Colton Herta finished third in Saturday’s IndyCar race from the Indianapolis road course, unable to close the gap to the drivers ahead in the final laps.
He was among many drivers that struggled to close within one second of the car in front, leading to measured spacing of the first dozen cars as they took the checkered flag.
The nature of the 2.44-mile course meant that following close to other cars led to drivers putting too much strain on their tires, and making it even more difficult to make a pass.
Herta explained this difficulty after the race, describing the tricky situation he found himself in while evaluating if there was a way for him to win the race.
“If you’re pretty similar on pace, it would be very difficult to pass,” said Herta. “You kind of have to sit there and wait for a mistake.
“Also on the red tires, on used reds at least, and you have to do 25 laps [in a stint], it’s easy to overcook them.
“If you’re battling and trying to stay under a second behind somebody you can really cook the tires and destroy them. It’s definitely tricky.
“The black [tires] are so far off at this track, way more than any other track that we go to, that it makes a huge difference. If you’re on the blacks, you’re pretty much a sitting duck.”
The problem was exacerbated by a hot track, which reached 114°F (45°C) under the strong summer sun.
Tire management will be completely different for this upcoming weekend, when the series visits Gateway for the only short oval race of the season.
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