Arizona republican., 1911-12-26
DE PALMA |S
 AN ENTRANT
Will Drive a Mercedes Car in 800 Mile International Sweepstakes Race at In dianapolis; Features of His Track Record
1 [.ASSocidted Press DiSbGtcjil

.4SSOciGted Press Dispatch INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. Dec. 21- ,Spec- Cor. of the Republican )-Ralph DePalma will be seen in action on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway course next Memorial day when the second annual 500-miIe international sweep stakes race will be run. the dIrt track champion having entered a Mercedes car. The car DePalml will drive is big ninety-hOrse-p power motor. the same which carried him to second place in the Vanderbilt cup race and third in the Grand Prize at Savannah during last Thanksgiving week The motor has 5.1 inch bore and 71 inch piston stroke. making piston dis placement Of jS5 cubic inches. close to the limit allowed for eligibility to the Indianapolis speed classic.
 The Mercedes is a privately owned racer, being the property of F. J Schroeder Of New York. the man who has the largest interest in the Dixie rotor boats. which have the inter1a- tiOnal aquatic speed records to date.
 This makes the fourth entry that has been received by the local speed way management. although but three drivers have been positively named for the big motor battle Two Stutz cars were the first tO enter the race. Gil Anderson being named 10 drive one and last week it was announced that Joe Watson in a Fiat would compete with the worlds greatest drivers on the Indianapolis course next Memorial day.
 The quick decision Of DePalma to place his car in the second Indianapolis 5o0-mile race indicates that the dirt track champion is eager t0 strike at the worlds speedway crown next May. not taking a chance on being over looked in the subsequent rush of ent- ries later
 DePalma turned down several flat tering offers to drive American and foreign cars in the speedway races, but the road king finally decided to pi- lot the ninety Mercedes. This car is one Of the swiftest crea- ticns ever turned out by the famous German factory
 In the 1910 Grand Prize race. De Palma was the lion of the hour. out stripping the famous foreign and American cracks and had the race practically won with two minute lead when on the next to the last lap hi> car broke down. This year. in the sWiftest sort Of company at savannah. he raced irto third place after a game fight with the giant Fiat racers. pi- loted by Bruce Brown and Eddie Hearne
 DePalma began driving in 1908 and probably has had the most meteOric career of any of the famous drivers. He has won more than loo races on various tracks all over the country and holds the miletrack records for all distances between three and fifty miles and numerous speedway records as well Tn 1908 during his first rac ing year. he won ten firsts and three seconds out of sixteen starts In 1909 put of fOrty-seven starts he won thir- ty-fOur firsts. eight seconds and one th.rd. being unplaced but three times. Tn 1910 out forty-seven starts he won thirty firsts. seven seconds and eight thirds being Unplaced twice In this year also he made records on the h. dianapOlls. Los Angeles and Atlanta Seedways in addition tO breaking and rebreaking his own records and those cs others on mile tracks.