Herta answered the question about VeeKay: ‘Don’t want to bring a furious Netherlands on me’
Colton Herta was recently a guest at the Marshall Pruett podcast† In it, the talented IndyCar driver talked about racing, but was also asked to answer some viewer questions. A Dutch fan made it to the podcast, but when Herta becomes the actual question, it actually starts first.
Pruett takes the tweet from the Dutchman, confronting Thijs de Bakker (because of the heavy American accent it is especially a good guess). As a fan, if you can ask one of the top drivers of IndyCar a question, your first thought is of course to make the bridge to Rinus van Kalmthout. That’s what De Bakker thought too. (Tip: you can find the sound clip hereaction from 32.00)
‘Let’s meet this one (tweet, ed.). This one comes from Thijs de Bakker. He asks: Colton, what is your message to Rinus VeeKay for the season?’, the podcast host puts the question to the American. Herta can answer, he even looks for context himself: ‘Am I missing some kind of rivalry here, or what is going on here?’
‘I don’t think so’, says Herta doubtfully and clearly confused about why Van Kalmthout is a topic of conversation in the podcast. “All I can think of is that he ran into me at Gateway, but that was two years ago. I don’t know what this fan is referring to.’ The podcast host entertains him to pass a message to his IndyCar colleague.
Herta loves the Netherlands as a friend
“Good luck!” Herta looks to the Ed Carpenter Racing driver for the 2022 season. ‘I don’t want to inflict a furious Netherlands on myself. I love that country and would like to go there without being known as ‘the guy from that comment’. So yes. I wish you every success. I love the Netherlands and hope you love me.’
Pruett responds to the question about Van Kalmthout: ‘You are going to give Rinus a bouquet on the grid at the start of the season in St. Petersburg (Florida, ed.) so that you are well on the map with the Dutch. If they don’t like you, they’ll let you know. A great choice; keep Rinus and the Dutch friends, then you’ll probably end up in the country.’
“Maybe he’s still upset about the beating I gave him in Daytona,” Herta jokes. During the 24-hour race in Florida Beach, van Kalmthout became the first American in the LMP2 class for Racing Team Netherlands to cross the line in second place. “Boom!”, the host responds with amusement, then thanks Herta for his time.