Driver’s Death Strikes a Sad Chord With Wells

When Roger Penske’s driver, Gonzalo Rodriguez, was killed in a crash entering the Corkscrew turn last weekend during practice at Laguna Seca, Arciero-Wells Racing team owner Cal Wells III knew what the Penske team was going through.

Three years ago, a Wells driver, Jeff Krosnoff, was killed during a race in Toronto.

Wells, watching Saturday’s practice on a monitor, said he was stunned by the crash that killed Rodriguez instantly. Approaching the famed Corkscrew, Rodriguez slammed through a tire barrier and into a wall at 140 mph, then flipped tail-first over the wall.

“There was a bit of disbelief because of the place it happened,” Wells said. “Going to Toronto, Vancouver, Detroit, you say that if two guys hooked up at 220 mph, this fence would never hold them back. You get a sense of risk. But the Corkscrew is a 55-mph corner. It’s like slipping on an ice rink and having a blade slice your throat.”

Wells said he spent a lot of time consoling Max Papis after Rodriguez’s death. Papis knew Rodriguez from racing in Europe. Papis, who now drives for Bobby Rahal, got his start in champ cars under Wells--as Krosnoff’s replacement.