Harding Steinbrenner Racing

Harding Steinbrenner Racing was an auto racing team in the IndyCar Series formed from a partnership between Harding Racing, and Steinbrenner Racing for the 2019 IndyCar Series. They won two races at Circuit of the Americas and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with rookie driver Colton Herta. After the 2019 season, due to financial problems the team would be merged into Andretti Autosport, with the No. 88 entry being renamed to Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport.

Harding Steinbrenner Racing
Owner(s)Mike Harding
George Michael Steinbrenner IV
Principal(s)Brian Barnhart (President)
Vince Kremer (manager)
Larry Curry (manager)
Gerald Tyler (Technical Director)[1]
BaseSpeedway, Indiana
SeriesIndyCar Series
SponsorsHarding Group
Opened2017
Closed2019 (merged into Andretti Autosport)
Career
Debut2017 Indianapolis 500
Latest race2019 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey
Drivers' Championships0
Indy 500 victories0
Race victories2
Pole positions3
Harding Racing logo prior to partnership

History

The team was founded as Harding Racing in 2017 by Mike Harding, the owner and president of the Harding Group, a concrete and asphalt paving company based in Indianapolis, with Gabby Chaves as driver for the Indy 500, Texas and Pocono, moving to full-time in 2018. In 2019, he would partner with Steinbrenner Racing, led by George Michael Steinbrenner IV, the son of New York Yankees co-owner and co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner and grandson of George Steinbrenner III. Steinbrenner IV had previously run an Indy Lights program with childhood friend Colton Herta as driver, in a partnership with Andretti Autosport. With the addition of Steinbrenner IV came Herta[2] and a technical alliance with Andretti, that would see Andretti Technologies engineers be assigned to the No. 88.[3] A planned second entry was intended for Herta's Lights teammate and rival Pato O'Ward, however due to a lack of funding (despite O'Ward carrying a 3-race scholarship for winning the Lights championship), the No. 8 Honda that O'Ward was slated to drive was never entered, and O'Ward would be released from his contract before the first race of 2019.[4]

Herta would win the second race of 2019, at Circuit of the Americas, but that did little to solve the team's continued budget issues. Herta had a contract with Andretti which superseded his contract with Harding.[5] Rather than lose the young driver to the newly formed Arrow McLaren SP,[6] Andretti agreed to a deal that would see the HSR No. 88 entry absorbed into Andretti's shop after the 2019 season, with team equipment and some personnel being moved under the Andretti banner,[6] but not before Herta would win again in the season finale at Laguna Seca.

Larry Curry acted as the team manager and competition director.[7][8] In November 2017 Brian Barnhart was named the team's president as the team prepared to join the series full time.[9] Barnhart would be credited with securing the partnership with Steinbrenner/Andretti and eventual merger with Andretti amidst the teams budget issues.[6]

At 22-years old, Steinbrenner became the youngest car owner in IndyCar history [10].

Racing results

Complete IndyCar Series results

(key)

Year Chassis Engine Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pos Pts
Harding Racing
2017 STP LBH ALA PHX IMS INDY DET TXS ROA IOW TOR MDO POC GAT WGL SNM
Dallara DW12 Chevrolet IndyCar V6t Gabby Chaves 88 9 5 15 23rd 98
2018 STP PHX LBH ALA IMS INDY DET TXS ROA IOW TOR MDO POC GAT POR SNM
Dallara DW12 Chevrolet IndyCar V6t Patricio O'Ward (R) 8 9 31st 44
Gabby Chaves 88 14 15 19 17 17 14 18 19 15 19 21 18 13 20th 187
Conor Daly 13 22 15 29th 58
Colton Herta (R) 20 37th 20
Harding Steinbrenner Racing
2019 STP COA ALA LBH IMS INDY DET TEX ROA TOR IOW MDO POC GAT POR LAG
Dallara DW12 Honda HI19TT V6t Colton Herta (R) 88 8 1 24 23 23 33 12 12 18 8 7 18 8 16 9 4 1* 7th 420
Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport
2020 TEX IMS ROA ROA IOW IOW MDO INDY GTW POR LAG LAG IMS STP
Dallara DW12 Honda HI20TT V6t Colton Herta 88 7 7th* 26*

* Season still in progress

IndyCar wins
#SeasonDateSanctionTrack / RaceNo.Winning DriverChassisEngineTireGridLaps Led
1 2019 March 24 IndyCar Circuit of the Americas (R) 88 Colton Herta (R) Dallara DW12 Honda HI19TT V6t Firestone 4 15
2 September 22 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (R) 88 Colton Herta (R) (2) Dallara DW12 Honda HI19TT V6t Firestone Pole 83

References
  1. http://www.racer.com/indycar/item/148816-harding-adds-two-senior-staff-members
  2. Fair, Asher (September 20, 2018). "IndyCar: Colton Herta to drive for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in 2019". Beyond the Flag. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  3. Fair, Asher (February 13, 2019). "IndyCar: Harding Steinbrenner Racing form technical alliance with Andretti Autosport". Beyond the Flag. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  4. Fair, Asher (February 11, 2019). "IndyCar: Patricio O'Ward won't drive for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in 2019". Beyond the Flag. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
  5. https://racer.com/2019/09/20/herta-to-join-andretti-in-fifth-steinbrenner-backed-entry-in-2020/
  6. https://racer.com/2019/10/07/insight-winding-down-indycars-biggest-little-team/
  7. "New team Harding Racing enters Chaves for 101st Indianapolis 500". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. April 10, 2017. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  8. Malsher, David (April 10, 2017). "Chaves confirmed for Indy 500 with new team Harding Racing". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
  9. Wilson, Phillip B. (November 29, 2017). "INDYCAR'S BARNHART NAMED PRESIDENT AT HARDING RACING". IndyCar.com. Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  10. https://racer.com/2018/09/19/new-harding-steinbrenner-racing-team-signs-oward-herta-for-2019/
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