Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-10
Ability to Use Head, as Well as Cley.
erncss in Handling Machine, Led
to Selection-Barney Oldfield Re.
sponsible for Making Speeder.
EDDIE RICkENBACHER


DETROIT. MICH. June Eddie
Rickcnbacher one of the greatest driv-
will pilot Major General ]. j. Per-
shing's monster speed car behind tho
battle lines in Europe.
Rickcnbachcr vas appointed to the
position. getting the choice over a
long list of desirable applicants that
included some of the best speedway
and dirt track drivers in tho coun-
try.
When war was declared Ricken-
bacher started out to organize an avia-
ton corps of race drivers. At that
time the War Depa rtment was not
ready to take up such a project and
Rick dropped this work to turn his
attention to the racing events billed
for the season.
| Eddie Rickenbacher finished third to
Resta and Aiken last year in tho
first official championship contest in
the history of American racing. Rick
drove Detroit-made Maxwell into
| third place. leading every American car
and topping all Of the foreign speed
sters except the two PeuSeots
He is one OF the clevcrcst drivers
racing, using his head as we'll IS his
hands and feet Given car equal to
Resta or Athens mounts. which were
ten miles an hour faster. the result OF
the title race would have been al.
tered.
For many seasons this driver has
been noted for his bad luck Ricu
i tC a Inc yI,f .,.,.
other fellow from every angle. HIS
seldom saves his car once the race IL
started. preferrinE to win. rather than
to merely finish in the money.
Develops Own System.
In his years of racing he has worked
out a system all his own, and IL he
cared to hand out the information
could Sive detail outline OF each COM
petitor's car that, barring accidents.
would prove up at the finish
This is his own system and merely
goes to show how he has studied the
game and one reason why he is noted
as hard driver He knows how fast
he must push his car to take hrst
money.
Barney oldfeld is responsible for
'Rick's" entry into the racing game
E,ddie's mother still lives in columbus
Ohio, near the dirt track OF the Ohio
state Fair Grounds. When Rick
was about sixteen years old. back in
1901. Barney Oldheld drove the Ford
9s9 mile In 1902. Eddie sat on the
fence and determined to become n
speed demon.
Lee Prayer. one OF the old
drivers was the engineer Of an auto
mobile plant in Columbus at that time.
| Eddie knew Prayer and the NEXT dav
obtained position in the restroom OF
the factory. Two years later. in tho
1906 Vanderbilt. Eddie had his first
ride IN a big race. being mechanic
for Lee Prayer. The car was wrecked
IN practice and Rickenbacher went
back TO the factory. He worked his
way through the plant to the sales de-
partment and until 1909 did not trv m.
speed game again.
KICK was stationed in Omaha for
me Observation-Disclosures factory In
won eight first and wrecked his car
IN the other. The next year the fac
tory called him in TO drive dirt
track meet at Columbus against Bar
neS Oldheld and others. 1t was a
100 mle event and for seventy n,iia.
Eddie pushed Rarney's Knox 70 az
l'mlt, nut went out at this point with
burned-out connection rod. Frayer
MS teammate, won the race
Drives First 300" In 1911
The hrst appearance OF Rick" 4,
the is-time races was the initial
L.
ne drove a relief for Lee Frayer's
tlrestone- columbus and finished IN
the money. In the 1913 Indiananol;a
: event with the same car he was RIM
nins in fourth place when the car
went out of the race
In 1919 he had A Mason AZ Jnd,,
apoiis and the next year Duesenbere
al indianapolis. On the Duesenbere
KICK broke off the gear shifting
tenth. az "'sheo
When Ray Harroun was handling tn.
aIaN"ciI racing team in 1915 he sent
Faul Brucke TO the coast for the grand
prize and Vanderbilt races to start his
work as team manager. Rickenbacher
had been driving Puegeots. but signed
with Brucke. He drove the Detroit
cars In these two road races. IN.
venice Grand Prize and the Phoenix
ON the teams return to Detr,,,
Rickenhacher began TO make this civ
MS headquarters. From that time unti1
late last fall he drove Maxwells in
| an the big races. When he quit the
| Maxwell team, which in the mean
time had passed into the hands OF the
contract with William weiehtman
III. track and drove Duesenberes IA
three California events that closed tha
season.
Last winter R!ckenbacher mad.
trip to Europe TO obtain a pair OF
sunbeam Skies The deal was com.
pleted. and II this country had not en-.
tered the war and the Indianapoii.
h-milc event had been revived. Ed-
die would have obtained the cars. with
the submarine menace and tina carr
ing OF OF the Indianapolis race. Sfha
| sunbeam Company refused to shin mo
cars. preferrins TO wait until the war.
was oynr -,