Kelly Petillo began racing at Los Angeles' Legion Ascot Speedway in 1929.
12 Facts About Kelly Petillo
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Kelly 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.
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In 1942, Kelly Petillo sustained a concussion and lacerations after a road accident when his car collided with a freight train.
4.
Kelly Petillo was denied entry to the 1946 Indianapolis 500, and sued the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for $50,000.
5.
Kelly Petillo was sentenced to ten years in the Indiana State Prison.
6.
Kelly Petillo was released on parole in 1955, but went missing.
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Kelly Petillo was re-captured in 1957, incidentally, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
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Kelly Petillo was returned to prison until 1959, after which he was denied entry to the Indianapolis 500 in 1959 and 1960, officially due to age.
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Kelly Petillo had a small role in the 1939 motion picture Burn 'Em Up O'Connor.
10.
Kelly Petillo died of emphysema in Los Angeles in 1970, aged 66.
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Kelly Petillo is buried in Pacific Crest Cemetery in Redondo Beach, California.
12.
Kelly Petillo has been inducted into the following halls of fame:.