IndyCar's youngest ever race winner is no longer a teenager

Colton Herta, who became the youngest winner in IndyCar history at Circuit of the Americas last March, is no longer a teenager.

On Sunday, March 24, 2019 at Circuit of the Americas, Harding Steinbrenner Racing rookie Colton Herta became the youngest winner in IndyCar history, holding off now two-time champion Josef Newgarden of Team Penske to secure the victory at the age of 18 years and 359 days old.

The previous recordholder for youngest winner in IndyCar history had been Graham Rahal, who won on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida back on Sunday, April 6, 2008 at the age of 19 years and 93 days old.

Herta finished the 2019 season in seventh place in the championship standings, just missing out on Rookie of the Year honors to Chip Ganassi Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist. Rosenqvist, however, did not win a race in his rookie year, while Herta won twice behind the wheel of his #88 Honda.

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The Valencia, California native closed out the season with a victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, September 22. This win was his first and only win as a 19-year-old.

Herta had been scheduled to make one more start as a teenager after winning the 2019 season finale, as the 2020 season opener was scheduled to take place on the streets of St. Petersburg on Sunday, March 15. However, the coronavirus pandemic caused the start of the 2020 season to be delayed, and it is now not scheduled to get underway until late May following a schedule overhaul. Even the new start date of Saturday, May 30 at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park remains subject to change.

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Herta turned 20 years old today, as he was born on Thursday, March 30, 2000. He is the only driver in IndyCar history to win multiple races as a teenager, and he is the only driver in IndyCar history to secure a victory in what was his final race as a teenager.

Aside of Herta and Rahal, the only other teenage winner in IndyCar history is Marco Andretti, who won at Sonoma Raceway, then Infineon Raceway, back on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at the age of 19 years and 167 days old. This race was his penultimate race as a teenager.

Herta is set to drive the #88 Honda again this year, but he is set to do so for Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport.

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One of the three IndyCar races that was officially canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic was the race at Circuit of the Americas, which was scheduled to be contested on Sunday, April 26. As a result, Colton Herta will unfortunately not have the chance to defend his crown at the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.515-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Austin, Texas.

IndyCar’s youngest ever race winner is no longer a teenager

By Asher Fair | Mar 30, 2020

Colton Herta, who became the youngest winner in IndyCar history at Circuit of the Americas last March, is no longer a teenager.