Joe Sostilio

Who was Joe Sostilio?

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 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.