The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-05-31
ENGINE TROUBLE COST
DE PALMA THE RACE
Bruce-Brown Wept on Mechanic
ian's Shoulder When Forced
to Drop Out.
No Serious Accident Marred Mad
Contest for Supremacy of
Brick Track.
ORDER CARS rrrrsHED
AND THEIR DRIVERS,

INDIANAPOLIS. May 3O.-After
leading all the way from the start
10 the 19Sth lap, Ralph De Palma's
Mercedes developed engine trouble
and Joe Dawson's National came up
from six laps behind to-day and
won the second international 500
mile sweep stakes automobile race
In the record time of 6:21:O6. Teddy
Tetzlans Fiat was second. The
Stutz company protested the award
ing OF the third place OF Hughes
Mercer, contending their car. driven
e. Chas. Merze, which was an
bounced as fourth. won the position.
The day was ideal for the motor
'ans. and not a serious accident
marred the sport. Bob Burman,
whose Cutting turned over in the
backstretch when rear wheel col
lapsed. was able 10 leave the hospital
with a few scratches after a slight
treatment, and viewed the finish OF
the race.
Twenty-four Cars Start.
Twenty-four cars. the pick OF Amer
ican, German, English and Italian
AeNNbAAFsf EAdlAEus n A4tAlukLOn. QElN-
en- by Harry knight. the hero OF last
years race. who deliberately
wrecked his car TO avoid running
down the driver OF another car who
had fallen on the track. was the first
10 quit, dropping out in its seventh
iap. David Bruce Brown was the
next to leave the track. when he
found that his National was out fof
good, he broke down and wept on the
shoulder OF his mechanician. Others
dropped out until there were only ten
cars TO finish.
Dawson drove a steady race. hold
ing second place most of the time
after the fftieth lap. Just before De
Palma went out OF the race. rab-
bit ran across the track in front OF
Dawson's car as he was speeding
down the home stretch The thou
sands OF spectators cheered the rab-
bt and Dawson. after the race, said
ne considered II a good omen.
Raced on Rims Of Wheels.
Johnnie jenkins finished his last
Eve laps driving on the rim Of the
right front wheel OF his White car
Joe Horan in a Lozier was pushing
him for seventh place and jenkins
feared 10 lose the time in stopping
for a fresh tire. lie beat out Horan,
who had engine trouble, by seven
minutes
Dawson averaged 7S.6 miles an hour.
as compared with 746t miles an
hour made BY Ray Harroun. who won
the race last year In his Marmon
Wasp Harroun's time vas 6f2.Os.
Dawson pulled up a. the National
pit with a grin on bis grimy face
when he was tagged a. the winner.
aud jumped out Of the car as II he
had been through a short dash.
I'm not tired he said Just
happy"
Told that De Palma lost the race
because his engine failed him az the
l5sth lap. Dawson Erinned again.
I've been up against the same
thing. he said
Games All Luck
The games slI luck Just had
feeling I would win and ! never
7ad that feeling but one before
That was when ] Won the Cobe race
trophy here Boz 1910. To-day that
feeling began 20 get pretty slim %.
ward the end of this race. but YOU
never can tell Fred Wagner lets the
cneckered flag fall
Ralph De Palma. pushing his dead
Mercedes 20 the electric timing wire
for the 10Th lap. was weary and
philosophical 'ft was jusf touch
luck" he said. "and that's aU ]
made the race while was In u.
and 7 suppose H 7 had used Ilet
mule power on the last lap and
rushed my car through the 200th
lap . could have got IN the money
tor a thousand or 20. but life is too
short
Break Records.
Beating down worlds records with
every mile. Ralph Do Palma. driving
Mercedes car. led the field by a Iap
or the end of The FIRST $50 miles of The
500 mile race az the Indianapolis
speedway today Ills time FOR the
distance vas 1902. as against the
record Of 1915 ~ BY Bruce Brown
.n Plat lsst year.
nder tho eycs ~ 5000 people.
afchinE eagerly the ~ mile course.
The 81 cars that remained Iu the race
20 Tho $50 mile mark ground out tho
laps With ciock1Ike regularity Joe
lawson in National was second f1
DO Palma. with Tetzisf in q Plat n
close third The heid followed in q
long string
World records went d0uu through
"I' The fraf fD1 miles Do Palma.
loading sef "a new mark of tfzDt
.rer TefElana old record % Iffg0.
Joe uaHton Dol m national pounded In.