New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-27
Drives 500 Miles at AmaZ-
ing Rate of 97.6 Miles
an Hour.
HUGE CROWD GETS
PLENTY OF THRILLS
Porporato Finishes Second Over
Chicago Speedway and Rick
enbacker Gets Third.
IRv Telegraph 10 The Tribune. ]


Chicago, June 26.-Dario Resta won
Chicago's first automobile derby here
to-day in the fastest 500-mile race on
record. He drove his Peugeot car to
victory this afternoon at the new speed
way park, and close to 100000 persons
saw the Italian reel off the distance at
an average rate of 97.6 miles an hour.
His time was hours minutes and 81
seconds.
In winning the race. Rests broke all
worlds automobile records for dis
tances of 200 miles and more, and
earned S24,5OO and a silver Rayfeld
carburetor trophy.
Porporato, driving an English racer,
the Sunbeam Special. was second to
cross the finish line. He travelled the
500 miles at a rate Of S6.5 miles an
hour, and finished in hours 10 min
utes and so seconds. He won a prize
Of $4,000.
Third honors went to Rickenpacker,
who drove a Maxwell Special. He COW
cred the distance in hours IA minutes
and seconds, at an average rate OF
speed Of 95.8 miles an hour. lie earned
$4,000 in prize money.
The fourth car to finish was a sun,
beam, driven by Grant, who covered
tbe $50 laps of the course in hours
Is minutes and 35 seconds. HIS aver
age rate of speed was 95.06 miles an
hour.
Earl Cooper and Anderson followed
closely in Stutz cars, while Alley, dirty
ing a Dusenberg Special, was seventh.
No deaths or injuries, either TO
racers or spectators, interfered with
the days sport
No accidents marred the race. Driy-
ers were in unison on the point tha'
the speedway track is the best IN the
world, and that its records cannot DO
approached on tracks OF different con-
struction.
Automobile experts, who have at
tended similar contests wherever held,
insisted the pace throughout the race
was the fastest in their experience.
1t was pointed out that all OF the
first ten cars to finish the race lowered
the worlds record made by De Palma
| last Memorial Day at the Indianapolis
speedway.
After the first 200 miles had been
! covered a dark streak began to ap--
| pear on the yellow wooden flooring OF
| track. In the pits the assistants called
| il the grease strip" On the turns the
presence of this oil spelled grave dam
ger for the drivers.
As this peril of skidding increased
the drivers began avoiding it by TAX
/ ing the more secure footing higher up
/ the side Of the saucer. When the cars
/ would bunch after a brush down the
J backstretch, the crowd in the grand
/ stand got some of the thrills con-
/ stantly enjoyed by spectators in the
/ marking spaces on the turns.
The smell of burning rubber WAS
strong on the curves, where the throw
ing off of tires occasionally made ~
look as if some giant, with invisible
hand, was at work.
The castings in their final .giveaway
would lose all semblance OF circular
form as they were hurled through the
air. stiff and rigid as iron pipes.
Strips Of hard rubber tread would De
thrown high. Many of these pieces
were caught by those in the parking
spaces and held as trophies.
Distractions Of this kind that Tell on
the track were removed by militiamen'
daring enough and wary enough 10
dart out after them.
No complaints were heard concerning
the presence Of the danger rome =,
the forty-foot strip which separated all
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