Herta cruises past his father with Laguna Seca victory

The new faces of IndyCar dominated at Laguna Seca, where Colton Herta won the race, Alex Palou moved an easy Sunday drive away from the championship and Romain Grosjean was treated like a rock star.

Herta routed the field — and ran over “either a squirrel or bunny” while doing so — as he won from the pole Sunday, same as he did in 2019 when IndyCar last raced the sprawling permanent road course. He later congratulated the dead animal embedded under his car for its first career IndyCar victory.

“He’s done a lot more than a lot of IndyCar drivers,” Herta joked.

But for the actual driver it was his second win of the season and Herta tied his father, Bryan, with a pair of wins at Laguna Seca“This place is so awesome, it’s my favorite track in North America,” the Andretti Autosport driver said. “It’s an amazing track for me and my family, it’s been so good to us.”

Indeed.

Laguna Seca was site of Herta’s fifth career victory in three seasons, which moved him one past his dad’s tally. Bryan Herta won four races spanning 13 seasons and was masterful at Laguna Seca, where he won back-to-back in 1998 and 1999 and had a career average finish of seventh.

Now the strategist for his son, Bryan Herta beamed from the Andretti timing stand.

“He feels like a veteran when you work with him now,” Bryan Herta said. “You know, it’s like two different hats. Still have the Dad hat when we go home, but when we’re at the racetrack it’s all professional and it’s been a lot of fun to be part of this with him.”