Colton Herta finds balance on, off the race track

IndyCar racer Colton Herta has learned that finding an outlet away from the track is invaluable.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Longtime race fans recognize the last name, newer fans recognize the potential, and the driver himself recognizes his situation.

What we know:

Before an IndyCar race, you are likely to find Colton Herta serving as ambassador for his team and his sport. Andretti Global has long taken a global view of what it wants from its drivers besides driving.

"Sometimes it's not fun to do it after you've had a terrible day and then you have to answer questions about why it was so terrible," Herta said. "But it's part of it. We try to up the sport, we try to grow the team and at the end of the day, it's part of our jobs."

The backstory:

The 25-year-old comes by his experience honestly. He's been at the IndyCar level since 2018. His dad, Bryan, drove at that level for more than two decades, and they do talk about the family business.

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"I would think about 90% of it is probably about racing in some capacity. And hearing about stuff he's gone through and how the sport has changed over the years is really interesting for me," Herta said. "Obviously there are some things I can learn from him and have throughout the years."

He has learned that finding an outlet away from the track is invaluable. These days, that outlet for Colton is golf, and that dovetails perfectly with his business trip to Elkhart Lake.

What they're saying:

"Yeah, I love it. I was fortunate to play Erin Hills in the week leading up. I'm going to play the Straits on Monday. And Wisconsin is, for me, really golf heaven," he said. "It's a beautiful state for a lot of things, but for golf especially."

"I didn't grow up wanting to play soccer or be an astronaut or a rock star or whatever, I wanted to be an IndyCar driver, so it's a dream come true for me," Herta said. "I feel extremely lucky. I understand what a normal worklife is and how fortunate I am to be paid to do this job and it's a passion. I think if you asked a lot of us, we'd do it for free, and I'm lucky enough that they pay you."

When Herta is talking up his sport and his life with fans at the track, he doesn't need to make anything up.

Herta started 16th and finished 16th on Sunday's race at Road America.He looks forward to coming back to Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Mile in August – and that means more of the state's golf courses, as well.

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by the FOX6 sports team.

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