Steinbrenner Racing Partners with Andretti Autosport for Indy Lights Campaign piloted by Colton Herta

Two names rich in
heritage and synonymous with winning have partnered to bring a successful legacy into the world
of American-open wheel racing. Newly launched Steinbrenner Racing will join
forces in 2017 with racing veterans Andretti Autosport to field an entry in the
open-wheel “AAA series” of Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires.

This venture will be a maiden voyage in open-wheel racing
for the Steinbrenner family, whose name became a cornerstone of America’s
favorite pastime when George Michael Steinbrenner III purchased the New York
Yankees in 1973.

“I have been
around Indy car racing for nearly half of my young life as a fan and
enthusiast,” said Steinbrenner
Racing team principal George Michael Steinbrenner IV. “Andretti Autosport always seemed to have a prestige in how they
operate and present themselves that mirrors that of the Yankees. The legacy of
the Andretti name and the success and wide reach of the Andretti brand is as
impressive as you will find in the world of motor racing.”

“Partnering
with a name as iconic as Steinbrenner is really something I’m looking forward
to,” said Andretti Autosport CEO
Michael Andretti. “George Michael
(Steinbrenner IV) has a great vision for his race team, just as his grandfather
had for the Yankees. We are looking forward to having George Michael join us in
our Indianapolis office in a very hands-on role with the team. I think together
the partnership can continue to grow in motorsport, and it is only fitting that
we begin by entering a car into the Mazda Road to Indy [Presented by Cooper
Tires] program with Indy Lights.”

Completing the entry will be second-generation racer Colton
Herta as he joins the Andretti Steinbrenner team to pilot the No. 98 Mazda for his
rookie season of Indy Lights competition.

The 2013 Pacific Formula F1600 Champion is the son of
former racer and now team owner Bryan Herta, and holds an impressive resume
finishing third overall in the 2015 MSA Formula championship scoring four wins,
three pole positions and 12 podiums. The California-native has brought home
three wins and four pole-positions in his 2016 EuroFormula Open Campaign and earned
one win and three podiums while racing in just two events in the 2016 British
Formula 3 Championship.

This season will mark the first that Herta, 16, has
raced on U.S. soil since 2014, where he competed in the first step on the Mazda
Road to Indy ladder, Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda. At the
age of 14, the young American moved his talents to Europe to establish a
winning reputation competing in the MSA Formula Certified by FIA, Formula Open and
the British Formula 3 Championship.

“I’m
very pleased to be coming back to race in the States,” said Herta.
“IndyCar is my goal, so competing in Indy Lights this year will bring me one
step closer. I know I have a good team behind me in Andretti Steinbrenner
Racing and we should be fighting for wins right away.”

“Colton set
out at a young age to create his own path in racing, and I’m really pleased to
see that path bring him here to Andretti Autosport,” added Andretti. “Through
our Indy Lights program, we are dedicated to developing future IndyCar drivers,
and Colton has shown that he is both determined and talented enough to reach
the Verizon IndyCar Series – We’re excited to be a part of his continued
development.”

Herta joins Dalton Kellett (No. 28 K-Line
Insulators Mazda), Nico Jamin (No. 27 Synova Mazda) and Ryan Norman (No. 48
Flip Side Mazda) as the fourth and final driver announced to Andretti’s 2017
Indy Lights roster