Colton Herta Bio: Early Life, Parents, Crash, Controversy And Girlfriend
Colton Thomas Herta, a.k.a Colton Herta, is a famous American open-wheel racing driver. He is currently competing in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Colton is the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race and pole. He is also a two-time Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner.
Herta joined the Euroformula Open Championship with Carlin in 2016. In 2017, Herta joined forces with the newly formed Steinbrenner Racing in the IndyCar Series.
Colton Herta had his first experience of IndyCar racing when he made his debut at the season finale in Sonoma with Harding Racing.
Moreover, in 2018, Herta continued his campaign in Indy Lights, gaining even more recognition.
He has won four races, all three held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, two of the GP of Indianapolis, and the Freedom 100 on the speedway).
Herta participated in the prestigious 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race. In 2019, he drove a BMW M8 GTE for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and won the race in the GTLM class alongside his co-drivers.
Furthermore, Colton Herta’s involvement in sports car racing extended to the 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship, where he joined Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing to compete in the BMW M Hybrid V8 prototype.
Colton was signed in by McLaren as a development driver in 2022. He had the opportunity to test the MCL35M from the 2021 season and left a positive impression during the test drive at the Algarve International Circuit.
Early Life
Colton Herta was born to Bryan John Herta and Janette Michele on March 30, 2000. Herta’s racing journey began in karting.
He made his karting debut in 2010 at the age of 10, participating in the SKUSA and IKF series.
However, he had actually started karting at the age of 6. This early exposure to the karting world laid the foundation for his future success in motorsports.
At the age of 13, Colton Herta made his debut in single-seater racing by participating in the SBF2000 Winter Series.
In 2014, despite missing the opening weekend due to age requirements, he entered the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda.
However, Colton’s racing experience grew by venturing into International Formula racing in Sepang, Malaysia, where he claimed 1 race win and 3 podium finishes in the AsiaCup Series.
He also became the youngest driver to compete in the Global RallyCross Championship Lites. In 2015, Herta made a significant move to the UK-based MSA Formula series.
He was not only the youngest driver on the grid but also the sole American among mainly British competitors.
He made history by becoming the youngest-ever winner in IndyCar history at the age of 18, capturing victory at the IndyCar Classic held at the Circuit of the Americas.
Parents: Bryan John Herta And Janette Michele
Colton’s mother, Janette Michele, goes by the name Janette Fountaine Herta and is private in her life. There is not much information about Colton’s mother.
However, some sources say that she celebrates her birthday on July 31. She went to Village Christian School. Whereas Colton’s father is a very famous person.
Bryan John Herta was born on May 23, 1970. He is an American race strategist and a former race car driver. Colton has two siblings: Calysta and Caden.
Bryan owns his own team, Bryan Herta Autosport, in the NTT IndyCar Series. He also serves as the strategist for the #27 Andretti Autosport in the same series.
Additionally, under Colton Herta’s father, Bryan’s ownership, his team won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with driver Dan Wheldon and the 2016 Indianapolis 500 with driver Alexander Rossi.
Bryan Herta successfully ran in lower formulae before moving to IndyCar racing. He has won the Barber Formula Ford, Barber Saab Pro Series, and the 1993 Indy Lights championship with Tasman Motorsports.
Colton’s father had raced for several teams in IndyCar racing, including A. J. Foyt’s team in 1994, Chip Ganassi Racing in 1995, and Team Rahal in 1996.
He developed a reputation for his skills on road courses, especially at Laguna Seca Raceway.
Furthermore, Colton’s father has also founded Bryan Herta Autosport, a team that competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series.
The team later partnered with Michael Andretti, winning the 2016 Indianapolis 500 with Alexander Rossi.
Crash
During the Carb Day practice session, Colton Herta’s car got loose while trailing Takuma Sato, entering Turn 1 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
According to IndyStar, the crash occurred during the Carb Day practice session, which is the final practice session before the Indianapolis 500 race.
Carb Day typically takes place a few days before the race, allowing drivers to make final adjustments and preparations.
However, after getting loose behind Sato, Herta’s car backed into the outside SAFER barrier. The impact caused the car to snap around clockwise upon impact, lifting the nose off the ground.
This caused the car to become airborne, flipping over sideways. The car flew through the air and landed on its roll hoop before skidding to a stop in the south chute between Turns 1 and 2.
Despite the dramatic crash, Herta’s initial response on the radio was “All good.”
The AMR Safety Team arrived quickly, and the car was turned right side up. After the evaluation, Colton exited the car under his own power and walked in and out of the infield care centre.
Unfortunately, the crash significantly damaged Colton’s car, and he acknowledged the disappointment of losing a car ahead of the Indianapolis 500 race.
The team’s focus shifted to preparing his backup car for the race, and Herta stayed hopeful for a strong performance despite the setbacks.
Controversy
Colton Herta, a young and promising IndyCar driver, expressed his aspiration to compete in Formula One.
However, he needed to meet the minimum Super License points threshold to be eligible for F1 competition.
Despite his accomplishments in IndyCar, Colton Herta was eight points short of meeting the required Super License points for Formula One.
This shortage stemmed from IndyCar earning fewer points than other racing series like F2 and F3.
Formula One teams, including AlphaTauri and Alpine, showed interest in Colton Herta’s potential to join their teams. This interest started discussions within the racing community.
The discussion was about whether he should be granted an exemption or special consideration to compete in Formula One without meeting the standard Super License points requirement.
Colton Herta’s father, Bryan Herta, who is also involved in racing as a team owner and strategist, expressed his stance on the matter.
He emphasized that his son should earn the Super License through the established qualifications and not receive any special treatment.
Bryan Herta’s perspective was aligned with the idea of maintaining fairness and integrity in the sport.
The controversy sparked debates within the racing community. Some argued that the Super License points system needed to be reevaluated, especially regarding the points earned by IndyCar drivers.
Others supported Bryan Herta’s position, suggesting that the rules should be followed consistently to ensure a level playing field.
Girlfriend
Colton is happily in a relationship with Riley Flynn. The couple are private when it comes to their personal life.
Riley Flynn graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism in 2022. She celebrates her birthday on February 1st.
Riley is politically active and supports the Democratic Party. Her involvement in political activities includes interning at the Arizona Democratic Party in 2020.
Colton’s girlfriend, Riley, comes from a family with a legacy in the entertainment industry, particularly in acting.
Her mother, Nikki Tyler-Flynn, has a history of acting in movies such as “Easy A,” which starred Emma Stone, and “Here Comes the Boom,” which featured Kevin James.
Her father, Jacki Flynn, is both an actor and a stand-up comedian. Riley has two sisters.
Gracie Flynn is a student at the University of Southern California (USC), and Kena Flynn holds the director position at OMD USA, a prestigious media agency.
Riley Flynn’s romantic relationship with Colton Herta began during their time in junior high school.
They started dating in 2018 when they were still in the early stages of their education. Initially, Riley and Colton established a solid friendship during a Spanish class in junior high.
However, their relationship did not develop until later. Colton left for Europe to compete in the MSA-Formula series, but Riley took the initiative upon his return to complete his senior year.
She approached her friends and asked them to communicate with Colton about attending their prom together.
Moreover, Colton’s girlfriend, Riley Flynn, actively supports Colton Herta’s racing career. While she admits to feeling nervous when watching him compete on the race track, she attends many of his races to show her support.
Her presence is seen at various events, including the Acura Grand Prix and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who are the parents of Colton Herta?
Colton was born to Bryan John Herta, and Janette Michele.
Who is Colton Herta In a relationship with?
Colton Herta is in a relationship with Riley Flynn.
What are Colton Herta’s hobbies?
Colton’s hobbies are listening to EDM music, playing drums, cycling, running and golfing.
