INDIANAPOLIS — It’s nearly impossible to contemplate how close 21-year-old driver Colton Herta came to starting on the pole for Sunday’s 105th Indianapolis 500.
Dixon’s pole winning four-lap average of 231.685 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda was just three-one-hundredths of a mile an hour faster than Colton Herta’s 231.655 mph in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.
“We just missed it by a hair on Sunday,” Herta said. “That was a little disappointing, but happy to start up near the front and stay out of the chaos that can be in midfield and back of the pack near the start. Hopefully, keep it clean. Have a nice start. Take it easy, get through most of the race and then the last 50 laps when guys go crazy, get a little nutty, we’ll see it then.”
Herta’s Honda starts in the middle of row one when Sunday’s 105th Indy 500 begins at 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time on NBC. Herta leads a talented group of young drivers that are ready to take over the NTT IndyCar Series from the likes of legends and established driver such as Dixon.
But, in many respects, Herta’s experience level in the Indy 500 remains very thin.
“Every time you come here, you are learning and have more knowledge than last year,” Herta explained. “Really, last year was my first 500. My rookie year, I did a lap and a half, and the car broke. I was happy to get a full race in and learn from that. Going off that and learning what I did this month with the new aero parts, it should be an interesting race. I learned a lot since my rookie year, so I do feel very well prepared.”
With his father, Bryan, on the radio, Herta has a great team around him with Andretti Autosport. But he also admits the size of the event and the high-speed battle in the most famous auto race in the world forces young Colton away from the noise and tumult as he prepares for battle.
“I think it is important to be alone for a bit, especially like to be alone for a bit before the race to collect my thoughts,” Herta said. “I like to be alone for one hour before walking out of Gasoline. I usually go on my phone, go on Twitter, and think about the race. A lot of guys do that, to get away from the madness outside, get in the bus or whatever.”
During that hour, Herta thinks of his dreams and more importantly, his fears.
“It’s the fear of the unknown of what is going to happen in the race,” Herta explained. “It’s not the risk. It’s the fear of failure or fear of not completely taking full advantage of the opportunity you are given. It’s nerves. You want to do good. In some sense you are nervous that maybe you aren’t going to do good.
“When you get in the car, you are full of confidence and calm at that point, ready to start the race and you are fully focused at that point.”
Herta may look 21 but talk to the emerging IndyCar star and he speaks like a proven veteran.
“I’m only 21, but this is my ninth year racing cars,” Herta explained. “I have a lot of confidence in everything I’ve done through the years that I did wrong. There is a lot of learning. I think it’s good that I stepped into cars real young because the younger you are, the faster you learn stuff, you are able to understand stuff quicker. In that aspect, it was good for me because I was able to learn very fast. I was in a lot of different situations in car racing that I know what to do most of the time. There are cases I’m still learning and a lot of that, stuff.
“Having that experience already has given me a lot of confidence.
“Most importantly are the people who were around me when I was developing and learning like Skip Barber and going to Europe with Carlin Racing and the engineers. I’ve always had a group of people that were around me to help out.”
The Indy 500 often comes down to fuel mileage, and it’s better to have a tank of fuel last longer and run second, than to lead early and have to pit earlier.
“I don’t think I have ever led a lap at Indy for the 500,” Herta said. “It would be awesome to have that chance and I would love to lead a lap. But this race is a fuel race, and you burn a lot more fuel when you are leading.”
He also has a master of strategy calling his race in his father Bryan.
“My dad is extremely smart,” Herta said. “He knows how races are going to play out. Overall knowledge and experience are the main things. It’s pretty impressive some of the stuff he’s come up with. He’s not afraid to go for it, for sure.
“To be the first Herta to win the Indy 500 would be cool, but besides that it would be cool to win the Indy 500. He never won it as a driver, came close to it with a third, but what he has done as a strategist and team owner winning it twice in two races that were pivotal for strategy, that gives me a lot of confidence.”
Bryan Herta helped guide the late Dan Wheldon to victory in the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 in 2011 and Alexander Rossi to the win in the 100th Indianapolis 500 in 2016.
Herta may be young, but he is smart. He believes there are two types of drivers at Indianapolis — those who have hit the wall and those who are going to hit the wall.
He also knows that the Indy 500 isn’t a race to think about the championship in.
“You have to put all chips on the table and not think of the championship in this race,” Herta said. “You are here to win it.”