New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-23
RIG AUTO RACE: AT HAND
,..tv.siy Cars Tuned Up for the
w. Elimination Trials.
,orrD PILOTS TO DRIVE
,.,bines Must Show High Speed
TO Be Eligible for Purse
of $40, 900.


ps.H ,,o,or car maker can produce
r0'''n NJ the fastest racing automobiles
'',o assembled are at the Indianapolis
aa speedway awaiting the elimination
s''v On Friday, which will determine
aA they are eligible TO start In the
sNarad mile international sweepstake
80. on Memorial Day
"r..b ear must show speed of seventy
tiles an hour to qualify for one OF the
"..t races in the history Of the sport.
- the entries closed on May l forty
" .srs were named. manned by a list OF
-, which includes practically every
"a t,ovn pilot in America as well as
vi who made their regulations in Eu-
hsfore coming to the United States.
." ,,s been nine months since the first
..r,sernent Of this contest was made by
-. ,,,r,oters. and each month has wit
- an increase Of interest on the part
= he public as we'll as the manufacturer.
,,,os, six months ago the first entry was
- when a Case car. with Lewis Strang
:. The driver. was entered. From that
~. An the entries were sent in steadily
Ill the largest field ever drawn together
a, one race was announced. The number
:, entries in any one contest previous 10
ns time was twenty-six
r,s race has assumed even greater pro-
,,,,ions than the promoters had anticipat-
| y when the purse Of $3.50 in gold was
,s.,sd for the winners Of the first ten
las CAPITAL prize Of $1,000 headed !
, pst Of nine others, as follows; Second.
q 900: third $4,000. fourth. $4,000, fifth.
ssA. sixth. $1,000; seventh. $500;
.sbth 800. ninth. $500; tenth, $500.
\, addition to this small fortune. there
,,rs been added side prizes by various &C
,.,sory makers. which bring the total to
| !. NO, I'D to about $4,000. Supplement
M the cash prizes are ten bronze plaques
,seb will be given 10 the entrants of the
ys winning cars. 1t long has been the
rve In motor car racing that the drivers
lap receive the cash prizes and the max
gs the trophies
The conditions Of the race which is Class
. event. are that each car shall weigh at
,ns 1900 pounds and have no more than
81 cubic inches piston displacement. This
-skss cars up 10 about 120-horsepover
Gslbe The forty-six cars have a total
# 20.lSO cubic inches Of piston displace- |
rsrt. giving an average Of 43s cubic inches |
TAR according 70 its motor construction. !
The majority Of the cars in the race in |
asr try-out have averaged about ninety
I've TO one hundred miles an hour. while |
rlny of them are capable Of travelling AZ
Two miles a minute. The entry fee was
| $50 car.
I Estimates on the average speed which
rll BE- attained in the long race have var
n widely. but critics express q belief that I
ne winner will travel the five hundred |
-ies at a rate Of about seventy-five miles |
r hour.
The lace will start at 10 o'clock in the
rrninr and probably the winner will cross
estape on his last lap about 5 O'Clock in 1
rs afternoon.
The officials for the race have been |
hOssn from all over the United States. |
asst Of them having been officials at many |
1.-THE other great race meets Of the coun- |
Ky Fred j Wagner, OF New York. will |
act as starter. while George Robertson, the /
f''mef racing driver. will be an assistant. |
R. Pardington. Of New York, will act |
n referee, while r. P. Hooper, president Of |
ns American Automobile Association, will |
y The honorary referee. Judges and other |
'ndsk have been chosen from among the |
nxl prominent manufacturers and auto !
sals men in the Middle West.
ils method Of starting proved a prob |
a. The speedway management finally !
i''pisd the plan OF firing daylight bombs. |
WITH explode go feet in the air and give /
Th dense cloud of smoke One Of |
us& viii be fired every minute for Ave !
nnu'es before 10 o'clock. and al the stroke |
Z va special starting bomb will give the |
'*ha that will send the entire field into |
w" me greatest races ever known. After /
START the contestants are signalled |
'ns the course by means Of colored flags. |
ea Of which bears some special meaning |
ahn the drivers understand. The cars
ce started in nine lines OF FIVE cars I
paced al intervals of 100 feet back /
q h. wire. !.
."' scoring and timing Of forty-six fast !
~. 0a course only two and a half miles |
snsh means the devising Of an en- |
=" new system. In order 10 score and |
NE race accurately more than one |
eo men viii be used throughout the |
aouFs, with fifty others as relief men |
~'cnanieal and electrical devices have
W.. eai!ed upon TO perform the greater |
Vi The work. An electrical timing |
'sns which divides the seconds into !
n. "so'ns will catch each car as II passes |
on every lap. while a battery of |
o.. soons machines will be used 10 record |
-Aoef OF cars as they pass. Two die |
viii carry the record Of the car |
las IN the order in which they fit by !
sand. This last record will have the |
I So }" tne entire race in human voice. the /
s..s ne this has ever been attempted.
,,,leins this squad of mechanical |
q. VIII be four score boards, each 100 |
It,, Nhs'h and each employing more |
e.. twenty men to operate II. These will (
Ca, on car as IL passes the wire and |
~. with lap each time 4; crosses |
,,Pnone system, which has more than
.sS instruments attached. will convey |
rrs a'n 70 score Of announcers in all
Inc ground. and the visiting
n,s VII be informed Of the status OF the |
49, ten miles OF IT'S progress.
d., have been made for hand !
D., ,o"d Of one hundred thousand per
Ar. rsrking space for ten thousand
/, ~U,ies has been provided
no.. 70 prevent accidents 10 the
psy.s three hundred men will he en- |
u military organization, known as
h.s,.s' Guard, is composed of two
esry men' These mllitiamen guard
h vao"ay and gate. so that the track
q. bu Nm termed "foolproof." In addition
VI ~. s,eo police and plainclothes men
a Dow, Inc throng throughout the day.
rsAL.o squad viii aid IN directing the
!" their proper places.
srp "h as the greatest racecourse in tho
e,, we speedway has been a great
h.i ~ attraction for motorists. even
sas... mere was no race in progress The
s'nta'n S2s acres. all inclosed with