Colton Herta lost ground in the IndyCar championship during the Grand Prix of Madison, but his damage limitation was very impressive.
The American driver was forced to start near the back for the race at Gateway after crashing on the second lap of his fast-six qualifying run.
Being right at the back of the pack would be a disaster for most on the grid, especially for the man who is considered to be the closest challenger to current IndyCar championship leader Alex Palou.
With five races to go before the green flag in Gateway, Herta – who has 95 IndyCar races to his name – knew that minimising his deficit in the championship on Saturday would be crucial.
Colton Herta makes a ‘video game’ start at Gateway
His start suggested that he had just that in mind – making what can only be described as one of the best getaways of the season.
Dicing through the pack like his rivals were merely characters in a video game, he gained six positions in one lap.
His Andretti team seemed to agree, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to reveal their admiration for the start when they said: “Like a video game.”
It was to be a successful outing for Herta in the end, who only lost two points to Alex Palou – a man happy to ‘survive the messy race’, in the championship race, despite starting nine positions further back.
READ MORE: Linus Lundqvist explains why he was ‘worried’ during the final stages of Gateway IndyCar race
Outside chance or real possibility for maiden IndyCar crown for Herta?
Herta now sits 59 points behind Palou with four races to go – three of which are around ovals.
There were 21 lead changes at Gateway, and the same fate could await the drivers in the final few rounds, meaning that composure will be key.
Both drivers are yet to win an IndyCar oval race, but doing so would go a long way towards securing them the 2024 crown.
The upcoming Grand Prix of Portland, which is the last road course event of the year, could also be a crucial factor in deciding who wins the championship.
If Palou slips up, the door could be wide open for his rivals to barge through, while anything but a top 10 finish may end Herta’s chances of a first title.