Paul Russo
# Paul Russo

Paul Russo (April 10, 1914 in Kenosha, Wisconsin – February 13, 1976 in Clearwater, Florida) was an American racecar driver.

## Midget car career

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

Russo was part of midget racing's "Chicago Gang" with Emil Andres, Tony Bettenhausen, Duke Nalon, Cowboy O'Rourke, Jimmy Snyder, and Wally Zale.

## Championship 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 85 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each year but 1951 and 1952. He finished in the top ten 49 times, with 3 victories: at Springfield (1950), Detroit (1951) and Williams Grove (1952). Russo's best finish in the Indy 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.

Russo's brother Joe and nephew Eddie also raced in the Indianapolis 500.

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

## Career award

* Russo was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1992.

## Complete 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 |

* shared drive with Tony Bettenhausen

## 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 | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 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

## World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Paul Russo participated in 8 World Championship races. He set 1 fastest lead lap, finished on the podium once and accumulated a total of 8.5 World Championship points.

