Bryan Herta Autosport w Curb Agajanian Bio
Bryan Herta Autosport w Curb Agajanian is an American auto racing team founded in 2009 and owned by former IndyCar driver Bryan Herta. The organization has campaigned entries across open-wheel and sports car disciplines, including the IndyCar Series, Indy Lights, the Global RallyCross Championship, and the Michelin Pilot Challenge.
The team is best known for two Indianapolis 500 victories achieved with different arrangements: the 2011 win with Dan Wheldon under the Bryan Herta Autosport banner and the 2016 Indianapolis 500 victory achieved through a merged entry with Andretti Autosport featuring Alexander Rossi.
Early Life and Background
Bryan Herta Autosport was established in 2009 by Bryan Herta following his driving career in IndyCar. From its inception the organization focused on developing competitive entries in junior open-wheel series and stepping up to premier events, combining race engineering and driver development under a small-team structure.
The team’s debut season activity concentrated on the Indy Lights ladder series, where early investments in young drivers and selective race programs set a foundation for expansion. That early focus produced the team’s first race victory in Indy Lights and established a practical pathway to occasional IndyCar entries.
Path to MotorSports
From its start in Indy Lights, Bryan Herta Autosport pursued a mixed program of full-season junior series entries and targeted appearances at marquee events. The team ran multiple drivers in Indy Lights in 2009 and 2010, and fielded entries for road and street course events as part of a development strategy for drivers aiming to reach top-level open-wheel competition.
That program created opportunities to step up to IndyCar competition and to collaborate with established organizations. The team developed relationships with sponsors and technical partners while expanding into other categories, including rallycross and later the Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class.
Bryan Herta Autosport w Curb Agajanian Career
Early Career (2009–2011)
The team’s first season of competition was in 2009 in the Indy Lights series, fielding Daniel Herrington in car No. 28. Herrington delivered the team’s first race victory at Chicagoland Speedway, and multiple top-ten results over a season that established Bryan Herta Autosport as a competitive small-team operation in the ladder ranks.
During 2010 BHA ran full-time Indy Lights programs for drivers including Sebastián Saavedra and Stefan Wilson, combining experienced lineups with occasional substitute drivers. Those seasons produced consistent top-10 finishes and provided the team the operational experience to contest higher-profile events the following year.
IndyCar Breakthrough (2011)
Bryan Herta Autosport made a decisive mark on the sport in 2011 when the team entered the Indianapolis 500 with Dan Wheldon. Wheldon, a former Indy 500 winner and past teammate of Bryan Herta, delivered a victory for the team, providing Bryan Herta Autosport with its first Indianapolis 500 triumph and a signature achievement in open-wheel racing.
That year also saw the team manage Indy Lights entries and continue developing drivers in multiple formats. The 2011 season was a turning point that raised the team’s profile and demonstrated its capacity to prepare race-winning cars for the sport’s marquee events.
IndyCar and Development Years (2012–2015)
Following the Indianapolis 500 success, the team continued in IndyCar with drivers such as Alex Tagliani while operating under sponsorship identities including Barracuda Networks in certain seasons. The team made a mid-period engine change to Honda power, which led to improved qualifying and race performances, including pole and strong road-course results in 2012 and 2013.
In 2014 and 2015 the organization fielded drivers such as Jack Hawksworth and Gabby Chaves in the IndyCar Series. Gabby Chaves joined the team in 2015 with full-season backing from Bowers & Wilkins and earned multiple rookie honors that year, including the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award and the Indiana Dairy Farmers Fastest Rookie recognition for the Indy 500.
Andretti Partnership Era (2016–Present)
In 2016 the Bryan Herta Autosport IndyCar entry was merged into Andretti Autosport, forming Andretti Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian for select entries. That collaboration produced another Indianapolis 500 victory when Alexander Rossi won the race in the merged No. 98 entry, a result credited to the combined effort of the Herta-assisted entry and Andretti Autosport resources.
Subsequent seasons saw continued collaboration and ownership evolution. The entry associated with Herta later included partnerships and ownership adjustments involving Marco Andretti and remained active across multiple series through alliances that leveraged Andretti Autosport’s infrastructure and Herta’s management.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bryan Herta Autosport has demonstrated strengths in targeted race preparation, particularly for road and street circuits and one-off marquee events. The organization’s operational model emphasizes focused engineering support, adaptable driver programs, and strategic partnerships that augment resources for high-profile race weekends such as the Indianapolis 500.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones include the team’s first Indy Lights victory at Chicagoland in 2009, the Indianapolis 500 win with Dan Wheldon in 2011, and the 2016 Indianapolis 500 victory achieved through the Andretti partnership with Alexander Rossi driving. The team also expanded into Global RallyCross competition in 2015 and later captured a TCR class championship in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.
Bryan Herta Autosport w Curb Agajanian Career Wins
Across its history Bryan Herta Autosport has collected significant victories and championships in multiple disciplines. The organization’s record includes open-wheel race wins at the junior level, two Indianapolis 500 victories (one under the team banner and one via an Andretti-Herta merged entry), a Global RallyCross race victory, and a Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class championship.
IndyCar Highlights
The most prominent IndyCar highlights are the team-associated Indianapolis 500 wins: Dan Wheldon’s 2011 victory for Bryan Herta Autosport and the 2016 Indianapolis 500 win by Alexander Rossi carried out by the merged Andretti Herta Autosport entry with Curb-Agajanian. Those results stand as defining successes on American open-wheel’s biggest stage.
Other Wins & Perfromances
In support categories, the team’s first professional victory came in Indy Lights at Chicagoland in 2009. In rallycross, Bryan Herta Rallysport drivers scored multiple podiums in 2015, including a Detroit race win by Patrik Sandell. In 2019 the organization, campaigning in the Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class with the Hyundai Veloster N TCR, secured the class championship with drivers Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins.
Bryan Herta Autosport w Curb Agajanian Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Bryan Herta Autosport is owned and led by Bryan Herta, whose background as a former IndyCar driver informs the team’s technical approach and driver development focus. The team has formed long-term partnerships and ownership arrangements with entities such as Curb-Agajanian and collaborative operational ties with Andretti Autosport for select entries.
Personal Life
The organization’s public-facing relationships and sponsorship alignments have been a notable part of its identity, including title and primary sponsorships such as Bowers & Wilkins in 2015 and earlier partnerships with Barracuda Networks. The team has campaigned under several car numbers over the years, including Nos. 28, 29, 98, 14, and 18.