An update from Andretti Autosport says that the damage to Colton Herta’s car in a transporter fire seems to be cosmetic only.
Herta’s No. 88 Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport car was in the back of the transporter trailer that caught fire on the motorway en route to St. Petersburg for this weekend’s race in Florida.
Following an initial assessment of the damage to the trailer and the car, Andretti released a short statement saying: “At this time, damages to the 88 car appear to be minor and cosmetic, caused by heat, smoke and/or water. We have no current reason to believe that any competition or mechanical aspects of the 88 car have been damaged or compromised.”
“Our Indy Lights team is in Florida for testing and is now in route to St. Pete to help evaluate and assess.” continued the Andretti statement. “Additionally, we are sending a team of INDYCAR crewman from Indianapolis to St. Pete today – in advance of the full team’s arrival tomorrow morning.
“We are also preparing backup pit equipment at our Indy race shop, this equipment & a spare transporter will depart Indianapolis today as well. Again, we would like to express our gratitude to our transport drivers & local fire departments for their quick responses & support.”
Breaking: Race Fans if you passed smoke in the area of i275 South and Ulmerton Rd off ramp, a Semi hauling Colton Herta vehicle caught fire. I spoke to the manager of the team who stated pit tools were damaged and unknown conditions to the Car in the above cabin. Tune in now. pic.twitter.com/CZqlM8bBgV
— Malik Parler (@WFLANightPhotog) March 11, 2020