Colton Herta ended a 41-race winless streak after taking a hard-fought victory on the streets of Toronto.
The American dominated during IndyCar’s annual trip north of the border to Canada, topping both practice sessions, taking pole position, and winning the race.
Colton Herta led his Andretti teammate Kyle Kirkwood at the start of the race and never looked like he would let the lead slip on Toronto’s unforgiving streets.
The driver of the No. 26 car was faultless over the 85-lap event and perfected the restarts after the caution periods, staying ahead of Kirkwood.
Herta has shown speed throughout the 2024 season, scoring three podiums, most recently a well-earned second-place at Laguna Seca, before taking victory in Canada.
He has had opportunities to take more wins this season but let himself down with unforced errors, such as in Detroit while attempting a bold pass on Alex Palou, who leads the championship.
Colton Herta was relieved to take victory after two winless years
Herta hit the ground running in IndyCar, taking two victories during his rookie season at Circuit of the Americas and Laguna Seca.
He finished eighth in the championship, ahead of former Formula 1 driver Takuma Sato, in an impressive, fearless campaign.
In more recent times, victories have been harder to achieve as Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have enjoyed a flurry of success.
Herta praised his car and said Andretti is a team searching for the best possible results all of the time when speaking to NBC Sports post-race.
“We’ve been knocking on the door of a win for so long. Forty-one starts without a win is a long time, and it’s been disappointing for us.
“I think we’re a team, Michael [Andretti] is an owner that demands perfection and demands results. We’re people that work for that team that demand that. Man, I’m so happy.
“This Gainbridge Honda was so fast. Finally, finally get a win in such a long time. It feels so good. I can’t wait. I wish we didn’t have this long break now. I want to go right back into and win another one.”
Michael Andretti reflects on a much-needed win for his team in Toronto
2024 has been a mixed season for Andretti. The joy of the long overdue victory for Herta has been mixed with the agony of Marcus Ericsson going through bump day to qualify for the Indy 500.
Despite their struggles to find the top step of the podium, Herta remains fourth in the standings and has an opportunity to challenge for the title. This highlights the importance of consistency and staying out of trouble.
Andretti said when speaking to NBC Sports: “It really was [a perfect weekend for Colton]. I’ll tell you, we needed this so bad.
“We’ve been competitive all year, but just haven’t been able to get the final result. But to come out of Toronto with a one, two is awesome. Feel bad for Marcus [Ericsson]. I think he was on a shot at the podium there at the end. But, it was a big day. Big day for sure.”