FORT WORTH, Texas – There’s an old line about a person who is beginning their career and still has a lot to learn.
“They don’t know, what they don’t know.”
At 19, there are some things that Colton Herta does not know, but he will soon learn. He has already proven to be a fast learner, scoring a victory in just the second NTT IndyCar Series race of his rookie season, the third IndyCar event of his career.
That came in the March 24 INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
Tonight is IndyCar’s second event of the season in “The Republic.” It’s the DXC Technology 600 at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway (8 p.m. ET, NBC and the Advance Auto Parts Radio Network). The green flag is set for 8:45 p.m. ET.
When asked how he thought he would do in his first race on a high-banked oval, the son of former NTT IndyCar Series driver and current team owner Bryan Herta admitted he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.
“I’m not sure what to expect,” Herta told NTT INDYCAR Mobile.
There have been all different styles of racing at Texas Motor Speedway, from pack racing where large groups of cars are locked in a tight formation, inches apart at high speeds. There have been other years where the field spreads out and a driver is able to run away to a clear win.
And then other years where tire degradation allows for “comers and goers” in the field as a driver is able to race his way through the field on fresh tires but loses his speed and advantage once those tires begin to wear.
So, is Herta prepared for each different style at Texas?
“I don’t have a feeling because I have never raced in a pack race,” Herta said. “I haven’t even gotten to race in a regular race yet, on a high-banked oval, so I’m not sure.
“I think both races were good in their own aspects. It was about cars that were good with tires were good up front.”
Herta has never run on a high-banked track before but had a good qualifying effort on Friday.
“Hopefully, we can keep it up there,” Herta said. “The tires have been great on my car.”
Herta qualified 10th in Friday evening’s two-lap qualification runs at Texas Motor Speedway with a two-lap average of 218.406 miles per hour in the No. 88 GESS Honda for Harding Steinbrenner Racing.
“It was OK, it wasn’t great, but it was OK,” Herta said after his qualifying run.
Fans figure to have a case of double vision at the start of the race because Alexander Rossi’s No. 27 Honda is painted the same as Herta’s Honda. Both cars are sponsored by GESS Capstone.