The Andretti Autosport driver led each apply periods, and progressed to the Quick Six shootout having saved a contemporary set of red-walled smooth compound tyres that enabled him to land his sixth pole place by over half a second.
Come the race, regardless of a few the 9 cautions working in opposition to his technique, he was in a position to carve via to second and was on the tail of eventual winner Ericsson, who had made his remaining cease seven laps earlier than him and was saving gas on older tyres.
Herta got here near understeering into the Flip 9 wall with 12 laps to go, however was recovering the misplaced floor when he locked up his left-front wheel on the similar nook and hit the wall arduous seven excursions later.
Explaining the incident to NBC Sports activities, the dejected Herta mentioned: “Tunnel imaginative and prescient, man – I really feel horrible.
“We had the automotive all weekend to win, and man, I simply threw it away, so I really feel actually unhealthy.
“I’m OK, although. I do know that I didn’t get my palms off the wheel, however they’re OK, so I don’t actually have something to say.
“This place is brutal. I believe we noticed that.”
Colton Herta, Andretti Autosport Honda
Picture by: Chris Owens
Regardless of his big disappointment, Lengthy Seaside winner Herta graciously acknowledged Ericsson’s completed defence because the ex-Components 1 driver claimed his second sequence victory.
“Congrats to Marcus, he drove a hell of a race there on the finish,” mentioned Herta.
“I didn’t suppose he was going to make it [on fuel] and he simply stored pulling away from me. Good job to him.
“I knew he needed to make gas, I didn’t understand how shut it was going to be.
“I believed he was going to make it, however I wasn’t certain if he’d need to make a giant gas quantity or preserve going how he was. However I used to be simply pushing to attempt to get forward of him as quickly as I may, and overdid it. It’s powerful.”