Bryan Herta Autosport
Encyclopedia
Bryan Herta Autosport is an American auto racing
team that competes primarily in the Firestone Indy Lights Series and occasionally in the IZOD
IndyCar Series
. It is owned by former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta
and race engineer Steve Newey. The team won the 2011 Indianapolis 500
with driver Dan Wheldon
.
Debut Season
The team's first season of competition was in 2009
with North Carolina
native Daniel Herrington
, driving car #28. Through most of the season, 5th place at St. Petersburg
was his best result, but Herrington changed that when he won his (and the team's) first Indy Lights race at Chicagoland. The team fielded a second car for A1GP Team Brazil
's Felipe Guimarães
in three mid-season road course events. Driving car #29, Guimarães finished 3rd, 4th, and 2nd respectively at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio
, and Sonoma. Herrington finished 7th in points after 12 Top 10s in the 15-race season, and Guimarães was 23rd overall despite competing only 3 times.
Two Car Team
For 2010
they ran full-time Indy Lights programs for second-year drviers Sebastian Saavedra
and Stefan Wilson
. Despite ranking 5th in the championship, Saavedra quit the team after qualifying 12th for the Drive Smart Buckle Up 100
at Kentucky
in September. He was replaced by BHA's 2009 driver Daniel Herrington
for the race, in which he finished 12th. Saavedra had won at Iowa
in June and posted 5 Top 5s and 7 Top 10s. The team's other driver, Stefan Wilson, scored 3 Top 5s and 8 Top 10s (including a season and career best of 3rd on the wet streets of St. Petersburg, Florida
), but had to miss the road race at Infineon Raceway
in favor of American Joel Miller
while sponsorship issues were resolved. He also had to give way to 2008
Freedom 100
winner Dillon Battistini
at Homestead
. Each substitute driver finished 9th in his respective race. Saavedra and Wilson, each of whom missed two races, finished 8th and 11th in the championship respectively. In a season that had shorter fields than in recent years, BHA's late-season replacement drivers Herrington, Battistini, and Miller (with 2 starts each) ranked 21st, 22nd, and 23rd in that order.
with Saavedra. The Colombia
n crashed in Turn 1 with just over an hour left on Bump Day in hopes of improving from the bubble position (33rd). At about 5:30 Saavedra was bumped by Tony Kanaan
. Soon after, rookie Mario Romancini
withdrew his time and improved (his Conquest Racing team were bumped in 2009 when the track became quicker), prompting Paul Tracy
and rookie Jay Howard
to follow suit. Conversely, Howard and Tracy failed to improve their efforts and their new speeds were slower than that of Saavedra, whose speed was never withdrawn, and was being checked for possible injury at nearby Methodist Hospital
when he learned he had qualified. Born on June 2nd, 1990, Saavedra became the first IndyCar starter born in the 1990s. Team owner Herta jokingly referred to his low budget Indy 500 effort as "'Two Men in a Truck' Racing". His IndyCar debut ended 100 miles early in an accident in the South chute. Curt Cavin of The Indianapolis Star
reported that several other IZOD
IndyCar races were possible for the team in 2010
, but nothing materialised.
2011
On March 21st, BHA announced their signing of Angola
n driver Duarte Ferreira
, the first Angolan driver in Indy Lights history, to drive car #28. The team announced their IZOD
IndyCar
plans for 2011 on March 25th. 2005 Indianapolis 500
winner and season Champion Dan Wheldon
, who was a teammate of Herta at Andretti-Green Racing from 2003-2005, won the 2011 Indy 500
for the team. It was announced that the team may run additional IndyCar races in 2011. At the final race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
, Wheldon was killed in an accident involving 15 drivers driving for Sam Schmitdt Motorsports, which red flagged and ultimately canceled the race. BHA fielded regular Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Alex Tagliani
for the season finale in the #98 car who was not involved in the incident.
Duarte Ferreira finished eighth in the final Indy Lights points with a best finish of third at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The team also fielded a second entry for Bruno Andrade
in five road and street course races. Andrade had a best finish of fourth at Baltimore
and finished 17th in points.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
team that competes primarily in the Firestone Indy Lights Series and occasionally in the IZOD
Izod
Izod is a clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing and sportswear for men and women, also including fragrances, and accessories. Similar to brands such as Gant U.S.A., Lacoste, and Polo Ralph Lauren, it is part of the Phillips-Van Heusen Company, headquartered at 200 Madison Ave., New...
IndyCar Series
IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
. It is owned by former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta
Bryan Herta
Bryan John Herta is an American race car driver. He currently runs his own team, Bryan Herta Autosport in the Firestone Indy Lights Series...
and race engineer Steve Newey. The team won the 2011 Indianapolis 500
2011 Indianapolis 500
The 95th Indianapolis 500 was held on May 29, 2011 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the premier event of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The track opened for practice on May 14, and time trials were held on May 21–22. The race was won by Dan Wheldon and was the final win of his...
with driver Dan Wheldon
Dan Wheldon
Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon was a British racing driver from England. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in both 2005 and 2011...
.
Debut Season2009 Indy Lights seasonThe 2009 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights season began April 4 in St. Petersburg, Florida, where it ran a double-header weekend in support to the season-opening IndyCar Series event. The schedule will take place over 14 race weekends in support of the IndyCars, with 15 total races. Unlike...
The team's first season of competition was in 20092009 Indy Lights season
The 2009 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights season began April 4 in St. Petersburg, Florida, where it ran a double-header weekend in support to the season-opening IndyCar Series event. The schedule will take place over 14 race weekends in support of the IndyCars, with 15 total races. Unlike...
with North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
native Daniel Herrington
Daniel Herrington
Daniel Herrington is an American racing driver from Baltimore, Maryland.Herrington began his professional racing career in Formula BMW USA in 2004 with a partial schedule. He competed full-time in 2005 for Jensen Motorsport and finished 12th in points. In 2006 he moved to the Star Mazda Series and...
, driving car #28. Through most of the season, 5th place at St. Petersburg
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is an IndyCar Series race held in St. Petersburg, Florida.-History:Racing in the St. Petersburg area dates back to 1985. The SCCA Trans-Am Series held a race on a downtown waterfront circuit from 1985-1990. Local residents and businesses complained about...
was his best result, but Herrington changed that when he won his (and the team's) first Indy Lights race at Chicagoland. The team fielded a second car for A1GP Team Brazil
A1 Team Brazil
A1 Team Brazil is the Brazilian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The seat holder for A1 Team Brazil is the former Formula One World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Since 2005, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil. The team principal is...
's Felipe Guimarães
Felipe Guimarães
Felipe Guimarães is a Brazilian racing driver.After a childhood in karting, Guimarães transitioned to the extremely competitive Formula Three Sudamericana series at the age of 16 and finished 4th in points with two victories. 2008 took him to Europe where he competed in Euroseries 3000 where he...
in three mid-season road course events. Driving car #29, Guimarães finished 3rd, 4th, and 2nd respectively at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio
Honda 200
The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio....
, and Sonoma. Herrington finished 7th in points after 12 Top 10s in the 15-race season, and Guimarães was 23rd overall despite competing only 3 times.
Two Car Team2010 Indy Lights seasonThe 2010 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights season was the 25th Indy Lights season. It was contested over thirteen races beginning on March 28 on the streets of St...
For 20102010 Indy Lights season
The 2010 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights season was the 25th Indy Lights season. It was contested over thirteen races beginning on March 28 on the streets of St...
they ran full-time Indy Lights programs for second-year drviers Sebastian Saavedra
Sebastian Saavedra
Sebastian Saavedra is a Colombian racing driver of Portuguese and Korean origin from Bogotá.-early career:After a childhood in karting, Saavedra drove in Formula BMW USA for Gelles Racing, finishing 11th in points. He also drove in two races in Formula BMW ADAC and competed in the Formula BMW...
and Stefan Wilson
Stefan Wilson
Stefan James Wilson is a British racing driver. He is the younger brother of former Formula One and current IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson...
. Despite ranking 5th in the championship, Saavedra quit the team after qualifying 12th for the Drive Smart Buckle Up 100
Meijer Indy 300
The Kentucky Indy 300 was an IndyCar Series race held at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky.The IRL IndyCar Series debuted the race in 2000...
at Kentucky
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
in September. He was replaced by BHA's 2009 driver Daniel Herrington
Daniel Herrington
Daniel Herrington is an American racing driver from Baltimore, Maryland.Herrington began his professional racing career in Formula BMW USA in 2004 with a partial schedule. He competed full-time in 2005 for Jensen Motorsport and finished 12th in points. In 2006 he moved to the Star Mazda Series and...
for the race, in which he finished 12th. Saavedra had won at Iowa
Iowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
in June and posted 5 Top 5s and 7 Top 10s. The team's other driver, Stefan Wilson, scored 3 Top 5s and 8 Top 10s (including a season and career best of 3rd on the wet streets of St. Petersburg, Florida
Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
The Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is an IndyCar Series race held in St. Petersburg, Florida.-History:Racing in the St. Petersburg area dates back to 1985. The SCCA Trans-Am Series held a race on a downtown waterfront circuit from 1985-1990. Local residents and businesses complained about...
), but had to miss the road race at Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
in favor of American Joel Miller
Joel Miller (racing driver)
Joel Miller is an American auto racing driver from Hesperia, California.Miller began his career in karting winning the Stars of Karting Western ICA Championship in 2005 and the Stars of Karting ICA National Championship in 2006. Joel Miller became one of the few Americans to compete alongside...
while sponsorship issues were resolved. He also had to give way to 2008
2008 Indy Lights season
The 2008 Indy Racing League Firestone Indy Lights Series season, formerly the Indy Pro Series, began on March 29, 2008 and consisted of 16 races. Due to the discontinuation of the United States Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the series lost its Liberty Challenge double header...
Freedom 100
Freedom 100
The Firestone Freedom 100 is a Firestone Indy Lights Series auto race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is currently held the Friday before the Indianapolis 500...
winner Dillon Battistini
Dillon Battistini
Dillon Battistini is an English-born racecar driver from Ewell.Battistini competed in various classes of karting before moving to cars in the Caterham R400 challenge in 2003. In 2006 and 2007 he raced in the Asian Formula Three Championship, finishing 4th his first year and winning the 2007 series...
at Homestead
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
. Each substitute driver finished 9th in his respective race. Saavedra and Wilson, each of whom missed two races, finished 8th and 11th in the championship respectively. In a season that had shorter fields than in recent years, BHA's late-season replacement drivers Herrington, Battistini, and Miller (with 2 starts each) ranked 21st, 22nd, and 23rd in that order.
Bump Day Miracle
The team also qualified for the 2010 Indy 5002010 Indianapolis 500
The 94th Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 30, 2010, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the 15th Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, and was the premier event of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The race was won by Dario Franchitti, ahead of Dan Wheldon and Marco...
with Saavedra. The Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n crashed in Turn 1 with just over an hour left on Bump Day in hopes of improving from the bubble position (33rd). At about 5:30 Saavedra was bumped by Tony Kanaan
Tony Kanaan
Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho, commonly known as Tony Kanaan is a Brazilian race car driver of Lebanese heritage. Kanaan won the 2004 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series championship driving Andretti Green Racing's 7-Eleven sponsored car, winning three times in his Honda-powered Dallara...
. Soon after, rookie Mario Romancini
Mario Romancini
Mario Romancini is a professional racing driver from Brazil.Romancini started his racing career in 2006 in the Brazilian Formula Renault 2.0 series. Driving for the Full Time Racing Team, he took two podium finishes, including one race win, to finish the season in fifth place...
withdrew his time and improved (his Conquest Racing team were bumped in 2009 when the track became quicker), prompting Paul Tracy
Paul Tracy
Paul Tracy is a professional automobile racer who has competed in CART, the ChampCar World Series and the IndyCar Series...
and rookie Jay Howard
Jay Howard
Jay Howard is an English professional race car driver who competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. Howard was the 2005 U.S...
to follow suit. Conversely, Howard and Tracy failed to improve their efforts and their new speeds were slower than that of Saavedra, whose speed was never withdrawn, and was being checked for possible injury at nearby Methodist Hospital
Methodist Hospital
Methodist Hospital is the name of numerous medical institutions.* The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas* Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria, Illinois* Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana...
when he learned he had qualified. Born on June 2nd, 1990, Saavedra became the first IndyCar starter born in the 1990s. Team owner Herta jokingly referred to his low budget Indy 500 effort as "'Two Men in a Truck' Racing". His IndyCar debut ended 100 miles early in an accident in the South chute. Curt Cavin of The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Star
The Indianapolis Star is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903. It has won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting twice, in 1975 and 1991. It is currently owned by the Gannett Company.-History:...
reported that several other IZOD
Izod
Izod is a clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing and sportswear for men and women, also including fragrances, and accessories. Similar to brands such as Gant U.S.A., Lacoste, and Polo Ralph Lauren, it is part of the Phillips-Van Heusen Company, headquartered at 200 Madison Ave., New...
IndyCar races were possible for the team in 2010
2010 IndyCar Series season
The 2010 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 15th season of the IndyCar Series, and the 99th recognized season of top-level American open wheel racing. It was the series' first of six planned seasons under Izod title sponsorship, a multi-million dollar deal which was announced on November 5, 2009...
, but nothing materialised.
20112011 Indy Lights seasonThe 2011 Indy Lights season is a season of open wheel motor racing in which cars' drivers will compete against each other using cars which conform to the Indy Lights set of motor racing regulations. It is the 26th season of the Indy Lights series and the tenth sanctioned by IndyCar where the...
On March 21st, BHA announced their signing of AngolaAngola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
n driver Duarte Ferreira
Duarte Ferreira
Duarte Ferreira is a Portuguese-born Angolan racing driver from Luanda.He began his career in karting in Belgium. He then progressed to Formula Renault 1.6 Belgium...
, the first Angolan driver in Indy Lights history, to drive car #28. The team announced their IZOD
Izod
Izod is a clothing company that produces dressy-casual clothing and sportswear for men and women, also including fragrances, and accessories. Similar to brands such as Gant U.S.A., Lacoste, and Polo Ralph Lauren, it is part of the Phillips-Van Heusen Company, headquartered at 200 Madison Ave., New...
IndyCar
2011 IndyCar Series season
The 2011 Izod IndyCar Series season was the 100th season of American open wheel motor racing. The season consisted of seventeen events over the course of a seven–month season. Its premier event was the 95th Indianapolis 500, run on Sunday, May 29. It was the final season running the IR–05 Dallara...
plans for 2011 on March 25th. 2005 Indianapolis 500
2005 Indianapolis 500
The 89th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 29, 2005. It was the premier event of the 2005 IndyCar Series season, and the tenth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Dan Wheldon won the race under a yellow flag...
winner and season Champion Dan Wheldon
Dan Wheldon
Daniel Clive "Dan" Wheldon was a British racing driver from England. He was the 2005 Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champion, and winner of the Indianapolis 500 in both 2005 and 2011...
, who was a teammate of Herta at Andretti-Green Racing from 2003-2005, won the 2011 Indy 500
2011 Indianapolis 500
The 95th Indianapolis 500 was held on May 29, 2011 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was the premier event of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The track opened for practice on May 14, and time trials were held on May 21–22. The race was won by Dan Wheldon and was the final win of his...
for the team. It was announced that the team may run additional IndyCar races in 2011. At the final race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
, Wheldon was killed in an accident involving 15 drivers driving for Sam Schmitdt Motorsports, which red flagged and ultimately canceled the race. BHA fielded regular Sam Schmidt Motorsports driver Alex Tagliani
Alex Tagliani
Alexandre Tagliani is a Canadian auto racing driver from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He currently competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series, driving the #77 entry for Sam Schmidt Motorsports.-Champ Car career:...
for the season finale in the #98 car who was not involved in the incident.
Duarte Ferreira finished eighth in the final Indy Lights points with a best finish of third at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The team also fielded a second entry for Bruno Andrade
Bruno Andrade
Bruno Fernandes Andrade de Brito is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays in Belgium for K. Sint-Truidense V.V. as a striker.-Career:...
in five road and street course races. Andrade had a best finish of fourth at Baltimore
Baltimore Grand Prix
The Baltimore Grand Prix is an IndyCar Series and American Le Mans Series race held on a street circuit in Baltimore, Maryland. The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix was held September 4, 2011. The races are contested on a temporary street circuit around the Inner Harbor area of downtown Baltimore...
and finished 17th in points.