Evening star., 1909-08-21
AUTO RECORDS FALL
At INDIANAPOLIS
Strang Hangs Up New Figures
for One Hundred
Miles.

INDIANAPOLIS. August al.-Drivers
Strang and Zengel shared the honors OF
the second day of the automobile race
meet on the new indianapolis motor
speedway yesterday. Strang won the
fastest 1O0-mile race ever held i'm this
country, while Zengel established new
ten-mle record. No accident marred the
days racing. Some 5000 spectators
crowded the two big stands and hundreds
Of autos filled the parking spaces.
The feature of the day was the easy vic
tory of Strang with Buick in the 10,-
mile race. Strang led all the way from
the start and won by about ten miles in
the exception of 1.32.4S 5-10 At first il
was thought this was a new record for
this country. but the officials announced
that they had decided to let the mark
of ~1.:2.1S $40. made by Chevrolet
in the first 10 miles of the
2JO-mile race of Thursday. stand, despite
the fact that Chevrolet did not finish the
race. Strang, however. beat Chevrolet's )
record for nearly all the distances be-
tween 30 and 1oO miles.
Dewitt in Buick, finished second TO
Strang in the long race, in 1.4l .32 3-1o.
and Stillman, in Maimon, was third, in
1.42.37 Clio. Harroun, in Marmon, was
the only other one of the seven starters
to finish. The Buick (ChevroleD, Marion
early in the race.
The American Automobile Association
will not withdraw it's sanction from the
meet, as its officials are satisfied that the
owners have done all i'm their power To
make the course safe. Every inch was
oiled and tarred, and the bad spots were
repaired.
Worlds Record Broken.
Before Strang started on his wonderful
0D,. ~ rw-11..
established a new ten-mile record of
S.23 2-lO. in his Chadwick, in the ten
mile free-for-all. Aitken, in National.
finished second and beat Chevrolet's old
mark for the distance.
The fifty-mile race was a walk away
for Wright and Schwitzer in the Stod-
dard-Dayton cars They were the only
drivers to finish out of the five starters
which included Buick DewitD. Neiie
(Merritt) and Buick RyalD.
The five-mile free-for-all handicap was
the most closely contested race of the
day and resulted in victory for Merz
who drove National. His teammate,
Aitken, finished one-tenth of a second be-
hind him. according to the electrical scor- ;
ing machine. Aitlken really made the bet
ter time. as his handicap was ten seconds.
while Merz had an allowance of twenty
seconds. Miller in a Standardization
with a thirty-second handicap. was third.
Thirteen cars faced the starter in this
event. II took the two Nationals some
time to overtake the early starters. Down
the long homestretch the two ears thun-
.dered with hardly an inch separating their
hoods. MerZ was able To keep his ad-
vantage until they crossed the tape
National Wins Again.
The ten-mile race for machines that will
compete in the I00-mle race today re-
suited in another victory for the Ma
tonal. This time it was Aiken who
piloted the car to success i'm the credit
able time of 326 6-10. Herbert Lyttle
broke into the lmeiight for the first time
during the meet by finishing second in his
AppersOn. nearly ten seconds behind Ait
ken. Muiford. in l.oZier. was third.
The trial for a new mile record was dis
appointing. as Walter Christies freak
racer. of which much fiad been expected.
refused % show amy desire to speed. and
Christie finally gave up after being lin-
able TO get tic rakish machine around
the track once in warming up. Oidtcld
carried off the honors Of the trials. he
covered the mile III - o-iu. Oniy Ito of "A
second slower than the worlds record
made Yesterday by him.
The speedway owners have announced
a Neutrality-suspicious. race 10 be run Friday
and Saturday. September 2i-J. The track
will be lighted by $1,000 electrical
plant now being installed