Paul Russo

This article is about the American auto racer. For the Kenyan bank executive, see Paul Russo (banker). For the American diplomat, see Paul A. Russo. For the American artist, see Paul Rousso.

Paul Russo
Russo, circa 1947
Born	Paul Frank Russo (1914-04-14)April 14, 1914 Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	February 13, 1976(1976-02-13) (aged 61) Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
Champ Car career
81 races run over 22 years
Best finish	5th (1953)
First race	1940 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	1962 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
First win	1950 Springfield 100 (Springfield)
Last win	1951 Detroit 100 (Detroit)
Wins Podiums Poles 2 15 4
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1950–1960
Teams	Nichels, Kurtis Kraft
Entries	11 (8 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	8.5
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	1
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1960 Indianapolis 500

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

Racing career

Midget car career

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

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

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

Russo's grave at Crown Hill Cemetery

On February 13, 1976, Russo died off the coast of Clearwater while in Florida for the Daytona 500.[3][4] Russo is buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.[5]

Awards and honors

• Russo was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.[3]

Motorsports career results

AAA/USAC Championship Car results

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.[6][7]

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired 1940 38 29 120.809 29 28 48 0 Oil leak 1941 45 18 125.217 5 9 200 0 Running 1946 10 2 126.183 4 33 16 0 Crash T3 1947 15 21 123.967 8 28 24 0 Crash FS 1948 25 25 122.595 29 32 7 0 Oil leak 1949 19 19 129.487 5 8 200 0 Running 1950 7 19 130.790 18 9 135 0 Running 1953 7 17 136.219 16 25 89 0 Magneto 1954 5 32 137.678 32 8 200 0 Running 1955* 10 - - - 2 77 0 Running 1956 29 8 143.546 10 33 21 11 Crash T1 1957 54 10 144.817 1st 4 200 24 Running 1958 15 14 142.959 18 18 122 0 Radiator 1959 45 27 142.383 22 9 200 0 Running 1962 62 14 146.687 20 28 20 0 Piston Totals 1559 35

Starts 14 Poles 0 Front Row 1 Wins 0 Top 5 1 Top 10 6 Retired 8

* shared drive with Tony Bettenhausen

References

1. "Paul Russo". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
2. Brown, Allen. "Paul Russo". OldRacingCars.com. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
3. Biography Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
4. "Paul Russo Dies, Ex-Racing Driver", February 18, 1976, The New York Times.
5. "Indianapolis Auto greats" (PDF). Celebrating Automotive Heritage at Crown Hill Cemetery. Crown Hill Cemetery. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
6. "1946 AAA National Championship Trail". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
7. Capps, Capps (October 2009). "The Curious Case of the 1946 Season: An Inconvenient Championship" (PDF). Rear View Mirror. 7 (2): 1–16.