South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-05-30
THOMAS LEADS AT 100 MILES
SUNBEAM STARTS
5O0-MILE CLASSIC
At INDIANAP OILS
BULLETIN.

BULLETIN.
INDIANAPOLIS. May 3O.-The hrst
accident of the 1914 hVe-hundred mile
auto race was the Oyerturning OF the
Sunbeam CssE.. driven 10y ChaSsaSne, as
he was making the turn 60 enter the
back stretch
ChaSsagne was seriously cut about
the head and face and was rushed Cd
Emergency hospital.
Persy Miller. his mechanician, was
only slightly bruised.
ChaSSagne'S car was declared out
OF the race. Guyot. the Erenchman,
was leading the field at sixty miles.
MORTOR SPEEDWAY. INDIAN
APOLIS. Ind. May 3O.-Out OF
great cloud of smoke from the ca
bauStS OF 80 SnOrting racing carS.
Chassagne. in his English Sunbeam
shot across the starting line al 10
o'clock sharp and the great interna-
tiOn 50O-milc race was on. He was
followed two seconds later by IetL-
Ian in a Maxwell and the other driN-
ers followed i'm succession. BOillOt,
the French faVorite. i'm his Peugcot.
the last TO leave the starting point.
Fisher was driving az the rate OF
- miles an hour when be crossed
the starting line. Howard Wilcox, in
a Gray Fox Tetzam in a Maxwell and
Chassagne in Sunbeam. were even
with him, closely followed by the
other entrants.
At the end Of the third lap Chris
tiaens in an Excelsior. led by a small
margain. while Jules Goux. the
French winner Of last years race, in
a Peugot had pushed into second
place and was pushing the Belgian
hard
Christians made the first lap in
one minute. 45 seconds and 95-1OOs
seconds, an average OF S5.75 miles an
hour.
The first withdrawal was the Ray
car driven by Brock. who was forced
out at the end of the ten miles with
broken shaft.
The work of the pit men in making
tire changes was extremely fast
Ralph Milford stopped his Mercedes
at the pit, replaced a bursted tire and
was back in the race in So seconds.
Bob Burman lost four laps on ac-
count Of engine trouble after his 18th
lap.
Thomas. in a Delage. took the lead
from Guyot, also in a car OF the same
make, shortly after the 60th mile had
been finished and Thomas still held
the lead at the end of the 18th mile,
having covered the distance in
52:O6.57, a track record.
The old speedway record for the
distance was 54:50.20.
GOUx Forced TO Stop.
GOuX was forced 10 stop at the
end of the 18th lap for tires At the
18th mile Christiaens was still in the
lead. He was driving consistently
and had not been forced 10 stop at
the pits. Thomas. IN a Delage, was
second. BoillOt had finished 20 laps
when ne was forced To stop for tires.
AT the end OF 90 miles Thomas ia
Delage car was FIRST having COW
cred the 20 laps in 34:42 minutes. He
Was followed by Christiaens in an Ex-
celsior, Bragg in a Mercer. Guyot in
d DeIdge, and Dawson in a Harmon.
Anderson Skids Into Wall.
Anderson in a Stutz trying 10 make
a turn, skidded into the retaining wall
on the outer edge OF the track. The
car bounded back into the course and
Anderson went on in the race, unhurt..
At the end Of one hundred miles
Thomas was leading, having covered
tho distance in one hour Nine minutes.
5J.40 seconds
The Old record for one hundred
miles Is l:l3:37.Z5, made by Tezlan
IN Fiat IN indianapolis May 30, 1912.
For his record today Thomas Wins
the q. and j. Trophy.
Following Thomas and only a min
ute behind MIN at the end OF the hum
ured miles was Duray in a baby Peu-
geut The other leaders in order
were: Guyot, in q Delage. Christaens,
Excelsior, Wishart. Mercer, Bragg,
Mercer. and Dawson, IN a MarmOn.
/ Less than one second separated ths
two Mercer cars.
During ali OF yesterday. last night
and the early hours of this morning,
thousands poured into the city on spe-
cial trains. lnterurban cars. autOm0-
blles motorcycles and every cOnceiV-
able vehicle OF modern times. There
was no hotel rooms 10 be had At any
price. hundreds OF cots lined rne
Railways IN every big hostelry, while
other members slept IN their cars that
We're drawn up 10 the curDs on the
down town streets.
100000 i'm Stands.
At daybreak, hundreds of specta-
tors began making their way ia al
sorts OF conVeyances 20 the great oval
course, where what was expected 20 De
the speediest race in history was 20
be staged. BY 10 o'clock when the
thirty cars had snOrted their way once
about the two and a half mile brick
paved speedway IN order 20 get 4y-
ing start. il IS estimated that 100000
persons were IN the STANDS and bleach
ers
OF the drivers who viii battle for
SS5. 600 in cash and other prizes the
. advantage 70 be with GOuX. winner
OF last years race: BOilOtt. his Peug *
team mate, and the Delaga cars, pi-
lated by Thomas and GuyOL The ior-
eigners. who have been bitterest
rivals on European courses. were
spurred 70 their best efforts by the
knowledge that III wishes OF all Of the
American entrants were with them
on the start
The Americans who are figured -
the race are Dawson, in "a Marm0ns
Anderson. in StutZ: Carlson and
TetZlan, in MaXwells, Burman in car
of his own design, and Wishart, IN a
Mercer.
The withdrawal OF Ralph de Palma's