The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-04-17
DE PAL MA WILL
PILOT A MERCER
Third Annual Speedway Race Win
See Ralph be Palma. Fayorite
Driver on American Tracks
In the Game.
THREE MERCER G.
Caleb Bragg and Spencer Wishart
VIII be the Other Two Members
of the Team Sent by
Factory.

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind April H.
That Ralph DePalma, the young italian
race driver, who is the idol of Ameri-
can motor enthusiasts viii participate
in the third annual 500 mile interna-
tional sweepstakes race at Nle In
dianapolis motor speedway, May 80, is
now an assured fact, formal entry of
three Mercer cars, with DePalma
heading the team, having been re-
ceived By the speedway management
DePalma was in Indianapolis severa,
weeks ago and engaged garage ac
commodations for the Mercer team,
but the entry blanks were not signed
by the Mercer company at that time.
The present entry includes two cars
of 44T.e cubic inches piston displace-
ment, with bore and stroke of Ask
6.3-16 inches, and one car of 1897 Gu
bic inches, with dimensions of 4.3Ix5.
Caleb Bragg and Ralph DePalma will
pilot the first two, while Spencer
Wishart viii handle the third. All OF
them carry four cylinders.
The delay in the entry of the Mer-
Ger team was made necessary by the
fact that the factory engineers first
wanted to give the 447e inch motors
thorough trF-out before definitely
pinning their faith to them. The
largest the Mercer people have raced
heretofore have been cars of the 1897
classification. This is the size Hughes
| piloted TO a third In the indianapolis
race last year. The new cars are
claimed TO be much more powerful
and fast than the old type, hence are
/ expected TO make very sensational
showing With two such intrepid pi-
/ lots as Bragg and DePalma, who last
year practically divided the road
racing championship of the United
] States between them, at the wheel,
they will be given ample opportunity
/ TO do their best
With the arrival of the Mercer
documents the total number of speed
way entries is swelled to nineteen,
| which is five more than were regis
tered at this time last season.
i The entry list will close May /, but
/ it is well known that several more
prominent American cars will file
their entry papers before the lists
i close, and from advices received from
/ abroad other foreign cars. besides the
Sunbeam and Peugeots already enter
4 ed, will also file documents There is
J no doubt but that thirty cars, the full
: quota allowed under the rules of the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will BE-
! lined up for the start of the 500 mile
race on May 30.
Unusual interest attaches itself to
. Both Bragg and Wishart are youna
i mllionaires who drive racing cars moi
because the prize money has any par
ticular lure for them, but because
they love the excitement of the sport
) They both began their careers b,
. owned themselves, and with Ralpr
t DePalma, noted throughout the entfr,
I racing profession as one of the mos
j skillful pilots who ever held the whee
a of racing car, these men form one o
a the strongest aggregations ever en-
8 gagged to struggle for motor suprem
:, acy.
They are all well known through
cut motordom and each driver ha
heard the cheering thousands on tn
speedway DePalma is well remem
bered as the man who had victor.
torn from his grasp last year whel
/ his car went bad within reaching dis
l. lance of the prize, and Wishart is
) familiar figure in his big Mercedes
j. Bragg has driven many great races
It and it was he who was inadyertentl
n the cause of DepaIma's accident las
d season at Milwaukee which almost r.
e suited in the death of the latter pilo
# He was seriously injured as it. wa
D and his mechanic, Tony Scndelar
killed
r Wishart and DePaIma were team
II mates last year, both driving Ne
" cedes cars With the addition {
Bragg the crew looks truly formidabl
and the Mercer cars can be counte
on to be in at the finish. They hay
}, provd their ability In previous race
= and are picked among the strong COZ
=. tenders The team will arrive fe
"a practice early In May. Depalma a
II ready has selected his garage and .
n. time will be lost in gettig the biz ca
r. tuned up
IS
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