El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-22
-Four Hundred Cars In One Party Through Ell Pase
RICH PRIZES LURE
THE SPEED KINGS
Youth of Country Eager to Win For
tunes by Daring Death at the Wheel
Speed Game is Exciting.


Despite the dangers attached to the
career of an aUtomombile driver it is
nevertheless one of the most crowded
professions in the world in proper
ton to its size. Instead of the number
of men who are anxious TO make a
living at the racing business diminish
ing, it is constantly increasing. Ralph
&c Palma, the chief of the Mercer rae
ing team, who perhaps has won as
many races as any other American
Of the most exciting and profitable
that he can think of.
1T was the lure of the excitement of
a race and the glory that went to
the victor that attraced the majority
of old racing pilots into the game"
said he, but conditions have changed
somewhat within recent years Now
it is the cash that the young man who
enters the racing field is in search of,
though it is only natural that he
should also wish to share in the glory
of victory
Races such as the 500 mile con-
test at the Indianapolis motor speed
way result in bringing more recruits
into the racing game than any other.
Gets Many Letters.
sometimes for eight or nine months
IN advance of this classic I am be-
SIeged with inquiries from ambitious
youths from all sections of the coun-
try asking for instructions as to how
they can become successful racing
drivers.
Since I have been at Trenton. n. J..
experimenting the construction and
OTerhauling of our Mercer cars I have
been IN receipt of a number of letters
from young fellows who want to know
how to 90 about learning to handle
racing cars and how to obtain a mount
for the next 500 mile race That they
are ambitious goes without saying,
for from their letters one would think
that all that was necessary for the
prospective speed demons was to
walk in at the gate at Indianapolis and
announce that they wanted to drive
car in the big race and a drivers
contract would be forthcoming
1T is the $4,000 in prize money that
is offered at Indianapolis for this
yearly race that has this effect on
the embryonic racing drivers. To win
one Of these races means the taking
years salary of many q bank presi-
dent. and where is the youngster who
would not take a chance for such re-
turns2
Until Goux, Guyot and the late Zuc-
arrelh came over to compete in this
race, foreign pilots had an idea that
the 5000 in prizes for one race was
a myth When was IN France for
the 1912 grand prix one of the prom
inent drivers there declared that he
it was necessary to kill
several Of the spectators or some of
the other drivers to secure such a
large prize in America
with the reports that Goux has cir
culated since his return to Europe af-
ter winning the last race it is now
more likely that a swarm of the for
eigners viii be seen in action here
this year. However. their invasion
will not deter American recruits from
into the racing ring"
Go to san Antonio.
De Palma and Spencer Wishart are
now in San Antonio, Texas. for the
races to be held there on November
1923. De Palma is to drive the car
with which he Won the Cobe trophy
division at the Elgin races last Aug
ust- It is the same car which Wis
hart drove to second place in the re-
cent 500 mile race at indianapolis.
will drive the machine which
De Palma drove so creditably at track
meets this season.
These two Mercer cars were the only
entries actually nominated for the
Vanderbilt cup race when the event
was called off by the Savannah Au-
tomobile club because OF lack Of en-
tries
Instead OF the road race the club
Is to promote a track meet which is
expected to be the biggest ever run
in the south. Thus far it is said that
Il entries have been signed