Herta’s “eclectic” Thursday features GRC launch, Walk of Fame honor and Indy 500 second car out

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Native Californian Bryan Herta, the former IndyCar and sports car driver and current team owner, had his home state toss up one of the crazier days on record for him this Thursday.

The Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach featured Herta getting inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, officially confirming the withdrawal of his team’s second IndyCar for the Indianapolis 500, and the official launch of Bryan Herta Rallysport, which will feature two cars in Red Bull Global Rallycross and a third car in GRC Lites.

“It’s been one of the most eclectic days for sure,” Herta told MotorSportsTalk at Thursday’s Red Bull GRC Media Day. “It’s super cool. I was super thrilled to join the Walk of Fame. It’s been a huge day for me. Long Beach is my home race.”

Herta never had the luck on race day despite some ridiculous pace over a three-year stretch from 1998 through 2000.

He scored the pole in 1998 but fell to third in the waning stages of the race as Alex Zanardi completed a legendary comeback drive to win, with Dario Franchitti finishing second for what was his first career CART podium. Herta was third again driving for Bobby Rahal a year later, and in 2000, finished fifth in a stand-in role for Derrick Walker’s team.

Today though wasn’t so much about the past, as Herta explained how important it was to finally confirm the new team in Red Bull GRC, where Herta partners with Steve Jones of 7R, Inc. in the team. He joins Chip Ganassi, Michael Andretti and James “Sulli” Sullivan as IndyCar owners in Red Bull GRC.

“We’re super excited to finally announce this,” he said. “I’ve been bursting at the seems to be able to talk about this.

“It’s not just entering the series, but we’re entering with a super competitive package of cars, drivers and sponsors. I just feel like this takes us to next level in terms of a race team.”

Patrik Sandell will be in the No. 18 Kobalt Tools Ford Fiesta ST, with Austin Dyne in the No. 14 Castrol MAGNATEC Ford Fiesta ST in Red Bull GRC. Collete Davis, a former open-wheel driver, will be in the No. 07 River Racing entry in GRC Lites.

One entry not happening for the team is its second Indianapolis 500 car, which had been slated for Englishman Jay Howard but has now been withdrawn. Herta explained the situation.

“It got really late,” Herta said. “We’d announced we were gonna run Jay. We thought we had a deal to do that. A partner scaled back what they were able to do.

“For me it was an easy decision to focus on one car, because we have a lot going on. We tried to leave it as late as we could. Frankly, Jay deserves a good shot and we had hoped to do it for him this year.”

The Howard withdrawal will leave Gabby Chaves in No. 98 Bowers & Wilkins/Curb Honda as a rookie on a single-car team, with BHA likely one of just two single-car team entrants (Lazier Partners Racing) slated for the month of May.

The Red Bull GRC season begins May 31 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and will provide Herta’s squad – and the Ganassi, Andretti and SH squads – a double barrel weekend of action in one fell swoop. IndyCar will have a doubleheader race on Belle Isle Park at Detroit that weekend.

Josef Newgarden claims first Indy 500 victory, outdueling Marcus Ericsson in 1-lap shootout

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INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden won the 107th Indy 500 with a last-lap pass of Marcus Ericsson, giving team owner Roger Penske his 19th victory in the race but his first as the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In a one-lap shootout after the third red flag in the final 20 laps, Newgarden grabbed the lead from Ericsson on the backstretch and then weaved his way to the checkered flag (mimicking the same moves Ericsson had made to win at the Brickyard last year). Santino Ferrucci finished third for AJ Foyt Racing, maintaining his streak of finishing in the top 10 in all five of his Indianapolis 500 starts.

“I’m just so thankful to be here,” Newgarden told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider. “You have no idea. I started out as a fan in the crowd. And this place, it’s amazing.

INSIDE TEAM PENSKE: The tension and hard work preceding ‘The Captain’s’ 19th win

“Regardless of where you’re sitting. It doesn’t matter if you’re driving the car, you’re working on it or you’re out here in the crowd. You’re a part of this event and the energy. So thank you to Indianapolis. I love this city. I grew up racing karts here when I was a kid. I’m just so thankful for Roger and (team president) Tim (Cindric) and everybody at Team Penske.

“I just felt like everyone kept asking me why I haven’t won this race. They look at you like you’re a failure if you don’t win it, and I wanted to win it so bad. I knew we could. I knew we were capable. It’s a huge team effort. I’m so glad to be here.”

Newgarden became the first driver from Tennessee to win the Indy 500 and the first American to win the Greatest Spectacle in Racing since Alexander Rossi in 2016.

“I think the last two laps I forgot about being a track owner and said let’s go for it,” Penske told Snider. “But what a great day. All these wonderful fans. To get No. 19 racing my guy Ganassi, my best friend in this business. But a terrific effort by Josef. Tim Cindric called a perfect race.

“Had a great race, safe race. I’ll never forget it. I know Josef wanted it so bad and wondered why he couldn’t be there, but today all day long, he worked his way up there, and at the end when it was time to go, I was betting on him.”

After Newgarden finally got his first Indy 500 victory on his 12th attempt the two-time NTT IndyCar Series champion climbed out of his No. 2 Dallara-Chevrolet, squeezed through a hole in the catchfence and ran into the stands to celebrate with fans.

“I’ve always wanted to go into the crowd at Indianapolis,” Newgarden said. “I wanted to go through the fence. I wanted to celebrate with the people. I just thought it would be so cool because I know what that energy is like on race day. This was a dream of mine. If this was ever going to happen, I wanted to do that.”

After finishing 0.0974 seconds behind in second with his No. 8 Dallara-Honda, Ericsson was upset about how IndyCar officials handled the ending.

Though it’s not the first time a red flag has been used to guarantee a green-flag finish at the Indy 500, IndyCar races typically haven’t been restarted with only one lap remaining. The green flag was thrown as the field left the pits in an unusual maneuver that had echoes of Formula One’s controversial 2021 season finale.

“I just feel like it was unfair and a dangerous end to the race,” Ericsson told NBC Sports’ Kevin Lee. “I don’t think there was enough laps to do what we did. We’ve never done a restart out of the pits, and we don’t get the tires up to temperature.

“I think we did everything right today. I’m very proud of the No. 8 crew. I think I did everything right behind the wheel. I did an awesome last restart. I think I caught Josef completely off guard and got the gap and kept the lead. But I just couldn’t hold it on the (backstretch). I was flat but couldn’t hold it. I’m proud of us.

“Congratulations to Josef, he did everything right as well. He’s a worthy champion, I’m just very disappointed with the way that ended. I don’t think that was fair.”

There also were a lot of emotions for Ferrucci, who was tearing up as he exited his No. 14 Dallara-Chevy. In the past eight weeks, the team has weathered the deaths of A.J. Foyt’s wife and longtime publicist Anne Fornoro’s husband.

“It’s just tough,” Ferrucci told NBC Sports’ Dave Burns. “We were there all day. All day. I’m just so proud of our AJ Foyt Racing team. We had a few people riding on board with us. This one stings, it’s bittersweet. I’m happy for third and the team. I’m happy for Josef and all of Team Penske.

“I was trying not to tear up getting into the race car before we started the race. Different emotions. It was different. I think coming to the end, the last few restarts. I think IndyCar did the right decision with what they have done. a green-flag finish for the fans. Wish we had a couple more laps to finish that off.”

Pole-sitter Alex Palou rebounded to finish fourth after a collision in the pits near the midpoint. Alexander Rossi took fifth.

The race was stopped three times for 37 minutes for three crashes, including a terrifying wreck involving Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood that sent a tire over the Turn 2 catchfence.

It had been relatively clean with only two yellow flags until the final 50 miles.

After spending the first half of the race trading the lead, pole-sitter Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay (who started second) collided while exiting the pits under yellow on Lap 94.

Leaving the pits after leading 24 laps, VeeKay lost control under acceleration. He looped his No. 21 Dallara-Chevy into the No. 10 Dallara-Honda of Palou that already had left the first pit stall after completing its stop,

Palou, who had led 36 laps. stayed on the lead lap despite multiple stops to replace the front wing but restarted in 28th.

“What an absolute legend trying to win it,” Palou sarcastically radioed his team about VeeKay, who received a drive-through penalty for the contact when the race returned to green.

The incident happened after the first yellow flag on Lap 92 after Sting Ray Robb slapped the outside wall in Turn 1 after battling with Graham Rahal.

Robb put the blame on Rahal in an interview with NBC Sports’ Dillon Welch.

“I think I just need to pay more attention to the stereotypes of the series,” Robb said. “Pay attention to who I’m racing, and that was just way too aggressive of a move I thought. But yeah, I guess we’re in the wall and not much further to say.”

An already miserable May for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing continued before the race even started.

Rahal, who failed to qualify but started his 16th consecutive Indy 500 in place of the injured Stefan Wilson, was unable to start his No. 24 for Dreyer & Reinbold/Cusick Motorsports.

After two aborted attempts at firing the car’s Chevrolet engine, team members pushed Rahal behind the pit wall and swapped out a dead battery. Rahal finally joined the field on the third lap, but he wouldn’t finish last.

RLL teammate Katherine Legge, who had been involved in the Monday practice crash that fractured Wilson’s back, struggled with the handling on her No. 44 Dallara-Honda and nearly spun while exiting the pits after her first stop on Lap 35.

Legge exited her car about 30 laps later as her team began working to fix a steering problem.