The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-23
FAST CARS READY
Preliminary Test for Speedway
Motor Races Starts Saturday.
Autos Perfect as Men Can
Make Them.
MUST MAKE IS MILES
Nine Cars Start Abreast at 100
Foot Intervals.
Greatest Meet in History of
Racing May 80.
MUST MAKE IS MILES

ana mechanically as perfect DIS
the skill of the modern motor car
maker can produce, 46 of the fastest
racing automobiles ever assembled are
at the Indianapolis motor speedway
awaiting the elimination trials next Sat
urday which will determine whether
they are eligible to start in the 500
mile international sweepstake race on
Memorial Day. Every car must show
When the entries to this event were
closed May l, there were 46 cars en-
| tered, manned by a,list of drivers which
| includes every well known pilot in
America.
Largest Held in History.
Almost six months ago the first entry
was made, when Case car, with Lewis
Strang as the driver. was entered.
From that time on the entries were
sent in steadily until the largest field
ever drawn together for one event was
announced when the entries were
closed. The greatest number of entries
in any one contest previous to this
time was rs.
The long race has assumed even
greater proportions than the promoters
had anticipated when the purse of $25.-
600 in gold was offered for the winners
of the first ten places. A capital prize
of $10, 900 headed a list of nine others as
follows: Second, $1,000; third, $1,000;
fourth, $4,000; fifth. $500; sixth $1,000:
seventh, $500; eighth 500; ninth $500;
tenth $780, In addition to this small
fortune there have been added side
prizes by various accessory makers,
which bring the total to be won up to
about SAC, 000
1t long has been the rule in motor
car racing that the drivers shall re-
ceive the cash prizes and the makers
the trophies.
The conditions of the race, which is
III
shall weigh at least $500 pounds and
have no more than 900 cubic inches
piston displacement. This makes cars
up to about 120 horsepower eligible. The
Is cars have total Of 20150 cubic
inches Of piston displacement, giving
an average of 438 cubic inches per car,
according to it's motor constructions.
The majority Of the cars in the race
in their tryout have averaged about
95 to 100 miles per hour, while many
per minute. The entry fee paid by the
entrants was $500 per car.
The race will start at 10 o'clock in the
morning and probably the winner will
cross the tape on his last lap about 8
O'Clock in the afternoon.
Bombs as They Start.
The method of starting this event,
has been difficult for the promoters
to decide. The speedway management
finally adopted the plan Of firing day.
light bombs, which explode $50 feet in
the air and give forth dense cloud Of
smoke. One of these will be fired every
minute for five minutes before 10
O'Clock and at the stroke of 10 special
starting bomb will give the signal that
will send the entire field into one Of
the greatest races ever known. After
the start the contestants are Signalled
along the course by means Of colored
flags each of which bears some special
meaning which the drivers understand.
The cars will be started in nine lines
Of five cars each, placed at intervals
OF 100 feet back of the wire.
Scoring and timing of forty-six fast
cars on a course but two and half
miles in length means the devising of
an entirely new system. In order to
score and time the race accurately
more than 100 men will be used
Throughout the seven hours, with SO
others as relief men to the regular
scorers The eye is the only part OF
man depended upon to aid in this
| task, while mechanical and electrical
devices have been called upon to per-
form the greater part of the work. An
electrical timing machine, which di-
cides the seconds into hundredths, will
catch each car as it passes the wire
on every lap, while battery of four
adding machines will be used to re-
cord the number of cars as they pass.
Two dictaphones will carry the rec
ords of the car numbers in the order
in which they fit by the stand. This
last record will have the story of the
entire race in human voice, the first
time this has ever been attempted.
| Use Electric Score Boards.
Reinforcing this quad of mechani-
cal workers will be four score boards,
each 100 feet in length and each en-
ploying more than 20 men to operate
| it. These will catch each car as it
passes the wire and credit it with a
| lap each time 1t crosses. A telephone
system, which has more than twenty
instruments attached, will convey in
4 formation to a score of announcers in
ing throng will be informed of the
status of the race every ten miles of
its progress.
Preparations have been made for
handling a crowd of 100. 900. Parking
space for 5000 automobiles has been
provided.
Known as '"The greatest race course
| in the world the Speedway has been
a great center of attraction for mo-
florists even when there was no event
acres, all enclosed within high board
fence and every corner attended by
| landscape gardeners. There are 40
| buildings ON the grounds, including
garages and grandStands Flower gar
dens and shrubbery dot the entire
tract. The track is two and one-haf
miles in length and required six
months to construct. at a cost of more
| than $4,000. The entire racing
plant, as it stands today, cost more
than 100000.
WINS MANY GOOD DOLLARS.
Zbyszko Lost Some Matches But Held
His Money.
| New York, May 23.-Stanislaus Zby