Arizona republican., 1914-05-31
MOST POPULAR AUTO IDOL |S
 ALWAYS LOSER
Each Big Race Has One Whose Plucky Effort Wins Him Sympathy and Admiration of Tempera- mental Spectator.

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 Automobile races always have loser-the hero-the gettcr of goats among the sympathizing, sentimental fans. Always.
 Who will be the popular hero of the next 500-mile race on the Indian apolis motor speedway?
 Which driver will perform the stai ting something which always unexpected. yet expect ed, which keeps the big speedway crowd constantly at d. nervous ten sion during the long wait between the start and the finish of the Hoosier motor marathon?
 Individual heroism has marked the running of every previous 500-mile race at Indianapolis.
 Merz's Burning Car
 Last year it was Charlie Merz 'vho c!ectrified the speedway throng hen he drove his Stutz around the '9ck nearly two laps with flames = i'"ltiE I'p!l DtHtdli tlt bolilltI as rtr"rnoI from curve to curve in t.=r"'atc race with time.
 Ee V1s making a beautiful race "i apparently had third place cinch- 't h iha l9Sth lap it became ap ''''":., tn thc wildly excited specta- IujS iH"t h;s car was on fire
 i~:nlest immediately centered on ''n pvrotcchnic finish and thousands f dollars were about to change l ands on the ability of the boy pilot to finish in the money. Bets were made that the Stutz would not fin ish Every eye followed the meteor progress abound the turns down the back stretch Instead of slowing down. Merz increased his speed.
 He rounded the north turns faster than any other driver had previously dared. Like a runaway comet he dashed into the home stretch and with an unbelievable burst of speed crossed the wire just in time.
 DePalna's Stunt
 Nerz's exhibition is in direct con- trast with the finish of the 1912 race While MerZ was able to win his share of the glory and prize money by daring death in his frey mount. a Tickle fortune was not so generous with the man who furnished the thrills in the contest Of the preced ing year.
 His ability to smile in the face of diversity. 10 step aside for another man. made Ralph DePalma the pop ular hero of the 1912 speedway race
 DePalma was six laps ahead of his nerest competitor when engine trou- ble slowed him down in the last five miles of the race which established the present speedway record.
 On the back stretch his speed was hour Then suddenly with a few fin al heaves of dspair. the great Mer- cedes gave up the ghost and quit.
 Ralph and his mechanician pushed the helpless giant around the track down the strech in front of the grandstands and np to the pits.
 Knight Pulls One
 Harry Knight was the hero oi the 1911 race. the first event of its kind ever held in the history of rac- ing Approximately forty-five cars were entered. The track was crowd ed to over-floWing
 The drivers were forced to con- plete against time. track and the in- experience of their fellow drivers II was 3 dizzy. pell-mell. pot pouri ot popping engines, excited people an( grave disorder
 Imagine if you can. a swift cur rent of racing cars. passing along a ribbon-like path of frey brick with kaledioscopic swiftness. relentless hurrying in one direction where g misstep would mean death and de- struction to the swift speeders in the rear.
 Knight was swept along in that irresistible current of speed. His nerves were tense and his mind was on keeping his car in straight line on the path that might lead to glory or to death.
 | Then, quicker than a flash. Knigh' 1 saw the spectre of a man lying di- rectly in his course The spectre trieC to rise. It proved to be a mechani elan who had fallen from his car di rectly in front of the pits. | Knight would have to decide quick , ly: to crush the man or wreck hi car He decided When his car stop ! ped rolling it had turned numberles somersaults and finally came to res in the driveway leading to the gar ages.
 | Neither Knight nor his mechani elan were injured beyond repair An effort was made by some O i Knights friends to get him Car negie medal for his heroism. but lacking the proper support. the plal fell through.
 | In every 500mile race someone Ina done the unexpected which make strong men gasp and weaker che | faint.
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