The Washington herald., 1911-05-28

Indianapolis, Ind, and Washington, D.
c., are some distance apart. but this fact
does not in any way detract from the
| interest that is being shown among the
local motorists over the 5OO-mile automo-
bile race which is to take place there on
Tuesday. The Vanderbilt race has al
lowers to New York. and while there will
be but few Washingtonians at the Speed
way track on Tuesday morning when
the forty-six cars start on their 5OO-mile
grind, the results will be watched most
closely.
There are number Of reasons why this
race is attracting a great deal of interest
not only in Washington, but everywhere
that automobiling is popular. The prin-
cipal one is that the race is the longest
ever held and the purse-nearly $4,000
which will be divided among the winners
Is the biggest sum of money ever offered
for an event of this kind. OF the forty
six cars which will be sent away many
of the same make are owned in this
city, and II is but natural that their per-
formance should be watched with inter-
est here.
SpeculatinE on the Result.
Speculation is rife as to what machine
Will win and the average speed It will
nave to maintain to carry off the laurels
Some contend that though the entry
blank requires that all cars show a speed
OF seventy-five miles to qualify the WIN
ner will not average this for the dis
tance. Tire trouble, which promises to
be the main cause of delays, will cut
down the speed averages Of all of the
drivers. 1t is conceded on all sides that
each and every car will experience more
or less difficulty on this point The ter
rife pace over the brick track will burn
up tires and IT is figured that the skid
ding on the turns, which all Of the ma
chimes will do more or less of, will
prove very hard on the rubber equip
mcnt
Yesterday a crowd of local enthusi-
asts, all OF whom have seen one or
more Vanderbilt-races, were comparing
notes on the race. They practically
agreed that not more than half of the
cars would finish the 5JO-mile grind 1t
was figured that engine trouble would be
the cause OF the withdrawal of the ma
jority of the machines. AS yet no car
has ever been driven in competition over
so long course and at such a rate Of
speed as those machines will be called
upon to show. Many Of the manufac-
turers have built special cars just for
this event, but the race is more or less
of an experiment with them. The driv-
ers in the contest are, with few excep-
tions. men who have had much expert
ence in racing. and it promises to be a
battle Of brains as well as cars. All
will endeavor to save their cars as much
IS possible without losing their position
in the race and the jockeying promises
to be better than that seen at any race
track when the horses face the barrier
in a big race.
VIII Be Battle of Brains.
The idea of starting the cars in three
rows at a forty-mile-an-hour clip has
proven a happy solution of what prom
ised to be a most difficult problem. The
track was not wide enough to start all
the cars abreast, and the lining up Of
the machines in three rows and sending
them away from a standing start proved
Objectionable to those in the second and
third rows, as they claimed the drivers
in the first row had a great advantage
of them, since there was nothing in front
to obstruct their vision, and hence they
could get away faster.
Whoever wins the race will do so not
simply because he has a superior car.
but because he succeeded in out maneu-
vering his competitors. 1t is expected
that the race will last little over six
hours.
Special trains will pour into the In
diana city from all over the country
tomorrow and IT Is expected that the at
tendance will be in the neighborhood OF
100000. Ample police protection has been
provided for, so that there is but little
danger Of any of the spectators being
injured.