Pete DePaolo

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Pete DePaolo (April 6, 1898 – November 26, 1980) was an American racecar driver and one of the greats of his era. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1925 and was National Champion in 1925 and 1927.

Born in Philadelphia, DePaolo watched his uncle Ralph DePalma race in 1919, which sparked his own career. He finished fourth in the 1922 Indianapolis 500 and survived a serious crash at the Kansas City board track.

In the 1925 Indy 500, he built a big lead but blistered his hands; his car owner swapped him out for 21 laps. He returned to win the race, becoming the first driver at Indy to average over 100 mph (about 101 mph).

In 1927 he started his own team, finishing second in the Indy 500 and winning two more races on the way to the season championship.

In 1934 he drove a four-wheel-drive car in Europe and Africa. At AVUS in Germany, he led a rain-soaked race when two connecting rods failed, narrowly missing Adolf Hitler in his box seat.

DePaolo retired from racing on October 17, 1934, to protect his family after a Barcelona crash that left him unconscious for almost two weeks. He remained involved in racing as a team owner and manager, including guiding Kelly Petillo to the 1935 Indy 500 victory. He later ran a NASCAR team from 1955 to 1957, which produced several top finishes and 21 wins for its drivers; the team later became Holman-Moody.

He performed at the 1971 Indy 500 by singing "Back Home Again in Indiana," the only driver to do so as of 2025. He served as Grand Marshal of Roseland's BiCentennial Parade in 1976. DePaolo Court in Roseland is named after him. He died in Laguna Hills, California, in 1980, at the age of 82.