Drivers/United States of America
Paul Russo
- 1950–1959
- RUS
- Born 10 April 1914 in Kenosha
- Died 13 February 1976
- Paul Frank Russo
Family in Formula 1: Eddie Russo (nephew or niece)
Never drove a Formula 1 race. All of these appearances were at the Indianapolis 500, which counted towards the drivers' championship from 1950 to 1960 but was run to different regulations with a different field.
- Starts8
- Wins00% of starts
- Podiums113% of starts
- Pole positions00× started from P1
- Fastest laps1
- Titles0best finish P13
Career numbers
- Avg grid position18.1
- Avg finish10.9
- Retirement rate0%
- Pole-to-win conversion–
- Positions gained+42
- Points scored8.5
- Longest winning streak–
- Longest podium streak1
- Longest points-scoring streak3
- TeamsNichels (1950) · Kurtis Kraft (1953–1959)
Pole position means the fastest time in qualifying. That is not the same as a start from P1 – grid penalties move a driver down the grid. Up to the 2000s the two numbers coincide.
The career at a glance
Season by season
| Season | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Nichels | 1 | 0 | – | ||
| 1953 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1.5 | P18 | ||
| 1954 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | – | ||
| 1955 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | 3 | P13 | |
| 1956 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 1 | P27 | ||
| 1957 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 3 | P17 | ||
| 1958 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | – | ||
| 1959 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | – |
Every race
9 entries, 8 of them started. DNQ: did not qualify; DNS: did not start; DNF: retired.
- First entryIndianapolis 500 1950P9 · Nichels
- Last startIndianapolis 500 1959P9 · Kurtis Kraft
All 9 races, season by season
| Year | Race | Team | Grid | Result | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Indianapolis 500 | Nichels | 19 | P9 | |
| 1953 | Indianapolis 500shared | Kurtis Kraft | – | P4 | 1.5 |
| Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 17 | P25 | ||
| 1954 | Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 32 | P8 | |
| 1955 | Indianapolis 500shared | Kurtis Kraft | – | P2 | 3 |
| 1956 | Indianapolis 500fastest lap | Kurtis Kraft | 8 | P33 | 1 |
| 1957 | Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 10 | P4 | 3 |
| 1958 | Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 14 | P18 | |
| 1959 | Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 27 | P9 |
Against team-mates
Same car, same races. In the race only those where both reached the finish count – a retirement says nothing about the head-to-head.
| Team-mate | Years | Races | Qualifying | Quali gap | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Daywalt | 1953–1959 | 5:1 | 2:2 | −0.35% | 8.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Johnnie Parsons | 1953–1958 | 5:1 | 1:2 | +1.13% | 7.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Pat O'Connor | 1954–1958 | 4:1 | 0:4 | +0.65% | 7 : 0 | Compare |
| Fred Agabashian | 1953–1957 | 2:3 | 0:3 | +0.21% | 8.5 : 1.5 | Compare |
| Andy Linden | 1953–1957 | 5:1 | 2:0 | – | 10 : 2 | Compare |
| Tony Bettenhausen | 1954–1957 | 3:2 | 1:2 | +0.43% | 7 : 3 | Compare |
| Bob Christie | 1956–1959 | 2:2 | 3:1 | −0.70% | 4 : 0 | Compare |
| Sam Hanks | 1953–1956 | 3:2 | 1:1 | +0.23% | 5.5 : 8 | Compare |
| Jim Rathmann | 1953–1956 | 4:1 | 0:2 | +0.40% | 4 : 0 | Compare |
| Eddie Johnson | 1953–1959 | 2:2 | 2:1 | −0.20% | 4.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Al Keller | 1955–1958 | 2:2 | 2:1 | −1.64% | 7 : 0 | Compare |
| Johnny Boyd | 1955–1958 | 2:2 | 1:2 | −0.84% | 7 : 4 | Compare |
| Duane Carter | 1953–1959 | 1:3 | 0:2 | – | 1.5 : 3.5 | Compare |
| Marshall Teague | 1953–1957 | 4:0 | 1:0 | – | 4.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Ed Elisian | 1955–1957 | 2:1 | 1:1 | – | 7 : 0 | Compare |
| Bill Vukovich | 1953–1955 | 1:2 | 0:1 | – | 4.5 : 18 | Compare |
| Art Cross | 1953–1955 | 2:1 | 0:1 | – | 4.5 : 6 | Compare |
| Jack McGrath | 1953–1955 | 2:1 | 0:1 | – | 4.5 : 7 | Compare |
| Jimmy Davies | 1953–1955 | 4:0 | 0:0 | – | 4.5 : 4 | Compare |
| Jerry Hoyt | 1953–1954 | 2:1 | 0:1 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Troy Ruttman | 1954–1956 | 0:2 | 1:1 | – | 1 : 1.5 | Compare |
| Bob Veith | 1956–1958 | 1:1 | 1:1 | – | 1 : 0 | Compare |
| Jack Turner | 1956–1957 | 1:1 | 2:0 | – | 4 : 0 | Compare |
| Don Freeland | 1957–1959 | 2:0 | 1:1 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Mike Magill | 1957–1958 | 1:1 | 2:0 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Bill Cheesbourg | 1957–1958 | 1:1 | 2:0 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Rodger Ward | 1953–1956 | 1:1 | 1:0 | – | 2.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Duke Dinsmore | 1953–1956 | 1:1 | 1:0 | – | 2.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Johnny Thomson | 1953–1958 | 2:0 | 1:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Pat Flaherty | 1953–1955 | 3:0 | 0:0 | – | 4.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Gene Hartley | 1953–1954 | 2:0 | 0:1 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Bob Sweikert | 1954–1955 | 1:1 | 0:1 | – | 3 : 8 | Compare |
| Bill Homeier | 1954–1955 | 2:0 | 0:1 | – | 3 : 1 | Compare |
| Al Herman | 1955–1956 | 1:1 | 1:0 | – | 4 : 0 | Compare |
| Chuck Weyant | 1955–1959 | 2:0 | 1:0 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Ray Crawford | 1955–1956 | 1:1 | 1:0 | – | 4 : 0 | Compare |
| Eddie Russo | 1956–1957 | 1:1 | 1:0 | – | 4 : 0 | Compare |
| Walt Faulkner | 1953–1955 | 2:0 | 0:0 | – | 4.5 : 1 | Compare |
| Cal Niday | 1953–1955 | 2:0 | 0:0 | – | 4.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Mike Nazaruk | 1954 | 0:1 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 2 | Compare |
| Larry Crockett | 1954 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Ernie McCoy | 1954 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Frank Armi | 1954 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Dick Rathmann | 1956 | 0:1 | 0:1 | – | 1 : 2 | Compare |
| Johnnie Tolan | 1956 | 0:1 | 1:0 | – | 1 : 0 | Compare |
| Keith Andrews | 1956 | 0:1 | 1:0 | – | 1 : 0 | Compare |
| Jimmy Reece | 1957 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Don Edmunds | 1957 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Elmer George | 1957 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 3 : 0 | Compare |
| Shorty Templeman | 1958 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Billy Garrett | 1958 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Paul Goldsmith | 1958 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Jerry Unser Jr. | 1958 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Len Sutton | 1958 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Chuck Arnold | 1959 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Jim McWithey | 1959 | 1:0 | 1:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Bobby Grim | 1959 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Jud Larson | 1959 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Red Amick | 1959 | 1:0 | 0:1 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| Dennis Nalon | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Carl Scarborough | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Bob Scott | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Bill Holland | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Johnny Mantz | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Spider Webb | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Jackie Holmes | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Chuck Stevenson | 1953 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 1.5 : 0 | Compare |
| Jimmy Jackson | 1954 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
| George Fonder | 1954 | 1:0 | 0:0 | – | 0 : 0 | Compare |
Green: Paul Russo came out ahead in that duel. Quali gap: the median difference in the last session both set a time in, as a share of the lap – minus is faster. At least three sessions; a dash where there were fewer.
Strongest circuits
Circuits with at least two starts, most wins first.
| Circuit | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | 8 | 1 | 10.9 |