Roberto and Katie Guerrero and their family
He is a familiar name who made his mark at the Speedway but you wish it could’ve been just a touch better.
Roberto Guerrero was racing in Europe after leaving his native Colombia when the Indy cars drew his attention. He was lightning fast. But things just seemed to happen to him.
That was then. Now?
“A little bit here, a little bit there,” he said quietly from his home in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. “I broadcast the ALMS races and Grand-Am for SPEED in Latin America. I do a lot of work for Jaguar at its performance driving academy here. I also work with the new models and just finished work on the XJ that’s coming out in May.”
Guerrero may be coming back to the Speedway this May. He is helping Firestone Indy Lights driver Sebastian Saavedra for Bryan Herta Autosport. And they’ve put together a deal for Saavedra to run the “500.”
It would be his first return to Indy since 2001.
“I’ve never been good spectator,” he said. “There wasn‘t any real reason to be there. This year, I might have a purpose. When I have a purpose, I love to go there.”
The Speedway has been both kind and unkind to him.
He is second only to Bill Holland in Speedway history for the best record in his first four starts. Holland finished 2-2-1-2 in 1947-50. Guerrero went 2-3-4-2 in 1984-87. On May 9, 1992, he set the track record of 232.618 mph for the pole but crashed on the pace lap. The record stood for four years until Davy Jones broke it with 233.064 on May 11, 1996.
In a testing session, he was seriously injured in an accident and in a coma for 17 days. The next March, he started on the front row for the season opener at Phoenix.
He and wife, Katie, organized a tennis event for CARA Charities back in those years.
“I’m still playing, but Katie’s playing a lot,” Roberto said, laughing.
The Guerrero flock has grown now. Marco, 24, is a mechanical engineer who enjoys working with the technical part of race cars — and doing the Baja 1000 with his dad. Evan, 21, is graduating from Lehigh as a biology major and is headed to medical school. Haley, 17, is a high school junior who is already being recruited by colleges for their soccer programs.
“Looks like we’ll have a Dr. Guerrero in the family,’ Roberto said. “And mention Haley because people leave her out of stories, and I get in trouble.”
His biggest thrill at Indy?
“It had to be setting the lap record in ‘92,” Guerrero said. “My rookie year when I finished second, I don’t think I appreciated it until time went on.
“Indy is and was a very special place for us. We have a lot of good memories.”
He was a part of the European invasion at the Speedway.
“I think it pretty much started when Teo Fabi came over and got the pole,” he said. “Then I came over and others. It’s a great alternative to Formula One. There are only 20 seats there, and it’s tough to get them and it’s tough to keep them.”
The fire still smolders.
“I would love to test it,” Guerrero said of his possible return to Indy. “I would like to drive it.
“I’m 51 years old. It would be interesting, but time doesn’t stop for anybody.”
Great post Jan.
Marco and I used to go to “Racing Babies” which was the at track day care in the 80′s. I also vividly remember Marco and I watching Roberto’s bright-pink Vince Granatelli True Value car at Milwaukee from the turn three fence.
Looking forward to more of these posts.
To me, along with Michael Andretti and Lloyd Ruby, Robert Guerrero was one of the best drivers to never win the Indy 500. And personable?! I met him at Phoenix one year and he was one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet. Glad you’re doing well, Roberto.
I was at the race in 1992. Just couldn’t believe what happened. He certainly should have won the 500 at least once. From what I can gather, a really nice guy. And one heck of a racer.
Classy human being.Met him in a mcdonalds in milwaukee 25 yrs ago.They just do not have gentlemen racers anymore.rick mears,roberto you are missed!
Nice to read the fine comments, all are true , One very fine race driver and one very fine man in a very difficult profession. I address this with some personal knowledge. Roberto drove two seasons for Mo Nunn and I in F1, 1981 and 82 (TeamEnsign). Katie, his wife was a neighbor of ours, and I was honored to be asked to be a member of their wedding. Good call guys!
I remember actually meeting him in Illinois for a Jaguar promo/test/come-out-and-randomly-drive-our-cars kind of thing at Autobahn in Joliet. They introduced us to the professional drivers that would ride along with us and he actually approached me maybe because among the group of well-off looking older patrons, I was a 21 year old kid with a Traq-Mate Data acquisition t-shirt; I guess he could tell I had done some racing before! We ended up taking a Jag XFR around the course for a few laps and it was exciting and nerve wracking because here I am trying to drive a 500 horsepower car with a racing legend riding shotgun! All the while Im trying not to mention how I first heard of him: Indy 92 when I was only 4 years old at the time. I did a few laps and we pull over and swap. Guerrero gets in and absolutely flogs the Jag around the course, unbelieveable speed! To anyone that watched the 92 Indy start and has concluded he can’t drive…my God, yes he can! Probably my favorite experience on any race track ever! Thank you Roberto Guerrero!
Roberto is back to Indy this year as a coach to young driving phenom Sebastian Saavadera. Both are from Colombia and Roberto was Sebastian’s hero growing up. Each of them represent humility and class- real hero’s. Good luck.
I just attended the Jaguar Performance Driving Academy and Roberto was one of the instructors. What a soft-spoken gentleman – no swagger at all. He had much patience putting up with my ham-fisted driving skills and I chose him for the end of the day “hot laps” where he drove the Jag as fast as he could around the track with me in the passenger seat. The younger drivers were drifting and sliding thru every corner but Roberto said that sliding was against his nature – “when I slide, I’m losing time”. That’s exactly why I chose him to drive me – to see a world-class maestro at work. WOW – he still is fast. Also a great sense of humor getting excited telling how he tries to break his ecomony record in his personal Prius while his wife always dials the car to performance mode when she drives!
Good blog. I got a lot of good data. Ive been keeping an eye on this technology for awhile. Its interesting how it keeps varying, yet some of the core factors remain the same. Have you seen much change since Google made their most recent acquisition in the arena?
Sqaw he in Monterey Historics, Thursday before the events start for the public, he is the treat to talk with as the time I met him, 10 years ago.
He was with Davy Jones, and Jaguar…they are gentlemen!!!
my uncle who is a fan of Roberto Guererro during those times keep on question me where are these people. LOL
I was looking for more info on Mr. Guerrero and came upon this site. I just met him this morning as he coached me around the Homestead-Miami Speedway in a Jaguar XK-R during a Jaguar test drive event. What a pleasure he was to drive with and learn from. I would love to have him as an instructor at the Jaguar Performance school one day.
Hi, I am the person who bought the starcraft van conversion you won at the pole position. It is for sale! are you interested? My family loved it for 14 yrs. I think it should go back to the rightful owner.
I glad see again you roberto,you hare the winer
i dont think anyone not connected to auto racing can understand the strong emotional ties that is between a fan and a driver. when roberto was running in the 1987 500. i agonized each moment of his misfortune. indianapolis is a living breathing thing, with its strong arm ready to elate or dissapoint. if you win, the emotion is beyond measure.
i wish the best always to katie and roberto.
Roberto todavia sos un pibe,con gran espiritu y corazon,no te desanimes,INDY 500 sin tu nombre,no es lo mismo y mi hijo alex es un gran fan tuyo,cuando ganaste el pole position y hoy a sus 37 anos anora ese ano.mis mejores deseos de buena suerte,para vos y katie.
I first met R.G. at a Las Vegas F1 race when he drove for Ensign. I happened to sit beside several of his wife’s friends during the return flight to Chicago. Years later when we still used payphones, I was making a call at O’Hare when the person in the next booth left behind his address book.
I quickly searched for the owner – nowhere to be seen.
I opened the book and it was the personal phone book of Roberto Gurerrero. It contained the personal phone numbers
of every big-time racer, owner, promoter, etc. globally – Emmo, the Andretti’s, Penske – you name a big-time auto jock and the name and direct phone number was listed. It took all of my discipline not to start calling my heroes.
The next day I took the address book to my office and called Roberto’s number, listed in Carmel, Indiana. First, he was so releived his treasured address book had been found but couldn’t have been more thankful, pleasant and willing to pay for its return. Just having the opportunity to speak with him for a few minutes was plenty of reward for me so I Fed/Ex’d the book to him and forgot about the incident. About one week later a box arrived at my office full of
autographed pictures, memorabilia, a pair of his driving gloves and a red Pirelli racing cap – and many other items only a racing fan would appreciate. He also sent a personal note thanking me for finding and returning his phone book. Though I thought it would have been bush league to phone A.J. Foyt, it took all of my willpower not to make the call. The point is, Roberto could not possibly have been more of a gentleman and, apparently, he remains true to his excellent character.
Hi Im Colombian Like Roberto,he was my hero growing up in Italy when he drove in F-1 in 1982 for Ensign and 1983 for the Theodore-Ensign.. since then i always follow him..-he was fast and even the big teams like Ferrari ,Williams and Brahbam wanted him but political reason and money never happen, went to America were he was more apreciated ..
[...] - Roberto Guerrero, Medelin Colombia, Indy racer (Rookie of Year [...]
Hi Roberto
I’ve just found you after many years. Do you remember your working days at Lex Motor Comany in Stourbridge, West Midlands back in the 1970′s then.
I remember your lefthand drive Mini cooper which went well.
We had just started Drag Racing that Ford Anglia with the Jaguar engine in those day’s. I ended up doing around 20 years of Drag Racing in England and Europe. You can see my website on http://www.sb-vintageservices.co.uk Don’t forget to leave a comment.
Regards to you and your Family
Steve Bingham.
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