The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-05-28
BY HARRY WARD.

The eyes of the motor world are on
Indianapolis, where. on Tuesday, will
take place the greatest automobile race
in the history of the sport. Forty-six
cars and drivers of international repu-
tation have been entered, and of this
number IT is expected about thirty
eight will face Starter Fred Wagner.
Though there was no practicing at
the Speedway today, the track was
busy place. A large force was at work
cleaning 1t and putting It in shape for
the speed trials tomorrow and the big
event Memorial Day. The drivers were
not idle either. but spent the day put
ting the finishing touches on their ma
chimes. with which each man hopes to
pull down the biggest slice OF the great
purse.
The drivers and mechanlcians have
had their final instructions from the A.
A. A. officials and Carl G. Fisher, presi-
dent Of the speedway management
Among the instruction issued to the
drivers. one of the most important, was
that II driver should take one or both
hands from the steering wheel. or wave
to friends in the grandstand. he will
be given the white flag and brought into
disqualified. The drivers were cautioned
to take every care to make the race a
safe one, and guard against accidents
Referee Pardington. while addressing
the drivers, said:
when you are driving. boys, drive for
the OPEN
Carl B. Fisher advised the drivers
that should the track become slippery
with oil during the race, that he would
have squad of laborers ready to sprin-
kle sand on the track close to the pole
Walter l. Bardell, merhanician for
Harold Van Gorder. who was injured in
q Lozier spill yesterday, was reported
better today.
Elimination trials were he'd yester-
day on the two and one-haIf mile oval
and will be continued tomorrow, the re-
quirement being the development of a
speed of seventy-five miles an hour for
one lap. II is expected this race. for
which S40,000 mas been hung I'D as prizes.
will demonstrate most effectively the si-
gantic steps the sport Of automobile rae
ing has taken in the last few years 1t
will also give motoring a chance to es-
tablish a record for attendance that
will make other sports look to their
laUTels. Unless all indications fail, there
will be an attendance at Indianapolis
running between 5000 and 100000. which
will be an attendance larger than any
that ever paid to see a sporting con-
test in this country. OF course larger
crowds have seen the running of the
Vanderbilt Cup race. but then the big
majority never paid a cent outside OF
what 1t cost them to get to the course.
If motoring can draw the anticipated
crowd, then it is certain that it has
come into its own as a standard sport.
1t required the publication of the en-
try list to make the motoring public
realize that the present crop of Amer
lean racing drivers is of high-class cali
Der, and that in the climb to the top of
the ladder, which is symbolical Of fame
In the sporting sense, America has out
stripped Europe, its teacher. /
An unbiased study of the worlds rae
ing situation cannot help but convince
everyone that the Yankee drivers TAX
ing them as a whole, far outclass their
brethren on the other side of the ocean.
They possess the daring which is so
essential to success in this profession;
they can claim mechanical knowledge
Of the highest caliber, and they drive
cars Of American manufacture that pos
sess stamina and speed equal If not
superior. to the foreign product. That
this combination is winning one is
shown by the record table of the world
for no longer do the foreign drivers
wear all. the laurel wreaths, as they
used to do in the earlier days of the
sport.
A delegation of Savannah, Ga, bust
ness men, including Mayor Tiedemann
and several aldermen, are en- route to
New York, where they will meet Off
Gals of the Automobile Club of Amer-
lea and arrange for holding the next
grand prize automobile race in Sayan-
nah. A request for the Vanderbilt Cup