The stars of the NTT IndyCar Series are getting younger, as evidenced by Colton Herta’s victory in the INDYCAR Classic at Circuit of The Americas, just a few days short of his 19th birthday.

Sixty years ago, it was a far different landscape.

According to research, the five "rookies" that qualified for the 1959 Indianapolis 500 were 30, 31, 33, 34 & 39 years old. The Stark & Wetzel "Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year" was 34-year-old Bobby Grim, who started fifth, finished 26th.

Four years later, a 29-year-old driver named Bobby Unser had made it across the country from Albuquerque, New Mexico attempting to continue the Unser family legacy in the Indianapolis 500. It was 1963 and Unser would ultimately make the race in the famed STP Novi for team owner Andy Granatelli.

Unser started the popular Novi in 16th position but crashed just two laps in the race and finished last in the 33-car field.

Five years later, Unser was 34 years old when he won the 1968 Indianapolis 500. He was 41 in when he won it a second time in 1975 and 47 years old when he won the Indy 500 for the third and final time in 1981.

Unser raced at IMS 19 times and won two poles and national championships in 1968 and 1974.

On March 24, Unser watched in amazement and with great pride, Herta become the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race in history as an 18-year-old.

"I watched Colton Herta last weekend at Texas, and he drove such a smooth, smart race - I don't think he set a wheel wrong,” Unser told NTT INDYCAR Mobile. “Sure, the yellow helped him, but for every time the yellow helps you it'll turn around and hurt you, it all balances out over the years. He won the race and drove nice.

“At 18, going on 19 years old, for sure he has lots and lots of good years in front of him.”

It’s also a dramatic indication of how times have changed in Indy car racing and the top talent is getting to the series at a younger age.

“Remember this, when (I) was his age, I was driving sprint cars and working at Daddy's service station on Route 66,” Unser said. “I had no aspirations, zero, none, no clue I'd ever race an Indy car. My goal was Pikes Peak and sprint cars. I had no idea I'd get to Indianapolis at any age.”

Prior to becoming the “First Family of the Indianapolis 500” the Unsers were the “King of the Hill” at Pikes Peak in Colorado.

“I won Pikes Peak for the first time in 1956 (22 years old) that was a big "yippee," my personal Indy 500 and I still never thought about the Speedway, not one bit,” Unser said. “Jerry (his older brother who qualified at IMS in 1958) hadn't even been there yet. At Pikes Peak in 1962 I became good friends with the golden boy, Parnelli Jones and things started to change. He told me at Pikes Peak I needed to race at Indy, that I could do it.

“He found me a ride and took good care of me a year later.”

Unser would have tremendous success. He believes the same thing can happen for Herta, who can achieve so much more because he already has a tremendous head start as a winning driver in the NTT IndyCar Series.

“Remember this -- in 1963, I was a 29-year-old rookie at Indianapolis,” Unser said. “Just think Colton is 10 years younger than that, 10 full years, think of that. I won my first Indy car race, other than Pikes Peak in 1967 and was 33.

“That age is a long, long, long time in the future for Colton; I just wonder what his future will be? I hope he has a wonderful career; I really do. His father (Bryan) is such a nice man and a good influence. Colton has desire, you can't make that up - you have to have it."