The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-23

500 miles at a ratio of about seventy
five miles per hour.
The race will start at 10 O'clock in
the morning, and probably the winner
VIII cross the tap on his last lap about
. o'clock In the afternoon.
We'll Known omciaIs.
The officials of the race nave been
chosen from all over the United states,
most of them having been officials :.
many OF the other great race meets
OF the country. Fred ]. Wagner, OF
New York. Will act as starter. while
George Robertson, the former racing
driver. Will be an assistant. \. r.
Pardington. OF New York. will referee
while r. P. Hooper, president oE the
the honorary official In that capacity
Judges and other officials have been
CHOSEN from among the most prom
!nent manufacturers and automobile
men in the Middle West.
The method which would be employed 10
start this event has been difficult for the
ment finally adopted the plan OF firing day
light bombs. which explode $50 feet in the
air and give forth a dense cloud OF smoke.
one OF these VIII be fred every minute for
hve minutes before 10 O'clock, and ut tho
stroke OF 10 a special starting bomb will give
the signal that will send the entire field into
one OF the greatest races ever known.
After the start tho contestants are siGnaIed
along tho course by means OF colored nags,
each OF which bears some special meaninr
which the drivers understand. The cars will
be started In nine lines OF Ave cars each,
placed at intervals OF loo feet back of the
wire.
Scoring and timing OF forty-siS fast cars
on a course hut two and a half miles in
length means the devislng OF an entirely new
system. LII order TO score. and time the race
accura tely moro than 100 men will be used
throughout the seven hours. with nifty others
as relief men 10 the regular scorers. The
ava 4 c hn" ~ l-N n nee 81 80 - - Al
to aid In the task. while mechanical and
electrical devices have been called upon to
perform the greater part of the work. An
electrical Timing machine. which divides the
seconds into hundred:hs, Will catch each
car as II passes the wire on every lap. while
a battery OF four adding machines will bs
used to record the number OF cars ms they
pass. Two dictnphones Will carry the rec.
ord OF the car numbers in the order In
which they nt by the stand. This last rec
ord Will have the story of the entire race
In human voice. the hrst time this has over
been attempted.
Four Scoreboards.
Reinforcing this squad OF mechanical work.
ers Will be four scoreboards. each 100 feet in
length and each employing moro than TWEEN
car as 1t pas!ts the wire and credit II with
a lap each time II crosses. a telephone sys-
tenn. which has more thnn twenty instru-
ments attached. VIII convey to
a score Of announcers in all parts OF the
grounds. and the visiting throng Will be in
formed OF the status Of the race every ten
miles of its progress.
Preparations have been made for handling
n crowd OF l60,0Q. Parking space for 10000
automobiles has been provided.
In order to prevent accidents to the spec
tntors AGO men are employed. a military or
Eantzation. known as tho Speedway Guard.
guard every roadway and gate, so that the
track has been termed fool proof" III ad-
dition leo police and plain clothes MEN watch
the throng throughout the day. ~ mounted
squad aids in directing tho crowds 10 their
proper places. I8. E
known as The Greatest Race Course in
the World the Speedway has been n great
centre of attraction for motorists even
when there was no event in PROGRESS. The
grounds contain 1928 acres. all enclosed with.
in Il high-board fence, and every corner at
tended by landscape gardeners, There ara
forty-nine buildings on the grounds, .nclud-
ing garages and granstands. Flower gar
dcns and shrubbery dot the entire tract.
The track is two and one-half miles III
length and required six months TO construct
at Il cost OF more than Sl5e.0ao. The entire
racing plant. as IL stands to-day, cost more
than $S00.0M.