Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-31
AMERICANS TRAIL
IN 5OO-M|[E RACE
French Car, Rene Thomas
Driving, Wins indianapolis
Automobile Contest.

INDIANAPOLIS, May 30-Rene Thom-
as. driving a French car, won the fourth
annual 5O0-mile race on the Indianapolis
motor speedway today. All speedway
records from to 500 miles were broken.
The first American to finish was Barney
Old1eld, who crossed the wire in fifth
place.
Thomas time was six hours three min
utes forty-hve and 99-1OOths seconds.
The winner maintained an average speed
of S2.4 miles an hour. The former rec
ord of six hours twenty-one minutes
three and one-hundredth seconds was
established by Joe Dawson in 1912. The
new record established today was due
in a large measure to the ideal weather
conditions which prevailed.
Arthur Duray finished second. seven
minutes after the winner. Albert Guyot
teammate Of Thomas. was the third
driver to be given the checkered flag,
and Jules Goux. winner of the 1913 race,
ahead of Oldfeld.
Six Men Are Injured.
Six men were injured, none of them
seriously. during the contest. Joe Daw-
son suffered broken collarbone and
minor injuries when his car turned over
on the south turn after trying to dodge
the wrecked machine of Ray Gilhooley.
We're Barnes. Dawson's mechanician, was
hurt. and Gilhooley and Nino Zonani. his
mechanician. also suffered minor injuries.
Jean Chassagne and Albert Mitchell,
handling an English car. limped away
from their machine after it rolled over
on turn.
The race was an exciting one from the
start and the rivalry among the foreign
teams made one Of the most exciting
finishes that ever has been witnessed at
the Indianapolis course. George Boillet,
in a desperate effort to overhaul Thomas,
pushed his car to such excessive speed
that in the 147th lap he was forced out,
when leading the field, because of a
broken frame.
Spectators Thrilled.
Duray thrilled the spectators by his
sensational effort to catch Thomas in
the latter part of the contest, and Goux
seemed always to be a contender for
first place. Thomas made one stop at
the pits, Duray two and Guyot one. In
the first 100 miles some drivers stopped
on almost every lap. The race began to
settle down after the 1OO-mile mark was
set and the average speed increased.
Thomas drove the last 100 miles at an
average of more than eightyfour miles
an hour.
The showing of Bob Burman was a
disappointment, as was that Of Tetzlaff.
Disbrow. Mulford, Cooper and other stars.
1t is estimated that 100000 people saw
the contest. Thomas was given a hearty
cheer when he drew up to the pits and
embraced his mechanician; but through
the last fifty miles the crowd was shout
ing for Oldfeld and urging him on to
regain the honors America lost to France
over the same course last year.
Thomas car was No. IS; Goux carried
the same number to victory last year
Thomas won first prize of $4,000 and
accessory prizes and trophies will swell
this amount to about $4,000.
Josef Christiaens. in Belgian car. fin
ished sixth; Harry Grant, in an English
machine, was seventh; Keene and Rodg-
ers, in an American car placed eighth,
and William Carlson was ninth. E. v.
Rickenbacher. in an American car, fin
ished tenth. the last of the prize winners.
Haupt, Mulford and Burman. in Knip-
per's entry, finished the race in the order
named.