Bryan Herta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bryan Herta (b. May 23, 1970, Warren, Michigan) is an American race car driver in the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series. He currently drives for Andretti Green Racing, which is co-owned by former CART and IRL driver Michael Andretti. He also drives for A1 Team USA. At the event in Australia, Herta scored a 10th place finish.
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[edit] Racing career
Herta enjoyed considerable success in the lower formulae, winning the Barber Formula Ford and Barber Saab series championships, and dominating the 1993 Indy Lights championship with Tasman Motorsports. He graduated to Champ Car racing in 1994 with team owner A.J. Foyt, where he had several promising races before suffering a season-ending injury at Toronto.
In 1995, Herta was hired to drive for Chip Ganassi Racing. Despite a pole at Phoenix, the association was unsuccessful, with Herta managing only a 20th place in the series standings while his teammate Jimmy Vasser finished 8th. Even so, Herta landed a top ride with Team Rahal for the 1996 season.
During the next few years, Herta developed a reputation for his prowess on road courses, especially at Laguna Seca. In 1996, he was the leader until the last lap, when Alex Zanardi made the spectacular pass through the "Corkscrew" chicane and took the victory. Herta, who rarely qualified below the first row at Laguna Seca, finally won two events on the twisty road course in 1998 and 1999. At the height of Herta's career, fan interest in the Shell-sponsored driver was dubbed by team owner David Letterman as "Hertamania."
In the opening laps of the 1998 event at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin's Road America circuit, Herta was involved in one of the scariest incidents in the history of North American motor racing. In the 4-mile road course's fifth turn, Herta got too close to the back of the car of co-owner Rahal, and spun out into a paved runoff area, facing oncoming traffic. A few seconds later, an ESPN camera that had zoomed in on Herta's head pulled back when Herta clenched his fists, put them against the sides of his head and duck with scattering course workers, only to catch Alex Barron sliding into the front of Herta's car, and end up on top of it. Both drivers were okay.
From 2000 to 2003, Herta drove for a variety of Champ Car teams including Forsythe Championship Racing, Mo Nunn Racing, and PK Racing, but never quite regained his form from the late 1990s. After dabbling in sports cars, he revitalized his open-wheel racing career by substituting for an injured Dario Franchitti halfway through the 2003 IRL season.
In just his third IRL start, Herta picked up his first IndyCar Series win at Kansas Speedway for Andretti Green Racing. He was retained in an expanded four-car squad in 2004, usually running development engines. On July 31, 2005, Herta took his second IndyCar Series win, defeating AGR teammate Dan Wheldon in a close finish in the Firestone Indy 400 at the Michigan International Speedway.
In early 2006, he drove at Laguna Seca and Fundidora Park for A1 Team USA in the A1 Grand Prix series before returning to Andretti Green for the IRL season.
As of 2006, Herta has started in the Indianapolis 500 five times (1994-1995, 2004-2006) with three top ten finishes, including a best of 3rd in 2005.
As of October 31, 2006 Herta was confirmed as a driver for Andretti Green Racing's new Acura Le Mans prototype program for the 2007 American Le Mans Series season. He will be sharing the car with Marino Franchitti, brother of his former teammate Dario Franchitti. On January 3, 2007 it was announced that Dario shall also drive a limited ALMS programme with both Marino and Herta.
[edit] CART career results
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | 0 | 11 | 23rd |
| 1995 | Chip Ganassi Racing | 0 | 30 | 20th |
| 1996 | Team Rahal | 0 | 86 | 8th |
| 1997 | Team Rahal | 0 | 72 | 11th |
| 1998 | Team Rahal | 1 | 97 | 8th |
| 1999 | Team Rahal | 1 | 84 | 12th |
| 2000 | Forsythe/Walker/Mo Nunn | 0 | 26 | 18th |
| 2001 | Forsythe Championship Racing | 0 | 28 | 22nd |
| 2003 | PK Racing | 0 | 2 | 25th |
2 wins, Best championship result: 8th
[edit] IRL IndyCar career results
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Andretti Green Racing | 1 | 277 | 13th |
| 2004 | Andretti Green Racing | 0 | 362 | 9th |
| 2005 | Andretti Green Racing | 1 | 397 | 8th |
| 2006 | Andretti Green Racing | 0 | 289 | 11th |
2 wins, best championship result: 8th
[edit] Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 22nd | 9th |
| 1995 | Reynard | Ford-Cosworth | 33rd | 13th |
| 2003 | Dallara | Honda | Injured | |
| 2004 | Dallara | Honda | 23rd | 4th |
| 2005 | Dallara | Honda | 18th | 3rd |
| 2006 | Dallara | Honda | 16th | 20th |
