18 replies to this topic

[Thundersports]

Who was or is Joe Castellano? He won a race in the 1982 British F1 series driving a Ensign N180 so he must at the very least been competent in a F1 car! It's a name that does't crop up elsewhere so who is he?

Edited by Thundersport, 22 August 2012 - 22:56.

[gio66]

He lives in Italy and sometimes raced in the Italian Prototype Championship.

Edited by gio66, 23 August 2012 - 05:48.

[E1pix]

I wonder... if this is the same Giuseppe "Joe" Castellano that was the C-Sports Racing National Champion here in the States, in 1977. If memory serves he was a Doctor but is not listed as such in the race program... though an old photo of mine seems to say "Doc" Castellano on the chin. The car was numbered 17 and a sponsor on his car is "Altamonte Tiro."

He lived in Orlando, Florida at the time, and drove a Lola T496 with what I believe used a 1300 cc Cosworth BDH.

EDIT: Look at his years of racing and the tracks he ran at, this seems to indicate being likely "my" Joe and maybe "yours" as well:
http://www.racingspo...ellano-USA.html

Loads of info on Google:
http://www.google.co....1c.SUthrKgeeB8

EDIT 2: Yep, same guy it appears!:
http://www.driverdb....joe-castellano/

If Joe was American-born... and personally I hope he wasn't... his win at Brazil in 1982 would make him the last American to win a major F1 race — not my late friend Gordon Smiley as I've thought for 33 years:
http://en.wikipedia....mula_One_season

Edited by E1pix, 23 August 2012 - 06:55.

[fausto]

He's still racing in Campionato Italiano Prototipi and, from what I remember when I first read about him, he is the same that was racing in USA in the late '70s. Drove in 1982 WEC one of the Sivama Motors entered Lancia Beta Montecarlo, too.

[Mallory Dan]

Who was or is Joe Castellano? He won a race in the 1982 British F1 series driving a Ensign N180 so he must at the very least been competent in a F1 car! It's a name that does't crop up elsewhere so who is he?

He didn't need to be too competent to win in that series, TS... Didn't he do some Group C in a Lancia LC1 the year after?

[JacnGille]

I wonder... if this is the same Giuseppe "Joe" Castellano that was the C-Sports Racing National Champion here in the States, in 1977.

I wondered the same thing.

[E1pix]

I knew you would. A real Blast from the Past, Hey?

Interesting, never knew about the British F1 connection... a Runoffs Boy Does Good kinda thing. Mr. Smiley also raced at Road Atlanta in 1977, in Formula Super Vee.

[Thundersports]

He didn't need to be too competent to win in that series, TS... Didn't he do some Group C in a Lancia LC1 the year after?

I don't recall that i'll investigate. Thanks for the answers so far.

[ReWind]

DriverDatabase has a second entry on him under his full name of Giuseppe Carlo Castellano.

There are even three entries on Euromontagna.com: 1, 2, 3

As far as I can see he was Italian-born, but worked as a plastic surgeon in the USA and seems to have dual nationality (at least some of his cars and his overall sport both flags).

I think he was born in 1937 and is the father of Dr. Vittorio Castellano who was born in 1965.

[E1pix]

... As far as I can see he was Italian-born...

Whew, that's good news. (per bottom of my Post #3)

Great links and info ReWind, Thank You.

[gio66]

DriverDatabase has a second entry on him under his full name of Giuseppe Carlo Castellano.

No, he's not.

This

Dr. Joe Castellano is a veteran of 10 Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona races. Dr. Castalleno has shared the seat at Daytona with such luminaries as John Paul Jr. and Jim Downing.

“This will be my tenth 24 Hour race and my ninth Daytona 24 Hour in 55 years of racing,” Dr. Castellano said. “Kevin and I have been talking about racing together for over a year. This deal came together kind of late, but I am happy we were able to do a deal for the race. I raced the Daytona 24 Hour for the first time in 1976. I drove a 911 Porsche. In 1978 I drove a Camaro. In 1983 I drove “Moby Dick”, John Paul Jr.’s Porsche. We started the race from the front row that year next to AJ Foyt and Bob Wollek. I have also driven with Jim Downing in a Mazda. I am looking forward to the race this year and being back in a Porsche.”

Edited by gio66, 24 August 2012 - 19:07.

[Chris Townsend]

Who was or is Joe Castellano? He won a race in the 1982 British F1 series driving a Ensign N180 so he must at the very least been competent in a F1 car! It's a name that does't crop up elsewhere so who is he?

I corresponded with him a few years ago as he raced a couple of F. Atlantic Ralts that I was trying to trace the history of.
He started racing in SCCA in Florida in the late 1970s. I first show him running a Ralt RT1 in 1979 but I guess he might have run in junior formulae before that.
He was pretty successful in SCCA, reaching the annual run-offs.
At that point he was based in Miami and was a plastic surgeon.
He clearly made a good amount of money as he was able to rent works Ralt RT4s to run the occasional pro Atlantic race, and I think I remember him in 1982? buying a drive in a works Lancia Beta at Silverstone.

He still had a working address in Florida in 2008.

Chris

[ReWind]

No, he's not.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.
Do you claim that Dr. Giuseppe Carlo Castellano and Dr. Joe Castellano are different persons?

[E1pix]

... He started racing in SCCA in Florida in the late 1970s...
... He was pretty successful in SCCA, reaching the annual run-offs...
... At that point he was based in Miami and was a plastic surgeon...

Do you claim that Dr. Giuseppe Carlo Castellano and Dr. Joe Castellano are different persons?

I'm starting to get confused. Will the real Joe please stand up?

[Thundersports]

I'm a little worried I have opened a can of worms that perhaps I shouldn't have done!

[E1pix]

I'm a little worried I have opened a can of worms that perhaps I shouldn't have done!

Oh No, you're fine... just trying to decipher some contradictory posts.

It seems we determined it's all one Joe, now there seems to be Joes everywhere.

[eldougo]

[quote name='gio66' date='Aug 25 2012, 05:04' post='5880890']

There is a SIZE LIMIT could you please reduce it . My flat screen TV could just not fit it in.

Edited by eldougo, 26 August 2012 - 01:53.

[Ray Bell]

Here's a more reasonable version, eldouglas:

[eldougo]

Thanks Ray i see you on Friday evening 6-30pm for the. launch