The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-12-23
INDIANAPOLIS AUTO
SPEEDWAY IS SAFE
Howard Marmon in Writing to
Motor Age Tells Reasons
for. Accidents There.

GREAT speedway IOT dutOI1ODll6S III That L
city is safe in every way, and in his
letter explains the reason for h acct
dents which caused such a harvest OF
death when the course was opened.
He says: |
Much has been said and a vast deal |
has been written about the three-day |
meet at the Indianapolis motor speed |
way-'the Roman holiday / have just |
laid down an article that violently said,
in most emphatic terms, that climatic
heat, dust from the track and its in
herent roughness which resulted in the
physical exhaustion of the drivers, were
the sole cause OF the unfortunate casu-
alties that marred the opening Of this
moft brilliantly conceived and executed
widely said that the strain of driving
a 100, 200 OF 300-mile race at the So
called terrific speeds that We're incident
to this race were beyond the powers
of human endurance and that to safe
guard both the public and the drivers,
the drivers should be changed every |
so or 100 miles or that races over 100
miles in length should be abolished.
Where the Wrong Was.
That the accidents happened cannot
be gainsaid, but to one who lived in
side the paddock during the races,
knew what was happening to the ma
chimes, was acquainted with and un-
NJ In III CAilSIil Aia IA
capabilities of the men, and was in
intimate touch with all the incidents
of the meet, the analysis of the results
that places the burden on such and
similar cause as those cited above,
seems to be incorrect and misleading.
To the onlooker standing idly in the
sun during the three days, it was hot.
The heat, however, had no effect on the
drivers. The of one of the
best organized teams at the meet wore
| sweaters while driving and commented
afterwards that they We're glad they
had them. While the dust was bad, it
was not sufficient to in any way inter-
fere with accurate and precise driving,
Though after a number of hours the
drivers eyes began to smart from the
dust, it was to nc such extent to in
any way suggest blindness. One dra-
matte and widely blazened case of dust
blindness came directly under the writ
er's notice. A machine was rumored
overturned on a remote part of
the track. The writer promptly
repaired thereto and found tae
derelict car right side up and the
driver and mechanician struggling with
the bonnet After this and other inn
pediinenta We're removed it was seen
that a vagrant connecting rod had
made a role in the that one
could almost walk through. Shortly
was led by the grandstand-which
was a roundabout way-to the hospital,
where an %uncannily wise physician
gave him a glass Of water to drink
and thereby restored his cyesight.
The track was rough, they say, and
brought the drivers to a state of phys
ical exhaustion. After the longest
races some of the drivers and mechani-
CLANS promptly reports to the pits to
help remove the supplies for the night,
one naively remarking that to those
not actually in the race it must be
rather tiresome to keep track of it and
wishing to give the pit attendants a
chance to cave for their evening meal
and relaxations. This, which was said
in perfect good faith by a driver in
the longest race. does not sound like
physical exhaustion.
Novel Conditions.
1t was said, before the completion
of the speedway, by those intimately
familiar with available cars in this
country, hat there were but few that
could go wild open on it for a couple
of hours without serious distress. This
prophecy seems TO W. been fulfilled.
The speedway presented conditions
novel to this country. Road races have
permitted high speeds on straights.
but the numerous turns have brought
constantly recurring relaxation to the
car and motor-though not to the
driyer-and the nature of mile circular
] tracks has prevented wide open throt-
tie conditions. But the speedway con-
ditions We're such that permitted a car
to continuously develop it's highest
lar, it blew up. Tho curves at the
speedway We're not deterrent. In fact,
due to firm surface conditions on the
curves, moderate powered cars that
could only do 55 to 60 miles m the
comparatively heavy pulling on the
straights would promptly jump up to
10 and rs on the turns. The point is
that after a car once started in the
long races 1t had no rest or mercy
until several hours later when the
black and whitechecked flag was
waved at it.
No Boys Game.
Driving a racing car is a mans
game n a peculiarly constituted mar
at that. There are those who car
drive a car at any speed 1t will go, 60
20, so or 80 miles an hour around
curves, dodge a bad point in the track
nonchalance and assurance that a mo,
torman will drive a street car around
/ a corner on steel rails, and with nc
more fatigue-provided his confidence
i in his car keeps up. If his motor
continues to run sweetly and every
/ organ about the car functions properly
he will drive surely and accurately
as long as timers can stay awake t.
watch him. But if he discovers hi.
) radiator Is losing water too rapidly
A oAo ehuihP AS oSNeiopiHS "A
one cylinder. an unnatural and moi.
some sound is coming from his reaI
, axle, or, an undue amount Of play j:
, developing in his steering gear. he vii
be, unless an unusually phlegmati'
sort. worn out in an amazingly shor
time. If his motor stops on him in
race and he has to crank his hear
out to start it, the nervous fear tina
: he won't be able to start it will wea
t him out long before the physical ex
ertion will exhaust him.
: Not the Track.
The drivers We're merely a vehicle
of expression. If the track had beel
smoother, speeds would have beef
higher and results not much different
1t was not the track or the driver
. who We're not ready. But the major