Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: How Colton Herta honors Dan Wheldon

ST. PETERSBURG — IndyCar rookie Colton Herta has sweet memories of Dan Wheldon.

Herta’s father, Bryan, was a teammate with Wheldon at Andretti Green Racing from 2003-05. Wheldon even stayed at the Hertas’ southern California home during the series’ stop at Long Beach. That worked out well for the younger Herta; when Wheldon was sponsored by Hershey’s, the late St. Petersburg resident would give the boy plenty of chocolate.

Not just Kisses, either.

“Full bars,” Herta said. “He’d give me a bunch of sugar, then he’d give me back to my mom to hang out in the motor home.”

Herta visited with the Wheldons on Wednesday during a go-kart race leading up to this weekend’s Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Wheldon’s sons, Sebastian and Oliver, were scheduled to drive in the event.

It’s been more than seven years since Wheldon’s fatal crash at Las Vegas, but the late two-time Indianapolis 500 champion still has a profound influence on Herta.

Although Herta will drive the No. 88 car for Harding Steinbrenner Racing, the California native will have a Union Jack-inspired No. 98 on the back of his helmet. Why? Because Wheldon, a Brit, won the 2011 Indy 500 driving the No. 98 car that Herta’s father owned.

“He’s obviously a very important part of my racing career,” Herta said.