The Detroit times., 1911-05-30
AUTOS START LONG
GRIND At MOTOR
SPEEDWAY
Thousands Watch Opening of 500
mile Sweepstakes at Indianapolis
Ray Harroun, Driving Marmon
Wasp" Fayorite.
Auto Enthusiasts Patronize Pools on
Number of Drivers That Will
Be Killed.

MOTOR SPEEDWAY, INDIANAP-
OILS, Ind. May 30.--With bright
skies and breeze that cooled the
atmosphere from the oppressive heat
OF the past few days, nothing ap.
peared TO mar the greatest day in
the sport OF automobile racing when
more than 10000 persons were lined
up at the speedway gates this morn
ing, i've hours before tn ctime sched
uled for the start OF the big 500-mile
international sweepstakes.
Never In the history OF Indianap-
oils has such throngs visited the city.
From almost every state In the union,
automobile enthusiasts have fiocked
here. All night long automobiles
poured through the streets. Hun
dreds. unable to find hotel accommo-
dations. slept In their machines
which were parked In the downtown
streets. Before the speedway gates
opened at $3.50, crowd extending
for blocks awaited admittance into
the grounds.
Many had slept in Riverside park.
nearby. while others had propped
themselves against the fence near the
speedway entrance during the long
hours. Early indications were that
the crowd or 100000 which was ex-
pected To witness the race might be
far outstripped.
Minor accidents in the downtown
streets In collisions between automo-
biles and pedestrians being run down
and injured were common while the
talk OF the crowd gathering before
the race was OF how many might be
expected to be killed" In the big
event, In addition to the speculation
on the winner.
In the betting this morning, Ray
Harroun, driver Of the Marmon
Wasp local car was favorite with
the national team. Grant In the Alec,
Barman In the Benz and Bruce
Brown crowding for first honor.
Harroun vas made the faxorite be-
cause OF his acquaintance with the
brick Track Score orTaces over the
course has given the Marmon pilot a
slight advantage over some OF the
drivers who have had but the past
two weeks Of practice on the speed
way.
None of the drivers this morning
would guess as to the speed that
would be maintained by the winner
OF the big event. 1t was conceded
that the man and car with the great
est endurance would be returned the
winner, and not the iashy, daredevil
sort or driving which marks the run
ming OF sprint races.
Every driver breads the passing Of
hIa L. A~lr ~ T. Il. a.
est distance cars have been called on
10 travel in this country. Accidents
have occurred and many lives lost at
this distance. With two hundred
miles to go the strain on both drivers
and cars will be terrific, and accidents
are expected, possibly resulting in
the loss OF life.
In connection with the betting to-
day, pools were drawn up on the num-
Der OF drivers that would be killed.
Before the start of the race today,
Burman, who set four new records
yesterday, was crowned the worlds
speed king. The gold crown, which
was presented to Burman by a tire
company, Is set with rubies and Sap
phires and Is valued at $4,000.
The track then was cleared and the
cars lined up in fve rows Of eight
cars each. Headed by Carl Fisher,
president Of the Speedway Company,
one lap was negotiated at forty miles
an hour. AS the cars crossed the tape
from this lap dynamite bomb was
exploded and the big race was on.
The full list OF cars and drivers fol-
low:
Case, Strang; Simplex, DePalma;
Interstate, Endicott; National. Aitken;
-Pope-Hartford, Disbrow;; Pope-Hart-
ford Fox, .westeott,r Knight - Case,
Jagersberger; Case, Jones; Stutz,
Anderson; Mercedes, Wishart; Am
plex, Turner; Knox. Belcher; Buick,
Chevrolet; Buick, Basle; Fiat.
Hearne; Alec. Grant: National, Merz;
National, Wilcox; McFarlan, Adams;
jackson, Ellis; Jackson, Cobe; Jack
son. Tower; Cutting, Delaney; Fiat,
Bruce Brown; Firestone Columbus,
Prayer; Marmon, Dawson; Marmon,
Harroun: Lozier, Milford; Lozier,
Tetzlaff; Apperson, Lyle: Mercer,
Hughes; Mercer, Bigelow; Simplex,
Beardsley: Fiat, Bragg; Velie, Hall;
Cole. -Endicott: Amplex. Greinier:
Benz. Burman: Benz, Knipper.