Bryan Herta
A versatile American racer turned master strategist who built a small team into a perennial Indianapolis 500 giant-killer.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American race car driver·Birthday: May 23·Generation X
Biography
Bryan Herta's career in open-wheel racing is a tale of two distinct, successful acts. First, as a driver, he was known for his smooth technique and versatility, competing in CART and the IRL, and scoring wins on street courses and ovals alike. His driving chapter closed, but his racing mind was just getting started. He founded Bryan Herta Autosport, a modest operation that defied expectations by winning the Indianapolis 500 not once, but twice, first with Dan Wheldon in 2011 and then with rookie Alexander Rossi in 2016. These victories were not flukes but testaments to Herta's sharp strategic calls and ability to maximize limited resources. Today, he operates a successful Hyundai TCR touring car program and serves as the race strategist for top IndyCar contenders, while also guiding the career of his son, Colton Herta, cementing the Herta name as a multi-generational force in the sport.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bryan was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bryan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Bryan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Indianapolis 500 twice as a team owner (2011 with Dan Wheldon, 2016 with Alexander Rossi).
- Scored four IndyCar race victories as a driver, including at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
- Built Bryan Herta Autosport into a championship-winning team in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.
Did You Know?
He was a champion karter before moving into car racing.
He drove in two different Formula One testing sessions for the Ligier team in the 1990s.
His team's 2011 Indy 500 win came with driver Dan Wheldon, who was a last-minute replacement for the injured driver.
“You have to be perfect on pit lane to win these races.”
