Died of emphysema. His life was much troubled, which included spells in jail for alleged rape, stabbing and suspected murder and manslaughter. 1935 Indy 500 winner, his success was probably his final undoing, as it made him arrogant and greedy, which in turn made him unpopular with fellow drivers and racefans. However, he had been in trouble as a boy, so racing at least brought him a longer more successful life. Born Cavino Michelli Petillo, the Kelly name came from a misunderstanding by a teacher thinking Michelli was Petillo saying to her 'me, Kelly'. Petillo, despite his character, was a brilliant driver, but the fact his entry was refused by the speedway in 1946 and 1959 - despite being 55 years of age shows that the speedway would rather he didn't exist.

Biography last updated 16 Aug 2015