The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-03-29
GERMAN AUTO TO START
SPENCER WleAART ENTERS HIS
MERCEDES IN 5oo-MiLE RACE.
Wealthy Young Sportsman to Drive
Own Machine in Long Race at
indianapolis Speedway on
Memorial Day.

Spencer e. Wishart, of Port Chester.
New York, the wealthy young sports
man who drives Mercedes racing cars.
has entered the 500-mile International
Sweepstakes race at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway next Memorial Day.
Wishart's entry names the same car
which the Fastener drove in the last
50o-mile race. finishing fourth. The
bore of the cylinder is 81 inches and
the piston stroke is II, giving a piston
displacement of 583 cubic inches,
which is seventeen cubic inches be-
low the limit of the race. Wishart's
car is almost a duplicate OF the Mer-
cedes entered by Ralph DePalma.
Both of these cars made a wonderful
showing at Savannah In the recent
Vanderbilt and Grand Prize races;
Wishart finishing third in the Wander
bilt, while DePalma finished second
III the Vanderbilt and third in the
Grand Prize.
At this time last year there had
been but four entries made to the first
b00-mile race, so the prospects for the
second one seem even better than
those of 1911 The other entire. to
the race consist of two Stutz cars, en-
tered by the Ideal Motor Car Com
pany, of Indianapolis; a Fiat, entered
by e. E. Hewlett, of Los Angeles, Cal,
with Joe Matson named to drive; two
Case cars, entered by the J. l. Case
Threshing Machine Company, of Ra-
cine. Wis. Harvey Herriok and Louis
Disbrow have been nominated as the
pilots of the two Case entries. There
are also two Nationals and a Lexing-
I ton.
The fact that such famous drivers
have been entered early in the year,
and that all the cars so far named are
among the foremost racing machines
in the world, makes 1t seem certain
that the field of starters next May
bunch that took the word from starter
/ Wagner last year.
Owing to the fact that there have
been so many early requests for seats
and parking space reservations for
the next race, the Speedway manage
ment opened the seat sale on January
10. From that time on seats may be
obtained for the next Memorial Day
event either in person or by mail
Indianapolis hotels have been be.
sieged with reservation requests al
ready and are booking their rooms
for visitors next May. The Speedwa,
has arranged to provide 1900 rooms
in private homes in addition to the
hotel accommodations, so that q
crowd of 10000 persons may be cared
for easily.
One OF the interesting features In
connection with the next 500-mile race
is that, the foreign manufacturer
have taken a greater interest thar
ever before and many requests fol-
particulars have been received from
European motor-car makers.
The entry list so far for the race
) shows that eight American cars have
been entered as against three foreign
! machines. All of the foreign cars are
: privately owned, DePalma's mount be
ing the property of e. J. Schroeder
$ of New York; Matson's Fiat beinl
owned by E. E. Hewlett, of Los An
E geies, and Wishart's Mercedes hi
own personal property. This lead.
the racing enthusiasts in the countr.
9 to believe that motor car racing is be
n coming more of a sporting proposition
r than ever before, and eventually 1
may become a competition enterel
I only by cars owned privately withou
| afhiiation with factories or dealers.