New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-31
OLDF|ELD CLIPS RECORD
Lowers American Time for Mile
in Stock Car Races.
CONTESTS CLOSE AND FAST
Harroun, Bragg and Chevrolet
Speed Autos to Victory by
Skilful Driving.

Indianapolis, May 30.-In slashing races
at the Indianapolis speedway to-day new
records were set for the national champion
ships in stock car classes to be contested
annually. Barney Otdfeld, with a Benz.
broke the American speedway record for
the mile and the kilometre. and Ray Har-
roun, driving a Marmon, topped the time
for fifty miles for cars of 81 to 500 cubic
inches displacement.
An enormous crowd cheered the drivers
on to desperate feats of speed, and COM
panies of militia were pressed hard to con-
troll the eager spectators, who Overfowed
the grandstand on to the field, straining
for a near view of the driverc.
Oldield cut the mile speed record down
from 36 to 35.6 seconds and the kilOmetre
record from 237 to Las. He made the for
mer records on the Los Angeles track In
a wonderfully sustained dash throughout
the ffty-mfIe race Harround easily led his
rivals. He was ahead of the record at
thirty and forty miles and the finish His
time was 42:41. The former record, which
was H4s. Harroun himself had set at At
lanta Caleb Bragg. a Cincinnati amateur
with Fiat. was the third star of the days
triumphs. He won two ten-miIe races and
one f1ve-mile fTee-for-alI race, and had to
put up a hard fight for each of them with
kirscher. in a Darracq.
For the national championships the
drivers raced with all their skill. forcing
their engines to the limit Of power. The
leaders were always punched in the home
stretch. and the contests were not decided
until the front wheels Of the victor's &C
tually crossed the wire of the timing ma
chine.
The entries were somewhat reduced in
number by the strict decisions OF the tech
meal committee of the American Auto
mobile Association. which insisted tlst
every car that did not absolutely Con1Fly
with the specifications as to weight and
cylinder measurements in the various
ella sses should be barred l.. Chevrolet, in
a Buick, winning the 161 to go cylinder dis
placement championship for ten miles, set
the record down to,9:0S from 9:46, and Daw-
son CMarmon), wrestling from Harroun the
victory in the 81 to 800 class for five miles,
making a new mark of Al, seven seconds
better than the old time
Oldfeld with a Knox. won the five
mile and ten-mile championships in the
451 to SEQ class, which included the highest
powered cars recognized under the stock
car racing rules. Leading all the way, Old
from 4O3 to 4:01. The honor for setting for
next years aspirants the championship
record for ten miles in the 301 10 $50 class
went to Aitken (NationaD, who pulled down
the time from SOS 10 1:52.
Only two accidents marTed the days
sport. and in neither of them was any one
In .ured. though Harroun had the narrow
est escape from death that he had expert
tn 7fc af A
Wasp. with which he so brilliantly won
The 20O-mile race on Saturday. burst a tire
and hurled itself against the cement wall
hat guards the upper margin of the track /
Sliding along the top of the wall. the !
7ar tore a fIrrow in the cement for fifty +
'eet and then toppIed over. ffinging Har- /
-our from his seat. He got up unhurt. but +
he Wasp was a snarI OF steel. II was
,nIv partial consolation for his loss when 1
= n. Wheeler vice president of the Speed +
vav Company. leading him before the F..
hronged grandstands. gave him the 10000 /
silver trophy and a check for $1,000, which /
le won in the 2g0-uile race. The second /
accident Of the day occurred in the five
nile free for all. in which ktrscher's Oar 4
aca cast high in the air one Of its front
Tres surnmoning all his strength, the 4
river held his careening car true 70 the /
rack and finally turned 1t off 70 the inner
ield and stopped in safety in the sand.
The summaries follow:
Ten-nniIe championship (for cars 451 70 500
&c hes displacement Won by Oidfeld (Eucx).
rertz tNationaD. second kincaids INA
FiverniIe free for alI-won By Bragg
NATIONAL third. Time. 3S4e
Ten-mile race (for cars OF 1877 to $50 cubic
lches piston dispacenent)-Won BY Chew
oIet (BuIckl; Burmsn lBuickl. second
rayer tFirestone). third. Time. 9:05.e
Ten-uile free for aIl-won BY Bragg CFfat1 |
.incaide tNationsD, second: Cireiner CNation-
- third. Time. 1910
Ftve-rnile free for all fhaDdicap)-won by
esd tStoddard- Daytcnl t51 seconds. Totfsev
Nationally t54 seconds, second. Aitkeu tNa-
onaD t2T seconds third Time. 3.3s6
Five-niie championship tfor cars Of 22f 10
lawson fMarmOul: Harroun (Marrnon1 sec
nd: Anderson (Marionl. third. Time, 44Ia
Ten-mtle championship (for cars of 2gf TO
% inches dIsptsce mert}-Won by Harrount
81 a rruonl. DaW fNarmon}. second. C,Iark
,urttug1, third Time. 9:2J.8
Naturalization by Oidde;d Benz, break
IL American record. Time. 2.3T1
Five-mile championship flor cars or Al 10
DO cubic inches displacement Won bv Cia- /
ELL tknoxl. Aitkeu (NatlonaI) second. Kin
aide tNationa). third Time 4.Of3
Ffye-miie championship for cars OF aOF IN /
onaD: Ktneeide tNationaIl. second Merz
third Time, 4;067.
Ten-mite championship tor cars OF sa1 70
so inches displacement1-Won bv Aiken
Kincaide (NatiOnai) second Tine 4
.571.