Herta targeting Mid-Ohio return after Toronto Lights crash

After his roughest weekend of the season, Colton Herta got some good news Monday morning: no surgery.

"It was good news because Dr. Fisher said 18-year-olds are good at growing bones so instead of having surgery all he needs is a brace," said Bryan Herta, whose talented son fractured his left thumb in a crash on Saturday after securing the pole position for the opening Indy Light race at Toronto. "We went to Mark 1 and they fitted him with a carbon fiber brace and he should be ready for Mid-Ohio (July 28-29).

"He's not going to test this week at Mid-Ohio, but it's a lot better than it could have been and he's doing great. The doctor said it should be fully healed in four weeks."

The discomfort in his finger wasn't as bad as the pain he endured in the point standings. He came into the Toronto doubleheader with an eight-point lead over Pato O'Ward and left in second place, trailing his rival from Mexico City by 18 points with five races remaining to claim the $1 million prize.

"I didn't let him run Sunday and he was mad at me, but he couldn't drive like that and we saw it Saturday when the wheel was ripped out of his hands, so I just thought it was better for him to try and heal up and not to any more damage," continued Herta of his decision to park his son after two laps of Sunday's second race. "There's still five races left, so plenty can happen."

O'Ward has five wins to Herta's four and there are doubleheaders at Mid-Ohio and Portland sandwiched around the oval race at Gateway next month.

"Those two kids have had a great battle all season and I expect it to continue," said Herta.