excerpted and edited from Autoweek -

Nineteen-year-old Herta was the fasted driver in three of the four test sessions and finished IndyCar Spring Training with the overall fastest time at 1:46.6258 for a speed of 115.132 mph in the No. 88 Honda. That speed came in the afternoon session on February 12.

The only session Herta did not set the pace was the final session on February 13, when Alexander Rossi’s Honda was the quickest at 1:46.8536 (114.886 mph). That ended up being the second fastest combined time.

"This track just suits my driving style a lot," Herta said. "The team has been working really hard to get the car where it needs to be. Obviously, they've made really big gains in the winter time compared to last year, and we're kind of seeing that. Really stout job by the boys.
[Reference Here]

So, this was of little surprise when the three round/four session Knock-Out Qualifications had a starting order arranged through the Firestone Fast Six have 2018 INDY 500 Winner and 2014 Champion Will Power capturing his 56th NTT P1 Pole Award in the only Chevrolet-powered Dallara in the Fast Six, with P2-P6 as follows - 2016 INDY 500 Winner Alexander Rossi, Andretti Autosport Honda-powered teammate and 2012 Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, Harding Steinbrenner Racing's Rookie Colton Herta, Chip Ganassi Racing's Rookie Felix Rosenqvist, and CGR Teammate, Five-Time and defending 2018 Champion, New Zealander Scott Dixon.

The race went off without a hitch. Circuit Of The Americas put up a prize of $100,000 as a bonus to the driver who would be able to score the pole position AND win the 60 lap race. A nice play for all who tapped into the promotion.

Will Power looked to be well on to placing a $100,000 bonus in his pocket leading here over Alexander Rossi and eventual historic first-time winner, Colton Herta - but this is racin' and it ain't over until the Checkered Flag waves. Image Credit:Image Credit: Stephen Lautenschlager (2019)

Will Power was driving a perfect race, pitstops and the choice of tires never caught the Team Penske driver out and he led every lap of the race. That is, until Will Power, followed by Alexander Rosssi and Scott Dixon running on the track as the only lead cars to not have taken their final pitstops for fuel and a set of Sticker Reds. Then the unthinkable happened in an area where "No Track Limits" were seriously in play in the run-off area of Turn 19 (pictured previously).

This incident had tight racing between James Hinchcliffe and Felix Rosenqvist (who was passing Hinch to remain with the leaders), where Hinch jostled on uneven pavement and touched the left-rear of Felix's blue NTT DATA Dallara, sending it spinning into the wall at pit-in - danger zone realized with a FULL COURSE YELLOW. Colton Herta inherits the lead and drove to a final win.

An honor received for making the podium in Texas is the hat ... always the hat. Image Credit: Joe Skibinski via NICS (2019)

This excerpted and edited from Racer -

MILLER: Maturity and moxie on display

When Bryan Herta was 18 years old, he was attending the Skip Barber Driving School and hoping to make a career out of driving race cars. Fast forward 30 years to Sunday afternoon at the Circuit of The Americas where Herta watched his 18-year-old son do the unthinkable: win an IndyCar race in only his third start.

“It’s amazing, hard to comprehend at this minute, but I am so proud of him,” said the former IndyCar winner who now co-owns Marco Andretti’s car. “I know he’s got potential and promise, but you just don’t expect that so quickly.”

In becoming the youngest victor in IndyCar history, Herta displayed the maturity and moxie of a 28-year-old veteran. He qualified fourth on Saturday in his Harding Steinbrenner Honda despite missing a practice period after losing an engine. He snatched third in the opening lap and held his position all afternoon until a fortuitous yellow flag put him in the catbird seat with 14 laps to go.
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That left young Herta in the lead but it was hardly comfortable since Penske’s Josef Newgarden was right behind him on the restart. The 2017 IndyCar champion had three times more push-to-pass so Colton looked like a sitting duck.

But the skinny kid who looks 15 pounced like a sage of speed on the restart and pulled away to almost a four-second advantage before easing up at the checkered flag.

“I was calling Marco’s race so that kept me occupied and I didn’t know exactly what was going on with Colton. But that would have probably made me more nervous,” said the proud pop. “To hold off Josef under those circumstances was pretty impressive.”

No, for a team that wobbled into 2019 with a shaky portfolio and still has no title sponsor led by a teenager making his third start, this was beyond impressive. Mike Harding and George Michael Steinbrenner got the best of Roger Penske — comparable to the old Kansas City Athletics beating Mantle, Maris and the Bronx Bombers in the ’60s.

“Everything had to work out perfectly and we needed a little luck, but Colton was awesome,” said Steinbrenner, grandson of the late New York Yankees owner who backed Herta in Lights. “Our pit stops were good, we knew we had to stay ahead of Newgarden on all three stops and we did. It’s just surreal.”

Harding, the Indianapolis pavement contractor who in January intended to run two cars (the other for Pato O’Ward until things fell apart, with O’Ward let out of his contract), has a technical partnership with pal Michael Andretti that’s elevated his little team to rarified air.

Now he owns the fairytale story of the season, so finally finding a sponsor should be easier.
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Yet the reality of what happened at COTA can’t be dismissed as a fluke or luck.

Colton, the second version of Hertamania, has been quick since slapping on a skateboard at age 4. He won in karts, Formula Fords and Indy Lights, and he possesses a calm demeanor that belies his age.

“I think the two years he spent in Europe by himself really helped his maturity,” said Bryan. “My wife and I didn’t go with him, he didn’t know anyone, so his only friends were the mechanics on his car. Hanging out with them, asking questions and being in that environment helped him immensely.”
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“His ability to understand the car and read it and communicate with his engineer is amazing,” said Brian Barnhart, the Steinbrenner Harding president who worked with Al Unser Jr. back in his mechanic days. “He’s so detailed and analytical, and he’s just a kid. It blows me away.”
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It was fitting that Colton put on a cowboy hat in victory lane because there just might be a new sheriff in town.

Standing under the podium and snapping photos of this memorable moment in racing history, it was easy to be happy for Bryan Herta. One of the nicest, most gracious and honest people in the IndyCar paddock — and one who was also a pretty damn good racer — Herta Sr. is not the boastful type and stayed out of the victory photos because it was Colton’s celebration.

Yet even he couldn’t resist a little bragging.

“I think he’s getting the hang of it,” Bryan said with a grin.
[Reference Here]

Wow - boost to a series? - rebirth of motor culture? - the listing of the Firestone Fast Six above says it all - not an overstatement - also, the hats, always the hats.

... notes from The EDJE