Pagan Racing was a racing team owned byTexas businessmen Jack and Allan Pagan.
The team was founded in 1993 when the team purchased theCART IndyCar equipment ofKenny Bernstein'sKing Racing.[1] The team fielded a car forJeff Andretti for the1993Indianapolis 500 who finished 29th after a crash. Thefollowing year they signed veteranRoberto Guerrero to drive their car. Guerrero started 20th but was knocked out by a crash after only 20 laps. The team upgraded toIlmor–Mercedes-Benz engines in1995 and Guerrero brought their car home 12th in the "500".
In1996 the open wheel racing world was rocked by "the split" and Pagan elected to stay with the Indy 500 and race in theIndy Racing League. Jack and his son, Allan, used the family's oil industry connections to obtainPennzoil sponsorship to race in the1996 Indianapolis 500 with Guerrero. Guerrero was one of the few veterans in the race and was one of the favorites to win on raceday and while he did not win he registered a respectable 5th-place finish. The team also participated in the other two IRL races of the season and Guerrero finished tied for fourth in the short 1996 championship. The team launched a full-season attack on the championship for the1996–1997 season and the team selected theInfiniti engine to power their cars when the new cars came at the beginning of 1997. However, the Infiniti motors produced significantly less power than theOldsmobile engines and the team switched engine manufacturers mid-season after poor results and an Indy 500 where Guerrero was unable to maintain a fast pace. By virtue of being one of only a handful of drivers to compete in all the races, Guerrero and the Pagan team finished 7th in the 1996-1997 championship.
Guerrero returned in1998. The team's sponsorship from Pennzoil had left for the newPanther Racing founded by former Pagan crew chief John Barnes. Despite a lack of funding Guerrero ran respectably in the first four races of the season. That lack of funds broughtStevie Reeves on board for the fifth race of the season. Reeves finished 10th, but prize money did not allow for the team to continue and it ceased operations for the rest of the season. The team returned in1999 withJeff Ward and minor sponsorship beginning with the Indy 500. Ward finished in Pagan Racing's best finish of second place. However, Ward had few other good finishes that season and finished 11th in points. Funding uncertainties returned at season's end and the team was again without sponsorship. It fielded an entry forRichie Hearn in the2000 Indianapolis 500 where Hearn was knocked out by an electrical problem. The race was the team's last as rising costs finally put an end to the small team from Texas.
Roberto Guerrero (1994-1998; CART & IRL)
Stevie Reeves (1998)Jeff Ward (1999)Richie Hearn (2000)(key)
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | SFR | PHX | LBH | INDY | MIL | DET | POR | CLE | TOR | MCH | NHA | ROA | VAN | MDO | NAZ | LAG | ||||||
| Lola T92/00 | Buick3300V6t | G | Jeff Andretti | 21 | 29 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1994 | SFR | PHX | LBH | INDY | MIL | DET | POR | CLE | TOR | MCH | MDO | NHA | VAN | ROA | NAZ | LAG | ||||||
| Lola T92/00 | Buick3300V6t | G | Roberto Guerrero | 21 | 33 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1995 | MIA | SFR | PHX | LBH | NAZ | INDY | MIL | DET | POR | ROA | TOR | CLE | MCH | MDO | NHA | VAN | LAG | |||||
| Reynard 94i | Mercedes-Benz IC108DV8t | G | Dennis Vitolo | 21 | 18 | |||||||||||||||||
| Roberto Guerrero | 16 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||
(key)
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | Drivers | No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | WDW | PHX | INDY | |||||||||||||
| Lola T94/00 Lola T95/00 | FordXBV8t | G | Roberto Guerrero | 21 | 5 | 16 | 5* | |||||||||
| Reynard 94i | Billy Boat | 99 | DNQ | |||||||||||||
| Lola T92/00 | Buick3300V6t | 87 | DNQ | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | NHA | LSV | WDW | PHX | INDY | TXS | PPIR | CLT | NHA | LSV | ||||||
| Reynard 95i Reynard 94i | FordXBV8t | G | Roberto Guerrero | 21 | 6 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Dallara IR7 | InfinitiVRH35ADEV8 | 17 | 7 | 27 | 13 | |||||||||||
| OldsmobileAuroraV8 | 18 | 17 | 6 | 14 | ||||||||||||
| 1998 | WDW | PHX | INDY | TXS | NHA | DOV | CLT | PPIR | ATL | TXS | LSV | |||||
| Dallara IR8 | OldsmobileAuroraV8 | G | Roberto Guerrero | 21 | 26 | 27 | 22 | 24 | ||||||||
| Stevie Reeves | 10 | |||||||||||||||
| 1999 | WDW | PHX | CLT | INDY | TXS | PPIR | ATL | DOV | PPIR | LSV | TXS | |||||
| Dallara IR9 | OldsmobileAuroraV8 | G | Jeff Ward | 21 | 2 | C1 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 26 | 13 | 23 | 10 | 21 | ||
| 2000 | WDW | PHX | LSV | INDY | TXS | PPIR | ATL | KTY | TXS | |||||||
| Dallara IR-00 | OldsmobileAuroraV8 | F | Richie Hearn | 75 | 27 | |||||||||||