Colton Herta is a driver for the new generation.
If the members of Generation Z are looking for a sports figure to follow in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, it would be the 19-year-old son of former driver Bryan Herta.
When the younger Herta isn’t driving a race car, he is performing with his band, The Zibs. The musical genre is considered “Garage Alternative Punk” and Herta plays the drums. He is joined by guitarist Adam Snow, bassist Chris Broadbent and lead singer Jon Graber.
During the offseason, The Zibs went on tour with five stops in California and Arizona.
Herta has a passion for music, but his true passion is driving a race car. The Andretti Autosport driver is one of several NTT INDYCAR SERIES stars in action in this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, the premier race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that kicks off the international racing season.
Herta is one of the drivers for BMW Team RLL, the IMSA team owned by INDYCAR team owners Bobby Rahal, David Letterman and Michael Lanigan. Herta will share racing duties with Bruno Spengler of Canada, Conner De Phillippi from the United States and Phillipp Eng of Austria in the No. 25 BMW M8 GTE.
Last year was Herta’s first IMSA race, and he ended up collecting his first Rolex when his car won the GTLM Class at Daytona.
“It wasn’t expected, but it was pretty incredible,” Herta told NTT INDYCAR Mobile on Thursday. “I had a really good team behind me and really good teammates in the car at the end. Honestly, going into the race, we were probably the third-best car for the manufacturers. I think the Porsche and the Corvette had a little bit on us.
“But we used strategy and, in the end, in the rain, the car came to life and was really fast.”
Herta’s victory proved to be a preview of his incredible talent. He drove to victory in just his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, becoming the youngest race winner in series history in the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. During the rookie season, Herta won three poles and two races, capping the year off with a win in the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
In 2019, Herta raced for Harding Steinbrenner Racing. That operation joins Andretti Autosport in 2020.
Herta is still a teenager. He doesn’t turn 20 until March 30.
It’s obvious this kid is a faster learner. That is what has helped him adapt to different race cars so quickly and understand what is required to be successful, from a high-speed INDYCAR race to an endurance race at Daytona.
“You have to be able to transition to new cars and learn things quickly,” Herta said. “In the Rolex, the cars have become so reliable and cars don’t really break any more. The cars that go out are from crashes. Without the cars breaking, it’s a sprint race and you have to be on it the entire way.”
There is also a family connection with Rahal’s team because Herta’s father, Bryan, competed for that operation in CART from 1996-1999.
“It’s really cool because a lot of guys on this team that worked on my dad’s Indy car in the 1990s are working on this car, so that is incredible,” Herta said. “It is really cool to make a name for myself and keep the family tradition and history going. That is what I hope to do for the rest of my career.”
As one of INDYCAR’s next generation of heroes, Herta believes the Rolex 24 at Daytona has many positive benefits that will help him prepare for the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Seat time in any race car is important to keep a driver’s skills sharp.
“The cars are quite a bit different, but it’s always nice to get back in the flow of things and get the reaction time back,” Herta said. “It’s really cool that our INDYCAR teams allow us to do different types of racing. It shows the diversity and sheer talent in INDYCAR that you are able to compete in any series, in any type of racing.”
Herta had one of the greatest rookie seasons in INDYCAR history in 2019. That has created some high expectations for 2020.
“I want to be in championship contention at the end of the year,” Herta said. “Not getting too optimistic in places I don’t need to be and not pushing the limit too much but getting consistent finishes and finish every race is my goal.
“Then, we will go from there.”