Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-01
OLDFIELD MAKES NEW MARK
In the Mile Run Nearly 0ne-Half
Second is Cut Off.
HARBOUR GOES A RAPID FIFTY
Immense Crowds Cheer the Drivers
ms they speed Around Course mt
indianapolis Performing
the Feats.

1NDIANAPOLIS, May SIN slashing
races at the indianapolis speedway
new records were set for the national cham
piohship in stock ear classes, which will be
contested annually. Barney Oldfeld, with |
his big Benz, broke the American speedway
records for the mile and the kilometer, and
Ray Harroun. driving a Marmon. topped
the time for fifty miles for cars Of 2a to 200
cubic inches displacement.
crowd Of 5000 people cheered the
drivers on to desperate feats Of speed and
the companies OF militia were pressed hard
In controlling the eager spectators who over
flowed the grandstands on to the field,
straining for a near view Of the heroes OF
the motors
Oldfield cut the mile speed record down
from SO flat to 1856 and the kllometer record
from 237 TO 2Ll5. lie made the former
records on the Los Angeles track
In a wonderfully sustained dash through
out tire fifty-mile race Harroun easily led
his rivals and was ahead Of the record at
thirty and forty miles and the finish. His
time was 42H The former record, which
was A4s Harroun himself had set at At
lanta
bragg wins Two Races.
Caleb Bragg, the Cincinnati amateur,
with his Fiat, was the third star OF the
days triumphs. He won two ten-mile and
one five-mile free-for-all race and had to
put up a hard fight for each Of them with
Kirscher in a Darracq.
For the national championship, the
drivers battled with all their skin. fore
ing their engines to the limit of their
power. The leaders were always punched
at the home stretch and the contests were
not decided until the front wheels OF the
victors actually had crossed the wire Of
the timing machine
The entries had been cut down by tho
strict decisions of the technical committee
of the American Automobile association
which stated that every car that did not
comply with the specifications as to weight
and cylinder measurements In the various
sections should be barred. But the races
rwere none the less sensational because OF
the smaller fields of contestants.
Z l.. Chevrolet, in a Buick winning the
16l to $50 championship for ten miles, set
the record down to 9:O3 from 9:46 and Daw-
son (Marmon), wrestling from Harroun the
victory in the 23l to 800 class for five
miles put a new mark at 4:41. seven seconds
better than the old time.
Sets n Fast Pace.
Oldfield in a Knox won both the five and
mile Championships in the 451 to 600 class
which included the highest power cars
recognized under the stock car racing
rules. Leading all the way, oldfield cut
down the record for five miles from 4:03 to
4O1.
The honor for setting the championship
record for ten miles in the 9O1 to 4o1 class
went to Aitken (NatonaD. who pulled
down the time from sos to 1862.
Only two accidents marred the days
sport and in neither OF them was anyont
injured, though Harroun had the narrowes
escape from death that he had ever ex
perienced. His Marmon Wasp with which
he so brilliantly won the 200 mile race
Saturday. burst tire and hurled itself or
the ceTnent. wall that guards the upper
margin Of the track. Sliding along the tor
of the wall, the car tore fuTrow In tbs
cement for fifty feet and then topplet
over, flinging Harrouu from his seat. HI
picked himself up unhurt, but his Wasl
was snarl of steel. 1t was only partia
consolation for his loss when +. II
Wheeler, vice president OF the Speedwa,
company, leading him before the thronge
grandstands, presented him with the $1,000
silver trophy and a check for $1,000 whicl
he won in the 2OO-miLe race.
Nobody Hurt
The second accident of the day occurre
in the five-mile free-for-all, when Kir
scher's Darracd cast high in the air on
4 strength the driver held his careeninR, fly
ing car true 10 the track and finally turne
off into the inner field and stopped itsel
in the sand. The ten-mile race for car
of 161 to $50 cubic inches piston dlsplaoe
ment started with four entries Buman
Buick; l.. Chrevlot, Buick; Prayer, Fire
stone, and Miller. Warren. Detroit. Chrev
rolet jumped to the lead at the start. wit
Burman a close second. and they held thi
order to the finish. drawing far ahea
from Prayer, who finished third. and Mile
fourth. Time: $685. This was the frs
of the national championship races. A ne,
record was set in this class. the forme
record was 9;4946.
Dawson, Marmon, won the flve-mll
championship for cars of 2S1 to 800 inche
y piston displacement in 441-3. Thi
-" breaks tns old record. which was IA
Harroun. Marmon, was second; Anderso
Marmon, third.
BraEE Takes the Lead.
/ Bragg Flat, took the lead at the crao
OF the pistol in the five-mile free-for-a
and won the race from Kirscher Darrac,
second. Aitken. National, was third. Time
3:34e
Harroun's Marmon snatched the victor
from Dawson, Marmon. and Clark, CuttinI
in the ten-mile championship for cars
231 to 800 inches displacement. The resu
was CLOSE. Time: $3.50
Barney Oldfield, Knox, led all the dis
lance in the championship five-mile rae
for the cars OF 4Ol to 600 cubic inches di.
placement and broke the record In 4:Ol
The old dino was G42. Aiken, Nationa
i was second and Gincaid.' National, thirt
Aiken, National, took first honors In II
five-mile championship for cars SOl to a
piston displacement Kncaid, Nationa
second and Merz. National third. Tin
4S7. Kincaid on Friday broke the recoI
by going the distance In 4:O5,7.
t Reed in the. Five-MiIe.
Reed, driving stoddard Dayton. won Il
five-ihile free-for-all handicap In a fie
OF sixteen cars. His handicap was 10 Sc
onds, Tousey. National. 81 seconds. was Sc
ond and Aiken National, "a seconds, W,
third Time 1855