The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-05-31
DAWSON IS WINNER
OF CLASSIC EVENT
Youthful Member of Nation
al Team Sends His Car
Over Tape First.
DE PALMA LUCKLESS
Within Two Laps of Victory
Italians Mercedes Goes
Bad on Him.
National News Assocfation)

Dawson, youthful pilot of one of the
National entries, late yesterday aft
ernoon won an unexpected victory in
the second annual 500 mile Interna-
ktional Automobile Sweepstakes race
at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
At the wheel of giant Mercedes
Ralph de Palma had been making new
automobile history. He had driven
race that was technically perfect and
as daring as the occasion required.
Like whirlwind he circled the course,
making and breaking records as the
day vanished. He had been in the
Lead almost from the start. The first
score posted at the end of 20 miles
showed De Palma leading.
Almost like lightning he had wound
bmile after mile around the speedway
oval. Other drivers hung on gamely
and tried to wrest the lead from him,
Ebut without avail. De Palma seemed
Ito have the grand prize cinched. He
iran 88 of the two-and- a-halfmile laps
without even stopping for change
Iof tires. When he did stop the perfec-
Ition of his plans was shown. He chang
Led tires in 25 seconds, and was off
like a shot out of cannon. Three
times afterward he stopped to change
tires without delay sufficient to give
khis opponents an edge on him. Once
TEDDY Tetzlaff, in his Fiat, was about
Ton even terms with DePalma, but he
(could not get the lead and hold it.
De Palma Out of 1t.
/, De Palma was fairly burning up the
fcourse at a speed that averaged
lAbout 81 miles an hour-the fastest
thine in the worlds history of any
kind of racing. He didn't yield his
place at the wheel to relief driver.
and was going along apparently with
fOut a break when the curtain dropped
lon his chances to win the race and
Ipurse that would have amounted to
100000 or more.
He was on his one hundred and
lx1nety-eighth lap, with only five miles
~ 20, when his car seemed to lose it's
vitality In front of the judges, stands.
d chugged along on two cylinders. De
Palma headed it gamely into the up
per turn in hopes of being able to
make the last two laps before Dawson
then five and half laps behind. See
ing his advantage dawson turned
loose all the power in his big racer
and it flew like demon. He passed
De Palma twice and nearly caught
him three times on the last lap De
Palma was able to make. De Palma
was creeping by the judges stands on
his one hundred and ninety-ninth lap
when it was seen that his car was all
in and that Dawson would win in
spite of the magnificent showing De
ician came pushing the heavy car to
their pit-defeated when victory
seemed assured. ..p- ..a -
An Unexpected Break.
1t was an unexpected trick of the
game that caused their loss. A slight
break in the machinery lost him the
race which he could have won easily
as Dawson could not have overtaken
him
Tetzlaff raced in second, with
Hughie 1ughes, of the Mercer. third
Dawson drove a grand race, being
second or third nearly all the way
His teammates, David Bruce-Browr
and Wilcox. were not as fortunate, al
though Wilcox finished the 500 miles
The race was minus the dramatic in
terest and tragic intensity of the one
last year. The weather was more per
fect-so perfect In fact that the track
was cool and safer than ever before
causing less tire trouble. For this au
tomobile classic more than $4,000 PEG
pie assembled, nearly every state anG
every city in the country being repre-
scented. Miles and miles of cars were
lined up to the course when the gates
we're opened, and at least a dozer
special trains brought enthusiasts
from Chicago, Detroit and other cities
Twice only did death stalk near the
intrepid drivers.
On the one hundred and fifty
ninth lap when Speed King Burmar
seemed to have a chance to race il
out with De Palma, both of the real
tires of his Cutting car exploded
causing the car to turn completed,
over, landing on Burman and hi.
mechanician. Getz. Thousands rushed
to the scene, expecting to find Bur
man and Getz dead or injured. Neither
was seriously hurt. The accident end
ed Burmans chances. 1t seemed tina
he would have finished third or fourth
at the worst. Earlier in the race tn.
front wheels of the Mcfarland ca
crumpled, but Marquette, pilot an,
his mechanician, escaped without I,
scar One of the Stutz cars driven b,
Anderson, jumped the track when i
blew out tire, but no one was hurt
Aside from these mild thrillers Their,
was nothing for the big crowd but tn,
wonderful procession of speed.
Dawson a Happy Man.
Dawmon averaged 1856 miles al
hour made by Ray Harroun, who wol
the race last year in his Marmol
Wasp" Harreun's time was 6:42:0S
Dawson pulled up at the National pi
with grin on his grimy face when h,
was tagged as the winner. and jump
ed out of the car as IL he had beef
w through short dash
I'm not tired" he said; inst hap
y by"
1 Told that De Palma lost the race on