Kelly Petillo
Kelly Petillo | |||||||
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Born | Cavino Michelle Petillo December 5, 1903 Champ Car career | ||||||
21 races run over 11 years | |||||||
Best finish | 1st (1935) | ||||||
First race | 1932 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
Last race | 1941 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
First win | 1934 Mines Field Race (Mines Field) | ||||||
Last win | 1935 Langhorne 100 (Langhorne) | ||||||
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Kelly Carl Petillo
Early life
Born in
Driving career
Petillo competed in the
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
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:
- National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (2009)[12]
Motorsports career results
Indianapolis 500 results
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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.
- Milwaukee Journal. December 22, 1935. p. III-4. Archived from the originalon 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.
- Milwaukee Journal. May 24, 1946. p. L-13. Archived from the originalon 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
- Milwaukee Journal. June 30, 1948. p. L-7. Archived from the originalon 2016-05-02. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
- ^ IndyStar. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-06-13.
- Milwaukee Sentinel. July 13, 1957. p. 3 of part 2. Archived from the originalon 2016-05-12. Retrieved 2015-05-23.
- 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
- Kelly Petillo - ChampCarStats.com
- Kelly Petillo at Find a Grave
- Kelly Petillo driver statistics at Racing-Reference