American racing driver (1903–1970)
Kelly Carl Petillo [ 1] (born Cavino Michelle Petillo ,[ 2] December 5, 1903[ 3] or December 16, 1903[ 1] – June 30, 1970[ 3] ) was an American racing driver .
Early life
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1903,[ 1] [ 4] Petillo moved with his family to Huntington Park, California in 1921.[ 5] He began racing at Los Angeles' Legion Ascot Speedway in 1929.[ 4]
Driving career
Petillo competed in the Indianapolis 500 on ten occasions, winning the race in 1935 in a year that marked the first win by a car powered by an Offenhauser engine.[ 6] He went on to win the 1935 AAA -sanctioned National Driving Championship .[ 7] In 1937, he participated in the Vanderbilt Cup [ 8] but engine problems forced him out of the race.
In 1942, Petillo sustained a concussion and lacerations after a road accident when his car collided with a freight train.[ 9] He was denied entry to the 1946 Indianapolis 500 , and sued the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for $50,000.[ 10]
Legal issues and enforced retirement
Off the track, Petillo had numerous run-ins with the law, including charges of attempted rape and attempted murder. In 1948, police arrested him in victory lane after winning a race at Owosso Speedway , on charges of assault to commit murder[ 11] seven days earlier. This was assault and battery.[ 5] He was sentenced to ten years in the Indiana State Prison . He was released on parole in 1955, but went missing. He was re-captured in 1957, incidentally, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.[ 12] [ 13] He was returned to prison until 1959, after which he was denied entry to the Indianapolis 500 in 1959 and 1960 , officially due to age. After his exclusion in 1959, he again filed a lawsuit for $50,000 against the speedway and the United States Auto Club .[ 14]
Petillo had a small role in the 1939 motion picture Burn 'Em Up O'Connor .
Death
Petillo and his wife, Valentine, who filed for divorce in 1943, had a son, Kelly Jr.[ 6]
Petillo died of emphysema in Los Angeles in 1970,[ 12] aged 66. He is buried in Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach, California .[ 15]
Awards and honors
Petillo has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
Motorsports career results
Indianapolis 500 results
Year
Car
Start
Qual
Rank
Finish
Laps
Led
Retired
1932
36
40
104.645
40
12
189
0
Flagged
1933
27
25
113.037
18
19
168
0
Spun & stalled
1934
17
1
119.329
1
11
200
6
Running
1935
5
22
115.095
15
1
200
102
Running
1937
25
20
124.129
2
20
109
0
Out of oil
1938
35
21
119.827
19
22
100
0
Camshaft
1939
35
24
123.660
16
18
141
0
Pistons
1940
35
13
125.331
5
21
128
0
Bearing
1941
22
19
124.417
7
27
48
0
Rod
Totals
1283
108
Starts
9
Poles
1
Front Row
1
Wins
1
Top 5
1
Top 10
1
Retired
6
[ 16]
References
^ a b c "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947". Ancestry.com .
^ "The Talk of Gasoline Alley " 10780-WIBC, May 23, 2003
^ a b "California Death Index, 1940–1997" . FamilySearch .
^ a b Ball Jr., Larry. "Cavino "Kelly" Petillo" . National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum . Archived from the original on 2019-06-19.
^ a b Kimbrough, Bobby (December 23, 2011). "Today's History: Notorious Racer Kelly Petillo Wins Mines Field Race" . OneDirt . Archived from the original on 2018-06-12.
^ a b Fuchs, Jeremy (May 16, 2021). "Checkered Past: Kelly Petillo and How Not to Build a Racing Legacy" . Indianapolis Monthly . Archived from the original on 2021-05-16.
^ "Kelly Petillo Is Ranked at Head of Auto Racers" . Milwaukee Journal . December 22, 1935. p. III-4. Archived from the original on 2016-05-01. Retrieved 2015-05-23 .
^ "Kelly Petillo" . HistoricRacing.com . Archived from the original on 2021-01-28.
^ "Kelly Petillo Hurt, Car Crashes Train" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Associated Press . April 13, 1942. p. 17. Retrieved 2015-05-23 .
^ "Petillo Starts Suit Against Speedway" . Milwaukee Journal . May 24, 1946. p. L-13. Archived from the original on 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-23 .
^ "Petillo Sought After Attack" . Milwaukee Journal . June 30, 1948. p. L-7. Archived from the original on 2016-05-02. Retrieved 2015-05-23 .
^ a b c Mitchell, Dawn (May 23, 2014). "Kelly Petillo: Indy 500 Winner with a Rap Sheet" . IndyStar . Archived from the original on 2021-06-13.
^ "Increase Jail Term for Petillo" . Milwaukee Sentinel . July 13, 1957. p. 3 of part 2. Archived from the original on 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2015-05-23 .
^ "Kelly Petillo Sues Speedway, USAC Again" . St. Petersburg Times . Associated Press. May 26, 1959. p. 2-C. Retrieved 2015-05-23 .
^ "Petillo, Kelly Carl Sr" . Pacific Crest Cemetery . Retrieved 2023-05-16 .
^ "Kelly Petillo Indianapolis 500 Stats" . IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com . Archived from the original on 2019-08-03.
External links
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