Harding Steinbrenner Racing


Harding Steinbrenner Racing was an auto racing team in the IndyCar Series formed from a partnership between Harding Racing, and Steinbrenner Racing for the 2019 IndyCar Series. They won two races at Circuit of the Americas and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with rookie driver Colton Herta. After the 2019 season, due to financial problems the team would be merged into Andretti Autosport, with the No. 88 entry being renamed to Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport.

History

The team was founded as Harding Racing in 2017 by Mike Harding, the owner and president of the Harding Group, a concrete and asphalt paving company based in Indianapolis, with Gabby Chaves as driver for the Indy 500, Texas and Pocono, moving to full-time in 2018. In 2019, he would partner with Steinbrenner Racing, led by George Michael Steinbrenner IV, the son of New York Yankees co-owner and co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner and grandson of George Steinbrenner III. Steinbrenner IV had previously run an Indy Lights program with childhood friend Colton Herta as driver, in a partnership with Andretti Autosport. With the addition of Steinbrenner IV came Herta and a technical alliance with Andretti, that would see Andretti Technologies engineers be assigned to the No. 88. A planned second entry was intended for Herta's Lights teammate and rival Pato O'Ward, however due to a lack of funding, the No. 8 Honda that O'Ward was slated to drive was never entered, and O'Ward would be released from his contract before the first race of 2019.
Herta would win the second race of 2019, at Circuit of the Americas, but that did little to solve the team's continued budget issues. Herta had a contract with Andretti which superseded his contract with Harding. Rather than lose the young driver to the newly formed Arrow McLaren SP, Andretti agreed to a deal that would see the HSR No. 88 entry absorbed into Andretti's shop after the 2019 season, with team equipment and some personnel being moved under the Andretti banner, but not before Herta would win again in the season finale at Laguna Seca.
Larry Curry acted as the team manager and competition director. In November 2017 Brian Barnhart was named the team's president as the team prepared to join the series full time. Barnhart would be credited with securing the partnership with Steinbrenner/Andretti and eventual merger with Andretti amidst the teams budget issues.
At 22-years old, Steinbrenner became the youngest car owner in IndyCar history.

Racing results

Complete IndyCar Series results

* Season still in progress

IndyCar wins

#SeasonDateSanctionTrack / RaceNo.Winning DriverChassisEngineTireGridLaps Led
12019March 24IndyCarCircuit of the Americas '88 Colton Herta 'Dallara DW12Honda HI19TT V6tFirestone415
22019September 22IndyCarWeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca '88 Colton Herta ' Dallara DW12Honda HI19TT V6tFirestonePole83