Do Helio Castroneves, John Paul Jr. And Kelly Petillo Have Something In Common?

By RacingNation Crew
- Tweet
- Pin It
Updated: January 13, 2009

HAMMOND, IN: Since 1911, sixty-seven different drivers have scored victories in the world’s most famous auto race: the Indianapolis 500. However, of that number, only one Indy winner subsequently found his way into a Federal prison.

That is, until now.

Although no official decision has yet been rendered regarding the fate of two time Indy champion Helio Castroneves, it was announced today that Team Penske would be replacing the troubled Brazilian with Australian Will Power for the 2009 IRL season.

At this point, there is a great deal of speculation regarding the tax evasion case pending against Castroneves, but few solid facts. What does appear certain is that the Feds will begin prosecuting Helio in early March, and that the Penske driver’s attempts to make a “settlement” to avoid prosecution have fallen on deaf ears. It seems likely that the government intends to make an example of Castroneves, with “tax time” just around the corner.

Insiders seem to think that, in order to protect his sister/manager, Castroneves will accept some jail time and deportation. If true, this could spell the end of his career as a racer, at least in the U.S.

The situation is strangely reminiscent of a mess that another popular Indy Car driver found himself immersed in 26 years ago.

In 1983, one of America’s most talented and promising racers, John Paul Jr., was arrested while practicing for that year’s Indy 500 on charges stemming from his casual involvement with his father’s drug smuggling organization. Paul Jr. was forced to plead guilty to lesser charges in order to avoid having to testify against his dad and, by the time he had served his sentence, the racing world had passed him by. And, although he came back to dominate and nearly win the 1998 Indy 500, Paul Jr. was never able to properly rebuild his career following his jail time. He tried to do the honorable thing, and has been paying the price ever since.

Sound familiar? Hopefully, Helio Castroneves can find a way to avoid falling into the same trap.

If Castroneves does go behind bars, he will join 1935 Indy winner Kelly Petillo as the only Speedway champions to go to the “big house” following their enshrinement on the Borg-Warner Trophy. Petillo, it will be remembered, was convicted of either armed robbery or assault & battery, depending on who you believe, in the early ’40’s, and dropped out of sight for many years. In the mid-fifties, a very middle-aged Petillo made a half-hearted attempt to resume his driving career, but it was obvious to anyone who met him that his glory days were well and truly behind him. He died of emphysema at age 65 in 1970.

Hopefully, the only thing that Helio Castroneves will have in common with Kelly Petillo, aside from their Indy victories, will be the use of very poor judgment.