Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Marco Andretti hopes change brings wins
The Andretti family has known almost nothing but disappointment and heartbreak at the Indianapolis 500.
On the other hand, you might say that Bryan Herta has had an almost magic touch at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Herta, whose relationship with Michael Andretti goes back more than 20 years and whose BHA team was merged into Andretti Autosport last year, will replace Michael as the strategist for Marco when the IndyCar Series takes to the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., on the season’s first weekend.
Now, the question is: Can Herta’s presence on the pit-road end of the radio communications with Marco Andretti do something to finally bring the almost-30-year-old thirdgeneration driver out of the shadows of his grandfather and his father and into his own place of prominence in the Verizon IndyCar Series?
The Indianapolis 500 isn’t the only race on the schedule, but it is the premier event. And the fortunes of the three Andrettis and Herta have been noticeably different.
The most notable cases of Indy frustration for the Andrettis were: 1987, when Mario Andretti led 170 of the first 177 laps; 1992, when Michael Andretti was comfortably in the lead with 11 laps to go; and 2006, when Marco Andretti was in front on the final straightaway of the final lap.
None of the Andrettis was able to finish the job, however.
In 2011, the late Dan Wheldon, driving for Bryan Herta Autosport, led only one lap of the 500, but he charged to victory after last-lap leader JR Hildebrand crashed in the fourth turn. And, in 2017, Herta was on the strategist’s seat and coaxed Alexander Rossi through the last few laps of the 100th Indy 500 and into Victory Lane as a rookie winner of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Herta also drove for Michael Andretti’s Andretti Green Racing Team from 2003-2006 and finished third and fourth in Indianapolis 500s, won two Indy-car races and was on the podium five other times.
Mario Andretti called the strategist decision “a very good move,” during a recent interview. “With father-son, the conversation was never really that relaxed with them. I don’t know why, but this is a good move. Bryan is really, really, really, really, really a good man
“He’s so knowledgeable. I like him a lot. He’s very patient, but also very assertive. You can see even after he stopped driving, in his role of owner or also manager of a team, he’s very good. So far, it’s been working out really well.”
Marco, who will begin his 12th season in the IndyCar Series, has had two previous stints with his dad on the radio during the race. One of Marco’s two victories came with Michael guiding him. But in two Indy races — both of which landed Herta in Victory Lane — untimely decisions in the pits took Marco out of contention.
“I don’t want to say it didn’t work with me and Dad; I think it did,” Marco said during IndyCar’s media day. “I just think the environment and the stress level is up. You have the boss’ son in the car. Dad and I are both used to working at a passionate level, but it can sometimes be disruptive. In the end, it could be counterproductive. It’s just having a whole new, calm approach and trying not to get upset about things we can’t handle.”
“There’s great potential here,” said Herta. “I believe in what we’re doing. I came into this program because I feel like I can have an impact, but there’s not a lot missing already.
“I feel like all the elements are there to be successful. The crew guys are great. They do really consistent, fast pit stops. We’ve got a good group of engineers on the stand. I know Marco is capable because he has shown us plenty of times in the past the type of performances he’s capable of putting up there.”
The Andretti pedigree is undeniable. Mario and Michael have combined for 94 victories and five championships in Indy cars. And Marco was just 19 years, 5 months and 14 days old when he won his first race in the series — in just his 13th start. That victory, and the runner-up finish at Indianapolis was supposed to be the start of something big.
But as he gets set to begin another year, Andretti has raced in 183 IndyCar Series events. He has won just two. He has had the lead in 25 percent of his starts. He has won only .01 percent.
“To have two wins and [almost] 1,000 laps led, that defines my career so far to me,” Andretti said. “That’s what’s frustrating, and that’s what I need to stop bringing forward with me. All I’m going to do is drive [ticked] off and frustrated. If you look back at all the missed opportunities, that’s a frustrating way to get in the race car. To go forward, you need to look forward.”