The Washington herald., 1912-05-12
DATEFOR BTGRACB
NOT FAR AWAY
Many world-famOus Drivers Will
Compete in 5OO-mils Race
Memorial Day.

Carrying with It more than $4,000 in
cash prizes for the winners, the second
annual 5oo-mile international sweep
stakes race will be started at 10 o'clock
the morning Of Memorial Day. May 30.
with twenty-seven speedy racing cars as
contenders for the victory This num-
Der entered the race before the closing
Of the entries at midnight, May l. Man
ming the cars are almost all of the fam
Gus racing pilots in America. and several
who have international regulations for
prowess at the wheel Taken throughout
the field of starters in this long grind
is the classiest that ever has been
brought together in one contest.
Last year there were more entries.
but only the fastest cars have been
entered for the second race, and the
terrific speed and endurance demands in
the gruellng fray were too great for
many TO tackle again. With about one
exception all Of the cars this time were
among the fastest in the first 50o-mile
race, which furnished the most spectacu-
lai contest ever witnessed in motoring
annals II is believed that the average
speed VIII be a high as seventy-nine
miles per hour. The last race brought
out an average of 7461 miles for the Ave
century distance.
Almost without exception the pilots
who are practicing for the big race be-
lieve that the new record will equal
that established for 800 miles on the
road at Santa Monica. Some have ven
tured the opinion that eighty miles per
hour will be necessary for the winning
car. Last year the drivers were cor
rect in their estimate Of speed, most of
them saying that seventy-four or seven
ty-fve miles per hour would be the re-
suit.
Despite the fact that the eliminating
speed was set at seventy-five miles per
hour for one full lap of the track most
Of the motors which have been specially
built for the race carry from 100 to 10
miles per hour beneath their bonnets.
This great speed capacity is provided
because the requirements of the race
may make il necessary to have It at
times, and sufficient power must be held
in reserve so that the motors will not
be strained in maintaining an average
Of about eighty miles.
There is hardly a pilot named for the
race who has not national and. in
many cases. an international reputation.
The list is part shows wild Bob" Bur-
man. the speed king; Teddy Tetzlaff.
winner of the Santa Monica race; Caleb
Bragg, the millionaire who finished sec
ond at Santa Monica and who will team
with Tetzlaff on the Fiat entry; Ralph
DE Palma, whose spectacular driving on
mile tracks won him the name of mile
track champion; Harvey HerTick, winner
OF the 1911 Santa Monica road race. and
until Tetzlaff won the last race, holder
OF the worlds road race record, and
Ralph Mulford, winner of the 1911 Van
derbilt Cup race.
The others are just as notable, for
there ia Louis Disbrow. driver of the
2oo-horsepower Jay-Eye-See car. which
recently set new mile-track records for
five, ten. and fifteen miles; Howard VIII
cox. holder Of the mile straightaway
stock car record: Hughie Hughes. the
English pilot. who won the Savannah
Challenge race in 1911, and Len Zengel,
who won the 1911 Elgin national stock
chassis road race. Several drivers have
not been named, but 1t is reported that
David Bruce-Brown. winner Of the 1911
Grand Prize race, will be named to drive
one Of the fast American cars in the
race.
Despite the fact that between 5000
and 5000 persons saw the last contest
it is said that the crowd this year will
be even greater. The advance sale of
seats indicates that the crowd from out
side Of Indianapolis will be fully so per
cent greater than before. More than
forty special trains are to be run to
indianapolis from many faraway cities,
and six motor club tours will be run to
the Speedwey, one Of them coming from
Denver.