Colton Herta Bio
Colton Thomas Herta (born March 30, 2000) is an American racing driver known for becoming the youngest person ever to win an IndyCar Series race. After competing in the IndyCar Series from 2018 to 2025, Herta is set to move into the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Hitech TGR, supported by Cadillac, while serving as a test driver for the Cadillac Formula One Team. The son of former IndyCar and Champ Car driver Bryan Herta, he has built a reputation as one of the most promising American open-wheel talents of his generation.
Early Life and Background
Colton Thomas Herta was born on March 30, 2000, in Santa Clarita, California. Growing up in a household steeped in motorsport, he is the son of Bryan Herta, who competed in both the IndyCar Series and the Champ Car World Series. That family connection gave Herta early exposure to the professional racing world and shaped his ambitions from a young age.
Herta began karting at the age of six and made his competitive karting debut in 2010, racing in the SKUSA and IKF series. His single-seater debut came at thirteen, when he finished second in the SBF2000 Winter Series, signaling a rapid rise through the junior ranks.
Path to NASCAR
While Herta’s career to date has been built in open-wheel and sportscar racing, his development followed a traditional single-seater ladder rather than a NASCAR pathway. From karting he moved into formula car competition in 2014, debuting in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda, where he finished fifteenth in points despite missing the opening weekend due to age restrictions. That same year, Herta also made an international debut at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where he earned a win and three podium finishes in the AsiaCup Series, and became the youngest driver to compete in the Global RallyCross Championship Lites.
Colton Herta Career
Early Career (2015–2017)
In 2015, Herta moved to the UK-based MSA Formula series, where he was the youngest driver and the only American on a largely British grid. He captured his first win at Snetterton Circuit in August, helping the United States win the Nations Cup, and finished third overall with four victories. The following year, he competed in the Euroformula Open Championship with Carlin, posting four wins, six podiums, and five poles to finish third in points, while also making six British F3 appearances that included a victory at Brands Hatch.
Returning to the United States in 2017, Herta joined the newly formed Steinbrenner Racing in the Indy Lights Series. He opened the year with a second-place finish at St. Petersburg, took his first Indy Lights victory the next day, and added a win at Barber Motorsports Park. He earned Rookie of the Year honors and finished third in the championship.
Indy Lights (2017–2018)
Herta remained in Indy Lights in 2018 and produced a dominant campaign. He won four races, including all three held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which covered both rounds of the GP of Indianapolis and the Freedom 100 on the oval. He finished the year second in points, behind Andretti teammate Patricio O’Ward, establishing himself as a leading candidate for a step up to the IndyCar Series.
IndyCar Series (2018–2025)
Herta made his IndyCar Series debut in September 2018 at the season finale in Sonoma, driving for Harding Racing. The following year, competing for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in the No. 88 car, he became the youngest-ever winner in IndyCar history by taking the IndyCar Classic at Circuit of the Americas on March 24, 2019, at the age of eighteen. He added a pole at Road America and a win at Laguna Seca, finishing seventh in points and narrowly missing Rookie of the Year to Felix Rosenqvist.
Herta continued with Harding Steinbrenner Racing in 2020, again in the No. 88, and won the second of two races at Mid-Ohio on September 13, 2020. He closed the season third in points with seven top-five finishes in fourteen races. Moving to Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian in the No. 26 for 2021, Herta opened the year with a win at St. Petersburg, his first on a street circuit, and went on to add victories at Laguna Seca and Long Beach, finishing fifth in the championship.
After a difficult 2022, in which his lone win came at the GMR Grand Prix, Herta signed a multi-year extension with Andretti that was later lengthened to 2027. He opened 2024 with five consecutive top-five finishes, broke a two-year win drought with a victory from pole at Toronto, and then claimed his first oval win at the Nashville Superspeedway finale. He finished second in the 2024 IndyCar Series championship to Alex Palou, his highest points total in the series, and became the highest-scoring Andretti Autosport driver in the modern IndyCar era since Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2012. Following the 2025 season, Herta left Andretti and the IndyCar Series, with Will Power replacing him at the team.
Andretti Global Era (2019–2025)
Through his years with the Andretti organization, Herta built a reputation for sharp qualifying pace and aggressive race craft. He delivered memorable performances at Road America, Laguna Seca, and the Indianapolis road course, often leading significant portions of races. His results helped anchor Andretti Autosport as a championship contender, even as the team searched for its first title since Hunter-Reay’s 2012 crown.
Driving Style and Strengths
Herta is widely regarded as a fast, committed driver with particular strength on road and street circuits, where his qualifying speed has produced multiple poles. He pairs that pace with strong tire management and the ability to build large leads from the front, while his partnership with Andretti’s engineering group has helped him convert raw speed into consistent results.
Notable Races and Milestones
Standout moments include his 2019 victory at Circuit of the Americas that made him the youngest IndyCar winner in history, his domination of the 2021 Laguna Seca round where he led all but one lap, his Long Beach comeback from fourteenth to first later that same year, and his emotional 2024 Nashville Superspeedway win that clinched runner-up honors in the championship.
Colton Herta Career Wins
Across the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, and various junior open-wheel championships, Colton Herta has amassed a multi-series win record highlighted by his record-breaking 2019 breakthrough and his runner-up championship finish in 2024.
IndyCar Highlights
Herta’s IndyCar victories include the 2019 IndyCar Classic at Circuit of the Americas, the 2019 race at Laguna Seca, the 2020 Mid-Ohio round, the 2021 opener at St. Petersburg, the 2021 races at Laguna Seca and Long Beach, the 2022 GMR Grand Prix, the 2024 Toronto Indy, and the 2024 Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. His Nashville win was his first on an oval and sealed second place in the 2024 standings.
Other Wins and Performances
In junior formulae, Herta won the Pacific Formula F1600 Championship in 2013 and collected multiple victories in MSA Formula, the Euroformula Open Championship, and British F3. In sportscar racing, he won the GTLM class at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, took overall victory in the LMP2 class at the 2022 24 Hours of Daytona with DragonSpeed, and scored his first overall IMSA SportsCar Championship win at the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring with Wayne Taylor Racing and Andretti Autosport.
Colton Herta Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Colton Herta is the son of Bryan Herta, a former IndyCar and Champ Car driver who later became a team owner. Growing up around his father’s racing activities gave Colton direct insight into the professional side of the sport and helped guide his early development as a driver.
Personal Life
Outside of motorsport, Herta is a member of the indie punk rock band The Zibs, where he plays drums. He formed the band in 2018 with high school friends Jon Graber and Chris Broadbent, balancing his musical interests with a full-time racing schedule.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Colton Herta’s final year in the IndyCar Series. Competing once again with Andretti Autosport, he continued to be a regular presence near the front of the field, leaning on the experience of his multi-year partnership with the team. Despite ongoing conversations about a potential move to Formula One, Herta remained focused on delivering results in IndyCar through the summer months.
As the season progressed, Herta’s future beyond IndyCar became the central storyline surrounding his campaign. Following the conclusion of the 2025 IndyCar Series, he departed the Andretti organization, with Will Power taking over his seat, to pursue a new direction in international motorsport. The transition closed a chapter that began with his record-breaking 2019 debut victory and ended with one of the most talked-about American driver crossovers in recent memory.