5 youngest IndyCar race winners in history ft. Colton Herta and more

In October 2024, IndyCar legend and owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Bobby Rahal, predicted a fresh youth influx in the open-wheel series in the near future. He led by example and signed 21-year-old 2024 Indy NXT by Firestone champion Louis Foster.

"The youth movement exists in a big way," Rahal said via IndyCar. "We would like to be one of the first to really create this young driver cadre in our team, thinking three, four, five years ahead from now."

The three-time IndyCar winner's assessment is spot on and backed by statistics. In 2022, the ratio of young drivers to old (under 30 v/s over 30) was 9-20. In 2023, this split considerably changed to 12-16. Come 2024, more young guns found their way into the series with the ratio changing to 14-14.

Though the win rate is still relatively in favor of the older drivers, there have been talents who scripted history at a very young age. On that note, let's take a look at the 5 youngest drivers to have won an IndyCar race.

#5 Nelson Philippe - 20 years, 2 months, 29 days

Nelson Philippe at Molson Montreal Indy in 2005- Source: Getty

Nelson Philippe is one of IndyCar's forgotten talents. The French racing driver began karting at the age of 12. After five years, he competed in the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 2003, getting one podium that year. In 2004, he signed for the Rocketsports Racing team, and at 17, he became the youngest driver to compete in the Champ Car (now IndyCar).

In Mid-2004, Rocketsports dropped him, and Philippe found a place on the Mi-Jack Conquest team till the end of 2005. In 2006, he switched to CTE-HVM Racing in a move that earned him his first victory in the Champ Car series.

On November 22, 2006, Philippe won at Surfers Paradise at a young age of 20 years, two months, and 29 days. He was awarded the Most Improved Driver trophy for the consecutive year.

#4 Jimmy Davies - 20 years, 2 months, 29 days

Jimmy Davies' car in the 1950 Indy 500 pits - Source: Getty

Jimmy Davies was a versatile American race car driver. Born in 1929, he had a long 13-year Champ Car career. In 1949, he won the 100-mile AAA championship race at Del Mar, California at the age of 20 years, two months, and 29 days, making him the then-youngest IndyCar race winner.

Davies also started the Indy 500 from 1950 to 1955, recording one Top 5 finish and two Top 10 finishes in the decade when the Indy 500 used to be an F1 race. The California native also competed in Midget car racing, becoming only the second driver to win three USAC National Midget Championships after consecutive wins in 1961, 1962, and 1963.

#3 Marco Andretti - 19 years, 5 months, and 14 days

Marco Andretti at the 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Marco Andretti is one of America's most famous racing drivers. The third-generation Andretti, son of Michael and grandson of Mario, drove for his family-owned IndyCar team. In his rookie year in 2006, he won his first race at the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma at the age of 19 years, five months, and 14 days, breaking Jimmy Davies' record.

The Pennsylvania native was awarded Rookie of the Year for both the Indy 500 and the Indycar series that year. In 2021, Andretti stepped away from full-time IndyCar racing and, a year later, debuted in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Truck Series in 2023. In 2024, he also debuted in the ARCA Menards Series, getting four Top 10 finishes in 11 races.

#2 Graham Rahal - 19 years, 3 months, 2 days

Graham Rahal at the 2022 Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach - Source: Getty

Like Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal was born into a racing family to 1986 Indy 500 winner, Bobby Rahal. He made his Champ Car debut in 2007, earning four podiums in his rookie year and becoming the series' youngest podium finisher while driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, a team partly owned by his father.

His first win in the premier open-wheel series came on April 6, 2008, at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Aged 19 years, three months, and two days, he broke Marco Andretti's record to become the youngest IndyCar race winner.

#1 Colton Herta - 18 years, 11 months, 25 days

Colton Herta after his first IndyCar win at COTA- Source: Getty

Colton Herta is the son of former racer Bryan Herta, who owns Bryan Herta Autosport and also works as a strategist for Andretti Global. The California native is also the first driver born in this millennium to compete in the American open-wheel car racing series.

In his rookie season for Harding Steinbrenner Racing in 2019, Herta won the IndyCar classic at the Circuit of the Americas on March 24 at the age of 18 years, 11 months, and 25 days. Since then, he has won a total of 9 races, been on 18 podiums, and harbors a dream to compete in F1, the pinnacle of motorsport. Currently, Herta holds the record for being the youngest driver to ever win a race in the series after going further past Graham Rahal's record.