Herta and O'Ward, a pair of teenage superstars-in-the-making, will be the faces of the new racing teamYANKEES
The much-rumored merger between Indy Lights team Steinbrenner Racing and IndyCar team Harding Racing "became official with the creation of Harding-Steinbrenner Racing, which will receive technical support next year from Andretti Autosport," according to Jim Ayello of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. The faces of the new team will be a "pair of teenage superstars-in-the-making," Pato O'Ward and Colton Herta. The two made their "scintillating debuts with Harding this past weekend" at the IndyCar season finale at Sonoma Raceway. Harding President Brian Barnhart said that the merger is a "win for all parties involved, but most especially for Harding." Ayello notes for most new teams, it takes "years to develop the technical expertise needed to compete." But Harding sought a "fast track to success, and it found one in a three-fold technical partnership with Andretti." This new team will provide O'Ward and Herta the "needed time and space to grow into the championship contenders many believe they can become." For Steinbrenner co-Owner George Michael Steinbrenner IV, meanwhile, the merger was the "fulfillment of a dream come true." Over the past couple of years, he has been "looking for the right path to graduate his team, along with his friend" and driver Herta, to IndyCar. It would have been "difficult for him to have dreamed up a better scenario that being able to simultaneously co-own a team, while being able to count on the people at Andretti who have mentored him the past few years" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 9/20).
