Image by Levitt/LAT
Rossi's Texas green no threat to Herta's backing
When Alexander Rossi showed up at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend with GESS and Capstone sponsorship displayed all over the side of his Andretti Autosport Honda, fans of Colton Herta and Harding Steinbrenner Racing feared the worst.
GESS had come on board with Herta after the 18-year-old became the youngest winner in IndyCar history at COTA last March; but what did this mean? Was the bio gas company from North Carolina switching its allegiance halfway through the NTT IndyCar season?
As it turns out, no: GESS (and Capstone) will be with Herta through the remainder of the 2019 season, just as they'd agreed back in May.
A story by the Associated Press out of Texas noted that GESS had confirmed its deal [with HSR] for the remainder of 2019.
"[The story] was really just an affirmation of what GESS had committed last May, so there was no press release or anything or nothing new; I just spoke to AP about our situation," said Brian Barnhart, the president of Harding Steinbrenner Racing. "It allows us to breathe a little easier."
Sean Lee, the CEO of GESS, sponsored Pato O'Ward at Long Beach and Rossi at Texas (and will again at Pocono in August) to spread the wealth, so to speak, and to promote IndyCar.
"He's focused on Colton," continued Barnhart, "but it was actually kinda cool we were able to deliver something nice to Michael Andretti for all the help they've given us."
Andretti is Harding Steinbrenner's technical partner.
Capstone is a turbine corporation that does business with GESS. Its name will also will be on Hertas's car the final eight races.
Robin Miller
Robin Miller flunked out of Ball State after two quarters, but got a job stooging for Jim Hurtubise at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 when Herk's was the last roadster to ever make the race. He got hired at The Indianapolis Star a month later and talked his way into the sports department, where he began covering USAC and IndyCar racing. He got fired at The Star for being anti-Tony George, but ESPN hired him to write and do RPM2Nite. Then he went to SPEED and worked on WIND TUNNEL and SPEED REPORT. He started at RACER when SPEED folded, and went on to write for RACER.com and RACER magazine while also working for NBCSN on IndyCar telecasts.
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