Joe Sostilio
Encyclopedia
Joe Sostilio was a Hall of Fame auto racing driver from Natick, Massachusetts
. He was born in Newton, Massachusetts
, Sostilio was a prominent midget
and stockcar driver.
In 1932, at the age of 17, Sostilio won the first race he ever entered, driving a Model A
Ford. By 1935, Sostilio had added a championship to his resume by capturing the New England Dirt Championship. He repeated as champion in 1936 and 1938. He captured the 1939 Vermont State Midget Championship.
In 1941, Joe finished fourth in the first Midget race at the Williams Grove Speedway
.
Joe interrupted his racing career to serve his country (1941–1944) during World War II
.
When the war ended, Joe returned to the Midget ranks with the Bay State Midget Racing Association, losing the championship to Bob Blair by one point. In 1946, he piloted the Koopman Offenhauser
and finished 4th in BSMRA points, competing at tracks from Seekonk, Massachusetts
to Akron, Ohio
. In 1947, Sostilio piloted the #54 Leader Card Offy to claim the Bay State Midget title on the strength of 31 wins, 23 seconds and 12 third-place finishes. Notable victories from that season include the first-ever race at Westboro Speedway
near Worcester, Massachusetts
and another win during the inaugural season of the Lonsdale Sports Arena
in Rhode Island
.
In 1948, Sostilio finished sixth in United Car Owners Association points, driving for the MacLeod Racing Team with fellow Hall of Famer, Johnny Thomson
.
In 1949, Sostilio turned his focus to Stock Car racing, traveling from New England to South Bend, Indiana
for three consecutive weeks and claiming the trophy each time. In AAA
competition, Sostilio won seven races between 1948 and 1950 at tracks all over the country: South Bend, Indiana
, Milwaukee Mile
, Akron, Ohio; Miami, Florida
and Heidelberg, Pennsylvania
. Sostilio also became a frequent competitor in the California winter circuits during this time as well.
In the early 1950s Joe competed in the AAA Big Cars alongside his teammate, Indianapolis 500
winner Johnnie Parsons
. Joe beat fellow Hall of Famer Tommy Hinnershitz
to win the 1953 AAA Eastern Sprint Car Championship. That title run was bookended by efforts of 5th in 1952 and 6th in 1954.
His career-best finish on the AAA/Champ Car circuit was a pair of 7th-place efforts at Langhorne Speedway
and Darlington Speedway in 1954.
Joe died on July 9, 2000 at the age of 85.
and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
honoring his achievements. He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2011.
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
. He was born in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, Sostilio was a prominent midget
Midget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
and stockcar driver.
In 1932, at the age of 17, Sostilio won the first race he ever entered, driving a Model A
Model A
Model A may refer to:* Ford Model A , a model of car built by the Ford Motor Company* Ford Model A , a model of car built by the Ford Motor Company* One of the letter-series models of Farmall tractors...
Ford. By 1935, Sostilio had added a championship to his resume by capturing the New England Dirt Championship. He repeated as champion in 1936 and 1938. He captured the 1939 Vermont State Midget Championship.
In 1941, Joe finished fourth in the first Midget race at the Williams Grove Speedway
Williams Grove Speedway
Williams Grove Speedway is a half-mile automobile race track located in Williams Grove, between Mechanicsburg and Dillsburg in Pennsylvania, USA. It opened in 1939, and hosted Championship Car races from 1949 to 1959 named the "Indianapolis Sweepstakes", contested by a small field of the best Champ...
.
Joe interrupted his racing career to serve his country (1941–1944) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
When the war ended, Joe returned to the Midget ranks with the Bay State Midget Racing Association, losing the championship to Bob Blair by one point. In 1946, he piloted the Koopman Offenhauser
Offenhauser
Offenhauser was an American racing engine manufacturer that operated from 1933 to 1983.The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was developed by Fred Offenhauser and his employer Harry Arminius Miller, after maintaining and repairing a 1913 Peugeot Grand Prix car of the type which...
and finished 4th in BSMRA points, competing at tracks from Seekonk, Massachusetts
Seekonk, Massachusetts
Seekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Massachusetts border. It was incorporated in 1812 from the western half of Rehoboth. The population was 13,722 at the 2010 census. Until 1862, the town of Seekonk also included what is now the City of East Providence, Rhode...
to Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. In 1947, Sostilio piloted the #54 Leader Card Offy to claim the Bay State Midget title on the strength of 31 wins, 23 seconds and 12 third-place finishes. Notable victories from that season include the first-ever race at Westboro Speedway
Westboro Speedway
Westboro Speedway was a high-banked 1/4 mile paved oval located in Westborough, Massachusetts, USA, that operated from 1947 through 1985. The Speedway Mall is located on the site of the former race track....
near Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and another win during the inaugural season of the Lonsdale Sports Arena
Lonsdale Sports Arena
Lonsdale Sports Arena was a high-banked 1/3 mile high-banked paved oval located two miles north of Pawtucket, Rhode Island on Mendon Road in Cumberland, Rhode Island, on the banks of the Blackstone River. The track operated from 1947 to 1956. Ironically, its location near the river would prove a...
in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
In 1948, Sostilio finished sixth in United Car Owners Association points, driving for the MacLeod Racing Team with fellow Hall of Famer, Johnny Thomson
Johnny Thomson
Johnny Thomson was an American racecar driver. Thomson was nicknamed "the Flying Scot."-Midget cars:...
.
In 1949, Sostilio turned his focus to Stock Car racing, traveling from New England to South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
for three consecutive weeks and claiming the trophy each time. In AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
competition, Sostilio won seven races between 1948 and 1950 at tracks all over the country: South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, Milwaukee Mile
Milwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Mile is a -long oval race track in West Allis, Wisconsin that seats about 40,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954....
, Akron, Ohio; Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and Heidelberg, Pennsylvania
Heidelberg, Pennsylvania
Heidelberg is a small suburb southwest of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,244 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Heidelberg is located at ....
. Sostilio also became a frequent competitor in the California winter circuits during this time as well.
In the early 1950s Joe competed in the AAA Big Cars alongside his teammate, Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
winner Johnnie Parsons
Johnnie Parsons
Johnnie Parsons was an American race car driver from Los Angeles, California who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1950....
. Joe beat fellow Hall of Famer Tommy Hinnershitz
Tommy Hinnershitz
Thomas Paul Hinnershitz was an American race car driver.Hinnershitz was active through the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s on dirt, asphalt and boards, driving Sprint Cars, at that time slightly smaller versions of Indianapolis cars that could be raced on half mile dirt race tracks.-Career...
to win the 1953 AAA Eastern Sprint Car Championship. That title run was bookended by efforts of 5th in 1952 and 6th in 1954.
His career-best finish on the AAA/Champ Car circuit was a pair of 7th-place efforts at Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township, Bucks County, near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia....
and Darlington Speedway in 1954.
Joe died on July 9, 2000 at the age of 85.
Awards
2003 saw Sostilio become a Hall of Fame member when he was inducted into two Halls-of-Fame, with the New England Auto Racers Hall of FameNew England Auto Racers Hall of Fame
The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for racing-related people in the New England region of the United States. NEAR was established in 1981. The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame was established in 1998 by the New England Antique Racers.-New England Antique Racers:The...
and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summer.-A-C:...
honoring his achievements. He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2011.