| Kelly Petillo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Petillo, circa 1941 | |||||||
| Born | Cavino Michelle Petillo (1903-12-05)December 5, 1903 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | June 30, 1970(1970-06-30) (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| AAAChampionship Car (1935) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1935) | |||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 21 races run over 11 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1935) | ||||||
| First race | 1932Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1941Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 1934 Mines Field Race (Mines Field) | ||||||
| Last win | 1935 Langhorne 100 (Langhorne) | ||||||
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Kelly Carl Petillo[1] (bornCavino Michelle Petillo,[2] December 5, 1903[3] or December 16, 1903[1] – June 30, 1970[3]) was an Americanracing driver.
Born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1903,[1][4] Petillo moved with his family toHuntington Park, California in 1921.[5] He began racing at Los Angeles'Legion Ascot Speedway in 1929.[4]
Petillo competed in theIndianapolis 500 on ten occasions, winning the race in1935 in a year that marked the first win by a car powered by anOffenhauser engine.[6] He went on to win the1935 AAA-sanctionedNational Driving Championship.[7] In 1937, he participated in theVanderbilt 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 the1946 Indianapolis 500, and sued theIndianapolis Motor Speedway for $50,000.[10]
Off the track, Petillo had numerous run-ins with the law, including charges of attempted rape and attempted murder. In 1948, police arrested him invictory lane after winning a race atOwosso 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 theIndiana 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 in1959 and1960, officially due to age. After his exclusion in 1959, he again filed a lawsuit for $50,000 against the speedway and theUnited States Auto Club.[14]
Petillo had a small role in the 1939 motion pictureBurn 'Em Up O'Connor.
Petillo and his wife, Valentine, who filed for divorce in 1943, had a son, Kelly Jr.[6]
Petillo died ofemphysema inLos Angeles in 1970,[12] aged 66. He is buried in Pacific Crest Cemetery inRedondo Beach, California.[15]
Petillo has been inducted into the following halls of fame:
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| Preceded by | Indianapolis 500 Winner 1935 | Succeeded by |