The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-05-31

INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY, May
31.-Under the worst weather condi-
tions ever prevailing, the fifth inter-
national 50O-mile race was started to-
day. Paced around the two-and-one
half-mile brick course by Carl Fisher,
president of the Speedway association,
in his small white roadster, twenty
four racing cars got away to flying
start promptly on the stroke of 10
o'clock. Completing the first lap 60
ing sixty miles an hour, Fisher pulled
off the course and gave up the track
to haFaeays.
The attendance was estimated at
$4,000
Two hundred times around the oval
will complete the necessary five hun
dred miles. The winner usually fin
ishes at o'clock with nine others who
place stringing in anywhere from a
few minutes to a few hours behind.
Thomas Hoids Record.
With a smaller field and faster cars
entered than ever before, it was con-
sidered probable that the speedway
record will be battered. The present
record for the event is sos: 1894, es-
tablished last year by Rene Thomas in
a Delage.
All previous speed records we're
shattered today in the first half of
the race, the most spectacular and
hardest fought ever staged on any
course. When the race was half over
Ralph DePalma, driving the German
made Mercedes car, was leading Resta
in a Peugot by the narrow margin of
twenty-eigh seconds. These two Ital-
ians fought for the lead when only
few seconds separated them for the
entire distance After the two leaders
in this order came Gil Anderson and
Cooper of the Stutz team, porporato
in Sunbeam, Wilcox in a Stutz.
Van Raalte in a Sunbeam and Bur
man in a Peugot. At this stage of
the race there had been no accidents.
track conditions were ideal for record
making speed.
De Palmas time for the $50 miles
was 2:47:O6.65. an average of 1917
miles an hour. Last years average
for 25O miles was S2.S5 miles an hour
Johnny Atkins relieved Gil Anderson
in the Stutz at the end of $50 miles.
At the end of $50 miles Resta was
in the lead but only 25 feet over Ralph
DePalma These two stars were driv-
ing the most thrilling race ever seen
here Resta, when forced to stop and
change two tires and take water and
gasoline, had been driving without a
stop. He was back in the race with
slight loss of time, but the stop had
cost him the lead. DePalma having
snatched it from him by more than 4
mile DePalma's time was l: :5S.11.30,
an average Of SS.S4 miles an hour.
This was another record the best time
for this distance until today was an
average of $40. Behind DePalma
was Anderson. who was pushing him
hard, Resta was third, Cooper in his
Stutz was fourth, and Wilcox in a
Stutz was fifth.
DePalma Holds Lead.
The 200 mile average of 1922 miles
per hour was seven miles faster than
last year. The rank for 200 miles was
DePalma first. Resta second, Ander-
son third, Cooper fourth. Time,
2:14.29.
Resta, fighting for first place be-
hind De Palma in the last twenty-five
miles, gained a full minute on De-
Palma DePalma was first by nose
at the end of 225 miles. with Resta
second, Anderson third. Cooper fourth.
Poroprato fifth, Wilcox sixth. Time,
2:3O.53. Average S9.37.
Chevelrot ran out of gasoline in the
back stretch. His mechanician ran
more than a mile to the pit and OBJ
tanned enough of the fluid to bring
the car to the pits.
This race was remarkable for the
fact that five-three-car teams started.
They are the Stutz, Maxwell, Dues
senberg, American, and the Sunbeam
and Peugot, foreign. Racers have es-
tablished that three is the magic num-
Der, and the men with money to bet
absorbed the idea that with definite
plan outlined, three drivers have a de-
cided advantage over one.
At the end of twenty-five miles a
pace of S9.46 miles an hour was being
maintained. Gil Anderson in a Stutz
was in the lead. Resta in a Peugot