The Washington herald., 1914-05-31
FRENCH DRIVER
wins Big RACE
Rene Thomas Breaks All Rec
ords in 500-mile Speed
Contest.
FOREIGN CARS SUPREME
B.ney ola6eii Only American in Big
Winning Lands Fifth
Place.

Indianapolis. IND. Nay 0-Foreigr
racing cars this attersoon proved their
suDsrior4ty over racing usasnrs of Ameri.
can nsass by taking tn .arst four places
at the finish Of Tire 5qs-mile automobile
race. The ouly American to get in the
bie winning was Barney oldfield. who
drove a stutz to nth place.
Rene Thomas, driving a Delage car
not only won the first place and took
the sss,ooo cash prize offered by the
MANAGEMENT of the Speedway, but also
broke all speedway records for every dis
tance from 10c to 500 miles.
In addition to the SIS. 900 cash prize he
won nearly 81, 900 worth of trophies.
Belgian Finishes Second.
Arthur Duray. Belgian. driving the
French Baby Peugeot won second
place, taking the $4,000 cash prize Al
bert Guoyot, q French driver. In the
FRENCH De,age car. was third. Jules
f3uox. in Peugeot winner of last
years 5oo-mile race, was fourth. All
four of the winners eclipsed the former
spee6vay record for this distance.
Thomas time was 6:03:45.99, an aver
age of s. a miles an hour. Duray's time
was 6:le:242s: Guoyots time was
s:14oi75; Goux's time 6:17:2t6.
Barney oldfeld. during the last 16c
miles the only hope Of the American
entrants. finished In s:23:51.5. Oldheld
vas followed by Christiaens, in an Ex-
ceisior. Grant In a Sunbeam. Keene IN
the Beaver Bullet. Carlson in the Max
well. and Haupt in the Duesenberg.
Only two accidents occurred during the
race. Joe Dawson, in the Marmon car,
entered by Charles E Rebenstein, Chi
caeo lawyer. collided with Gilhooley's
Isotta car as they were entering the
back stretch, both cars being overturned.
Dawson Is Hurt.
Dawson, an Indianapolis boy, who won
the 56o-mile race in 1872, and VINO has
made an enyiable track record probably
was fatally injured Ohhcials OF the
Speedway attempted to minimize the ae-
cidents. and Official announcements
were made that Dawson was only slight
ly hurt and that he was sitting up. In
formation from the hospital said that
Dawson's spine was injured in such
way that the injury might result fatally
II was said that his lungs were crushed
Raw Gilhooley, Nino Bonani, his mech
anician. and We're Barnes, Dawson's
mechanician were severely injured.
The other accident occurred when Jean
Chassagne lost control OF his sunbeam
car and went into tne uitcn on eic iioisii-
east turn. Chassagne suffered deep cuts
on his face under his eye, but he was not
seriously injured.
Thomas mad the race slowed away Sc
curely after the first fifty miles. He was
threatened only once during the entire
tedious grind. when Georges Boiilott. II
the Peugeot team. snatched the lead
from him after 325 miles had been
covered Boillott retained the lead a
few laps and then was forced to with
draw en- account of broken frame.
victors I'm Embrace.
There were stirring scenes in the pits
of the foreigners when the two French
cars came. in first and second. Thomas
and Duray embraced each other, and
champagne corks popped as the two
drivers toasted each other for ths valiant
race each had rum
When Goux, who finished fourth. pulled
up to the pits he was embraced by
dozen gesticulating Frenchmen. and
quart of champagne was split between
him and his mechanician.
Today's race was witnessed by the
largest crowd. and was more successful
from a, financial standpoint than any
speed event ever held in this conutry.
The weather and track conditions could
not have been better. The sun shone
all day. but a slight breeze cooled the
air and kept the course clear Of smoke
and dust