Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-05-31
Mercedes Develops Engine Trouble
when In Five Miles of Ilnish
After Leading Til Then.

INDIANAPOLIS, May 3O.-Aiter
leading all the way from the start to
the 1913 tn lap, Ralph DePalma's Mer-
cedes developed engine trouble ana
Joe Dawsons National came up from
six laps behind today and won the
second International 5O0-mile sweep
stakes automobile race In the record
time Of 6;21.06.
Teddy Tezlaffs Flat was second.
The Stutz company protested the
awarding of third place to Hughie
Hughes Mescer, contending their
car, driven by Charles Merz, which
was announced as fourth, won the po-
sltion.
The day was ideal for the motor
fans and not serious accident marred
the sport. Bob Burnam, whose cut
ting turned over on its back when
rear wheel collapsed, was able tc leave
the hospital with a few scratches aft
er a slight treatment and view the
finish Of the race.
Harry Knight Quit First
Twenty-four cars, the pick Of
American. German English and Ital-
ian factories, strated. A Lexington,
driven by Harry Knight, the hero OF
laSl year y race, WIN u'llpNl tiA'l1
wrecked his car to avoid running
down the driver of another car who
had fallen on the track, was the first
to quit dropping out in the seventh
lap. Bruce Brown was the next to
leave the track. When he found that
his National was out for good he
broke down and wept on the shoulder
Of his mechanician. Others dropped
.,,,lt tn,, ,ptu 70
finish.
A Four-Legged Rabbit.
Dawson drove a steady race, hold
ing second place most of the time after
the fiftieth lap. Just before DePalma
went out Of the race a rabbit ran
across the track in front of Dawson's
car as he was speeding down the
hol 1e stretch. The thousands of spec
tators cheered the rabbit and Dawson
after the race said he considered it a
sood omen.
Johnny Jenkins finished his last five
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
to lose the time in stopping for a
fresh tire. He beat out Horan. who
had engine trouble, by several min
utes.
Dawson averaged 1876 miles an hour
compared with 74.61 made by Ray
Harroun, who won the race last year
in his Marmon wasp" Harroun's
time was 6:42:0S. Dawson pulled up
at the National pit with a grin on his
grimy face when he was tagged as
the winner and jumped out of the
car as though he had been through
a short dash.
"All Luck" Said Joe.
I'm not tired" he said; Just
happy"
When told that DePalma lost the
race only because his engine failed
him at the 19Sth lap, Dawson grinned
again.
I've been up against the same
thing" he said. The games all luck.
/ just had feeling / would win and
] never had that feeling but once be-
fore. That was when / won the Cobe
race trophy in 1910. Today the feel
ing began to get pretty slim toward
the end Of the race, but you never
can tell until Fred Wagner lets the
checkered flag fall"
Ralph DePalma, pushing his dead
Mercedes to the electric timing wires
for the 199th lap, was weary and phil
osophical.
II was just out of luck" he said.
"and that's all. | made the race while
/ was In 1t and ! suppose II / had
used just mule power on the last lap
and pushed my car through the 2OOth
lap, | could have got in the race for
thousand or two but life is tou