Bryan Herta Autosport secures final spot in Indianapolis 500

The Indy car for Bryan Herta Autosport was in pieces. The driver was in the hospital. Valencia’s Bryan Herta, the owner of the team, didn’t know if he was in or out of the Indianapolis 500 until he was on his way to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway tech center after qualifying was over on Sunday.
Sure enough, Herta’s team was in the Indianapolis 500 field, the last car in. Sebastian Saavedra will start 33rd for Bryan Herta Autosport in the 33-car field, the last car on the last row.
Herta, with a rookie driver, one car, limited resources and boundless hope, will make his first start in the Indy 500 as an owner.
“You know, we were well aware that we were going to have a roller coaster, that our race was to make the race, and we knew that we were going to be part of whatever is happening today, that it was going to be touch and go,” said Herta, a Hart High graduate. “But never in a million years could we have imagined the scenario that actually unfolded. Thank God. I already had a hard enough time sleeping.”
The scenario that unfolded involved one of the more active and eventful Bump Days in recent memory for the Indy 500. Saavedra put his car in the field on Bump Day, the last day of qualifying when drivers and teams can withdraw times to improve their positions in the race and bump other drivers out of the starting field.
Saavedra’s qualifying run was far from a lock to make the field of 33 cars. He was one of the drivers bumped out of the field as other drivers posted better qualifying speeds than his.
Saavedra was on the bubble and took his car out for practice in preparation for another qualifying run, but crashed in turn one. Herta thought his chances of making the field were gone.
His chances were revived when two drivers withdrew their times and put Saavedra back in the field.
Paul Tracy was one of those drivers. But he didn’t improve his qualifying run and Saavedra maintained his hold on the 33rd spot.
Jay Howard went out to try and improve his qualifying effort, but he too did not produce a better run.
When Bump Day was over, Saavedra was in the Indy 500 field, and on his way to the hospital to be evaluated after his crash.
“I had just turned on the television in my hospital room and I saw an interview with Bryan and my crew jumping up and down,” said Saavedra, a 19-year-old from Colombia. “My family started jumping in celebration. This is wonderful for me and my country. I’m still trying to process it. I want to thank Bryan Herta Autosport and William Rast for believing in me and making my dream come true.”
Herta said he never experienced the range of emotions in one week, let alone one day, through his years of racing in the Indianapolis 500.
“Three times. Three times we thought we were out when we crashed,” Herta said. “We were pretty confident that we were going to have to bump our way back into the race. So when we crashed we thought, ‘Oh, that’s it.’ And then we got bumped out the first time. And OK, thought, OK, you’re out, that’s it. And then time withdrew in front of us, we got back in.”
Saavedra had an MRI as a precautionary measure at the hospital. The results were negative. The car, the only one Bryan Herta Autosport has for the race, is in pretty bad shape.
“We broke the gearbox, bell housing, underwing, rear wing attenuator, left front suspension is junk,” said Steve Newey, who owns the team with Herta and is the team's race engineer. “Left rear suspension. Obviously, I could go on and on. There’s a lot. Honda wants to take a look at the engine.
“We’re going to have the engine over to Honda tomorrow to see how much damage there is. The tub appears to be OK. So there is a lot of damage, and our guys are coming in and we’re going to go shopping for used parts tomorrow.”

Photo: Sebastian Saavedra, driver for Bryan Herta Autosport, qualified for the Indianapolis 500 and will start 33rd in the 33-car field. (Bryan Herta Autosport)

Sebastian Saavedra fastest in first day of Indy Lights practice at Long ...

Sebastian Saavedra turned a bumpy ride into fast time.
Saavedra, one of two drivers for Bryan Herta Autosport, was the fastest of the Firestone Indy Lights drivers in practice on Friday.
Saavedra said the track leaves little room for error.
“This kind of race track, you need to be in the limits to be able to be fast,” Saavedra said. “Very close to the walls, very close to everything to set up the car for the race.”
Saavedra will be making his second career start at Long Beach in the Indy Lights series. He added that the track seems a little bit more bumpy than he remembers from last year.
“Once you get used to it,” Saavedra said. “We made some changes and went back out again. The car is feeling great.”

Bryan Herta Autosport prepares for inaugural Firestone Indy Lights Grand Prix of Alabama

The Firestone Indy Lights series is headed for the inaugural Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park. The drivers for Bryan Herta Autosport had productive tests at the 2.38-mile road course during the off-season and are looking forward to the first race at the Alabama track.
Bryan Herta Autosport, owned in part by Bryan Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High graduate, has two drivers, Stefan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra.
Wilson gave Bryan Herta Autosport its first podium finish of the season with a third place at the Indy Lights opener at St. Petersburg, Fla.
“I drove the track for the first time at the open test a month ago and really enjoyed it,” the 19-year-old Wilson said. “It’s a great facility, a great track. Overtaking is going to be pretty difficult but we had a good car and I think we’ve improved it since the test so I’m feeling confident. I’m interested to see how we shape up against the opposition, but coming off a strong result at St. Pete gives me a lot of confidence to look for another good result and maintain our momentum in the championship.”
Saavedra led the first lap of the St. Petersburg race, but collided with another car and finished 12th.
“It’s going to be a very interesting weekend,” the 20-year-old Saavedra said. “We had a very productive test at Barber. It was our first test with the team and we left with very high expectations for the championship, so we are very positive about what we can do. We know we have a great car, we have a great setup and, after St. Pete, we come with a much more mature mentality. We’re going to go for the points -- that’s for sure the most important thing right now -- and I’m very positive about how everything is going to come out.”

Bryan Herta Autosport expanded, improved for Firestone Indy Lights season

The Firestone Indy Lights season opens in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Sunday and Bryan Herta Autosport will have two cars in the race.
Drivers Stephan Wilson and Sebastian Saavedra give Bryan Herta Autosport, the team owned by Valencia’s Bryan Herta, a new look and a higher expectations. Herta is entering his second season as an owner in the Indy Lights series. His team expanded from one driver to two.
Wilson is the younger brother of Izod IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson. Saavedra is a two-time winner in Indy Lights and comes over from Andretti Autosport after winning the rookie of the year in 2009.
Wilson made six starts in the Indy Lights series last year, his best finish a fourth place in Toronto.
“I am really looking forward to this weekend,” said the 20-year-old Wilson. “I had a so-so race here last year. It was my first race and only my second day in the car after a shakedown test. I jumped in with a very steep learning curve but I felt we were competitive even straight out of the box. Unfortunately, I made a few unlucky mistakes that cost me some decent finishes. I am looking forward to coming back with a bit more experience and with a really competitive team in Bryan Herta Autosport.”
Wilson, driving for the First Racing/Walker Racing team, finished 13th in one of the doubleheader races in the season-opener at St. Petersburg last year.
Wilson said his pre-season testing with Bryan Herta Autosport has gone well.
“The first time I drove the car I was impressed with how well it handled,” Wilson said. “I have gelled really well with the team and enjoy working with my engineer Brian Page. I am very excited to have Sebastian as a teammate. He brings a lot of experience with a full season of Indy Lights and I know that is going to help me. He knows what a good car feels like and what we want to achieve.”
Saavedra won the pole and finished second in one of the season-opening races in St. Petersburg last year.
“St. Petersburg is one of my favorite tracks, and I am very confident coming here for the second time after the good results last year,” said the 19-year-old Saavedra. “Testing has gone great. Our main objective was to get to know each other and start working together, for me to learn how Steve [Newey] works and for him to know how I work. I am very happy with how everything has come together.”
Newey and Herta are ownership partners in the team. Part of the team’s expansion in 2010 was to enter Saavedra in the Indianapolis 500.
“It is great that he is entered in the Indy 500,” Wilson said. “It really strengthens the whole team. It will be exciting to be there and witness my team compete and, hopefully, it will give me a lot of experience as that is what I am striving to do next year. For now, I am looking forward to the race this weekend. This is one of my favorite tracks on the calendar and I am looking for a good finish here. I am confident we will be a really strong force to be reckoned with this season.”
Saavedra said he has enjoyed working with his new teammate and preparing for the Indy Lights season opener.
“My relationship with Stefan is great,” Saavedra said. “He is a very good driver who wants to win and that has helped us to have a very good relationship. We have been working well together to make the cars as good as possible. We found some very interesting things at our last test at Sebring which worked very well and will help us this weekend. I think we both will have cars capable of winning. We have the right tools, the right engineering and the right mentality to come to this first race.”

Bryan Herta Autosport adds driver, heading to Indy 500

Bryan Herta Autopsort added another driver to its Firestone Indy Lights team. Colombian Sebastian Saavedra joins Stefan Wilson on the team’s two-car effort for the 2010 season.
Team owner Bryan Herta, a Valencia resident and Hart High graduate, is also entering Saavedra in the Indianapolis 500 in a car backed by Bryan Herta Autosport.
“This is a very proud day for Bryan Herta Autosport,” said Herta. “Sebastian and Stefan will make a very formidable driving team and will help to raise our program to the next level. I know they will be pushing us and each other all season long. And to be able to announce our entry into the Indy 500 this year is another step in the plan Steve and I set for the team when it was formed just one year ago. There is much work ahead for us but today we want to take a breath and enjoy this moment. We can’t wait for the season to get started.”
Saavedra will be the third driver from Colombia to enter the Indianapolis 500. Juan Pablo Montoya and Roberto Guerrero have raced in the Indy 500. Montoya won the Indy 500 in 2000 in his first start in the race. Guerrero has two runner-up finishes in the Indy 500.
“I have been talking to Bryan for some time and now everything is underway and I am very excited,” said Saavedra. “The program looks amazing. It is something we can build on for the future. It will be great to have Stefan as a teammate and to work with Bryan and Steve who know what winning is like. I will be working hard to be the best-prepared mentally and physically. My goal for the championship is to bring the gold home.”
Saavedra is entering his second year of competition in the Indy Lights series. He was third in the Indy Lights standings driving for Andretti Green Racing last year. He won two races and finished on the podium seven times.
Both drivers from Bryan Herta Autosport will be testing this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.