Pete DePaolo

Peter DePaolo was born on April 6, 1898, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pete saw his first race in 1919, where he watched his uncle Ralph DePalma win from Pete's perch as DePalma's riding mechanic. == Driving career ==

DePaolo drove in the 1922 Indianapolis 500, finishing fourth. He suffered his worst career injury at the Kansas City board track; his car rolled four times. DePaolo did not consider it his greatest win because he'd been relieved for 21 laps. DePaolo founded his own team in 1927 and finished second in the 1927 Indianapolis 500, and added two wins on his way to the series' driver's championship. In 1934, DePaolo drove the Harry Miller four-wheel-drive car in races throughout Europe and Africa. At the AVUS course, near Berlin, while leading the race in a downpour, his engine threw two connecting rods which narrowly missed hitting Adolf Hitler in his trackside box seat. DePaolo announced his retirement on October 17, 1934 on the birthday of his son, Tommy. Following an accident at a race in Barcelona, Spain where he crashed into a curb rather than hit children playing in the streets, he fell unconscious. He remained unconscious for almost two weeks and on three occasions, it was believed he would not recover. He came through and decided to retire for his family rather than lose his life. == Car owner ==

DePaolo was car owner and team manager for Kelly Petillo's 1935 Indianapolis 500 victory. DePaolo was a successful NASCAR team owner from 1955 to 1957. His drivers finished second, third, and second in the final points standings during those seasons. His drivers accumulated 21 wins and 109 Top 10 finishes in 178 starts. The team later became Holman-Moody. == Writer ==

• He wrote his biography in the book Wall Smacker, published in 1935. In the book he wrote that racing on a board track was "a great sensation, tearing around a board speedway dodging holes and flying timber." • DePaolo was an Associate Editor at Speed Age magazine when he wrote an eight-part series "I Drove The Boards" from July 1951 through August 1952. == Later life ==

DePaolo sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" prior to the start of the Indianapolis 500 in 1971, DePaolo Court in Roseland is named after him. DePaolo died on November 26, 1980, at age 82. == Awards and honors ==

DePaolo has been inducted into the following halls of fame: • Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1963) • Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1995) • National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (1995) DePaolo has been awarded the following honors: • Automotive Hall of Fame Distinguished Service Citation (1969) == Motorsports career results ==

Indianapolis 500 results {{col-begin {{col-break == References ==