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Kelly Petillo: Arrested in Victory Lane

Numerous bright stars in the world of motorsports have graced the track at the Owosso Speedway. Most recently you think of names like Erik Jones and Brad Keselowski, who have deep philanthropic efforts and in Jones’ case, even reads books to children on his social media pages.

But not all of these stars that have intersected with the Owosso Speedway were as sterling characters as Jones and Keselowski.

Kelly Petillo was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, some time between December 5-16, 1903. At just 18 years old Petillo and his family would uproot to California. While Petillo was known to have a quick temper and volatile nature, he showed natural proficiency behind the wheel first driving a vegetable truck through the San Gabriel Mountains. Eventually, this would lead him to racing.

Eventually Petillo, universally known to be as brash and arrogant as he was fast, would work his way up to competing in the Indianapolis 500. 1935 would be the high water mark for Petillo, winning the event over Wilbur Shaw who would go on to win the 500 three times, and become the first ever driver to win it in consecutive years. Petillo’s victory is considered noteworthy also, because it would be the first victory at Indy for the Offenhauser engine which would dominate the next 30 years.

On the track, Petillo was comparable to a mix between Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain, unapologetically had a take no prisoners attitude. While this earned him several landmark wins and the 1935 National Drivers Championship, the same attitude off the track would bring Petillo into disrepute with the public.

Several times Petillo would have run ins with the law, which lead to him being banned from the American Automobile Association (who sanctioned major motorsports in this era). This would lead us to where Petillo would intersect with the Owosso Speedway in a moment of infamy.

After a race Petillo would head to a hotel and meet up with an old girlfriend under the pretense of “catching up with an old friend.” When this “old friend” informed Petillo she was now married and not interested in his advances, Petillo would assault her with a knife. Luckily she survived, but Petillo was now on the run.

There was a stock car race being advertised at the Owosso Speedway, the winner's purse paid with 40% of the grandstand attendance. Petillo had been advertising his entry in the race on the radio in the days leading up to the event, in spite of his status as a fugitive. The Shiawassee County Sheriff showed up to the track, and found Petillo, but ordered his deputies to not arrest the wayward star until after the conclusion of the race.

Petillo would go on to claim victory, and $113 (worth $1,397 today). However, Petillo would never get to take home his prize. He was arrested as soon as he got out of his car.

Petillo would float around in the racing world for another decade or so. Multiple times applying for a license to race in the 500 again, and routinely being denied. He fell off the face of the Earth after 1962 before passing away from emphysema in 1970.

Petillo has a controversial legacy in motorsports as a driver. He has all but been disowned by the Indy crowd, but did receive of posthumous induction into the Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2009.

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