A Santa Clarita native took first place in the 46th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday.
On Sunday, Colton Herta, from Valencia, led all three practice sessions and beat Josef Newgarden to the checkered flag by .5883 of a second in his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda to finish the season with two consecutive victories and three overall in 2021, according to IndyCar.
Herta swept both races in his native California this season and won for the first time at his home race in Long Beach, which he attended since childhood to watch his father and current strategist, Bryan Herta, race in the IndyCar Series.
“It feels amazing,” Herta told INDYCAR. “This has been on the bucket list for so long. Super happy.”
Previously, as a rookie in the 2019 season, Herta became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar race with his first-place finish at the inaugural race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.
After becoming well-known as the youngest ever IndyCar race winner at age 18, Herta has since then continued his impressive record.
Herta did not, however, get the chance to defend his title at the track in the 2020 season, as it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eight IndyCar races were canceled last year in locations across the United States and Canada, as officials had to adapt to the new conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the challenges, IndyCar did go forward with some races last year, including the Indy 500, which was the first time the race had ever been run not on or around Memorial Day.
Herta’s father was a frequent racer in Santa Clarita at the Saugus Speedway before it closed.
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