Paul Russo

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Paul Russo
Russo, circa 1947
BornPaul Frank Russo
(1914-04-14)April 14, 1914
Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedFebruary 13, 1976(1976-02-13) (aged 61)
Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
Champ Car career
81 races run over 22 years
Best finish5th (1953)
First race1940 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race1962 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win1950 Springfield 100 (Springfield)
Last win1951 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Wins Podiums Poles
2 15 4
Formula One World Championship career
Active years19501960
TeamsNichels, Kurtis Kraft
Entries11 (8 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums1
Career points8.5
Pole positions0
Fastest laps1
First entry1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1960 Indianapolis 500

Paul Frank Russo (April 10, 1914 – February 13, 1976) was an American racing driver.[1][2]

Racing career[edit]

Midget car career[edit]

Russo started racing midget cars in 1934. He went with a contingent of midget-car drivers to Hawaii in the winter of 1934–35.[3] He was the 1938 AAA Eastern Midget Champion. Russo won the first race held at the Nutley Velodrome in New Jersey in 1938.[3]

Russo was part of midget racing's "Chicago Gang" with Emil Andres, Tony Bettenhausen, Duke Nalon, Cowboy O'Rourke, Jimmy Snyder, and Wally Zale.[3] These racers toured tracks in the Midwest and East Coast of the United States.

Indy car career[edit]

Russo drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1940–1941, 1946–1954, 1956–1959, and 1962 seasons with 81 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 every year excluding 1951 and 1952. He finished in the top ten 49 times, with two victories: at Springfield (1950) and Detroit (1951). He also won a non-points race at Williams Grove (1952). Russo's best finish in the Indianapolis 500 was fourth, in 1957 when he was at the wheel of a Novi Special. In 1955, Russo co-drove with Tony Bettenhausen to a second-place finish.[3]

Russo's brother Joe and nephew Eddie also competed in Championship Car.

World Drivers' Championship career[edit]

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship participation, and were eligible to score WDC points alongside those which they may have scored towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Russo participated in eight World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He finished in the top three once, and set one fastest leader lap.[1] He scored eight and one-half World Drivers' Championship points.

Death[edit]

On February 13, 1976, Russo died off the coast of Clearwater while in Florida for the Daytona 500.[3] Russo is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.[4]

Awards and honors[edit]

Motorsports career results[edit]

AAA/USAC Championship Car results[edit]

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Points
1946 INDY
33
LAN ATL ISF MIL GOS - 0
1947 INDY
28
MIL
3
LAN
17
ATL
8
BAI
12
MIL
3
GOS
MIL
6
PIK SPR
14
ARL
2
10th 545
1948 ARL
7
INDY
32
MIL
18
LAN
18
MIL
SPR
MIL
9
DUQ
18
ATL
11
PIK SPR
15
DUQ
2
17th 300
1949 ARL
INDY
8
MIL
6
TRE
8
SPR
10
MIL
12
DUQ
6
PIK SYR
2
DET
DNQ
SPR
15
LAN
4
SAC
10
DMR
5
7th 920
1950 INDY
9
MIL
2
LAN
12
SPR
1
MIL
5
PIK SYR
3
DET
18
SPR
6
SAC
13
PHX
16
BAY
DAR
7th 928
1951 INDY
DNQ
MIL
4
LAN
DAR
13
SPR
14
MIL
9
DUQ
3
DUQ
PIK SYR
15
DET
1
DNC
13
SJS
2
PHX
DNQ
BAY
16
10th 700
1952 INDY
DNQ
MIL
2
RAL
5
SPR
DNQ
MIL
6
DET
2
DUQ
4
PIK SYR
4
DNC
18
SJS
3
PHX
15
7th 1,060
1953 INDY
25
MIL
4
SPR
DNQ
DET
13
SPR
6
MIL
3
DUQ
14
PIK SYR
13
ISF
12
SAC
6
PHX
17
5th 855
1954 INDY
8
MIL
LAN
DAR
SPR
MIL
DUQ
PIK SYR
ISF
SAC
PHX
LVG
26th 187.5
1955 INDY
DNS*
MIL
LAN SPR
MIL
DUQ
PIK SYR
ISF
SAC
PHX
16th 300
1956 INDY
33
MIL
LAN DAR
ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF SAC PHX - 0
1957 INDY
4
LAN
MIL
DET
ATL
SPR
MIL
DUQ
SYR
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
13th 600
1958 TRE INDY
18
MIL
LAN ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR
8
ISF
14
TRE SAC PHX 32nd 50
1959 DAY
DNQ
TRE
INDY
9
MIL
DNQ
LAN
SPR
MIL
DNQ
DUQ
SYR
ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
27th 200
1960 TRE INDY
DNQ
MIL
LAN
SPR
DNQ
MIL DUQ
DNQ
SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0
1961 TRE
INDY
DNQ
MIL
LAN MIL SPR DUQ SYR
ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0
1962 TRE INDY
28
MIL
DNQ
LAN TRE SPR MIL LAN SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0
1963 TRE INDY
DNQ
MIL
DNQ
LAN TRE
SPR MIL DUQ ISF
TRE
SAC
PHX
- 0
1964 PHX
TRE
INDY
DNQ
MIL
LAN TRE
SPR MIL
DUQ ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0
1965 PHX TRE INDY
DNQ
MIL
LAN
PIP TRE IRP ATL LAN MIL SPR MIL DUQ ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0
  • 1946 table only includes results of the six races run to "championship car" specifications. Points total includes the 71 races run to "big car" specifications.[5][6]

Indianapolis 500 results[edit]

* shared drive with Tony Bettenhausen

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Paul Russo". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  2. ^ Brown, Allen. "Paul Russo". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Biography Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
  4. ^ "Indianapolis Auto greats" (PDF). Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery. Crown Hill Cemetery. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
  5. ^ "1946 AAA National Championship Trail". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  6. ^ Capps, Capps (October 2009). "The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship" (PDF). Rear View Mirror. 7 (2): 1–16.

Paul Russo Dies, Ex-Racing Driver, February 18, 1976, The New York Times.

External links[edit]