Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-06-12
SPEED DEMONS TUNE
MACHINES FOR BIG
CHICAGO MEETING.
PILOTS or WORLD WIDE FANS
WILL RACE IN CHICAGO. JUNE
t6-BARNEY olDFlElO HAS
SUBMARINE BOAT"


per hour. made by Johnny Aitken with
a Peugeot in the Astor cup race oil
1916 at Sheephead Bay.
The Chicago speedway mark OF us
90 miles per hour, held by Darlo
Resta and the Peugeuot.
Louis Chevrolets average OF lo2lS
miles per hour, established by the
years Memorial Day sweepstakes at
Cincinnati
These are the $50 mile records that
the Chicago Auto Derby contenders
will strive to shatter in next Satur'
DAYS classic the feature of the mill
tary. motor and athletic fete to be
staged at the Chicago speedway Tor
tbe benefit of American war causes.
According to the dopesteys, who
have been c.ocking the cars this week
in practice. the chances are bright for
a triple massacre OF time provided
Ralph DePalma's Packard has the
stamina to measure up to its speed,
for the twelve.eylinder rig that the
Italian is campaigning this season Is
acknowledged to be the fastest mount
in the Auto Derby field. The Packard
is rated at 100 miles per hour. AT Gin
cinnati, the car showed bursts of
speed that probably could not be
equaled by either of the Peugeots--
Restas and Athens which had
monopoly on the 1916 record market.
Because of the speed of the Packard
and the craftiness and experience of
its veteran driver, DePalma' rules
favorite for the 1917 Auto Derby.
There Is no car fast enough to pass
him, according to the rail birds of the
gasoline circuit. They look for the
Italian to go to the front at the start
and set terrific pace There Is only
one way to beat DePalma, they claim
The Packard must break down before
the $50 miles are covered. The De
Palma ink must be on the job as 1t
was at Cincinnati May 30, when q
splinter from the board track pune
tured the radiator and changed the
Troia Terror from race leader to a
spectator
II the Packard holds up under the
gruelling grind and DePalma shakes
his proyerbial hoOdoo, the critics not
only look for Ralph to take premier
honors in the Auto Derby but also
predict that he will shatter the $50
mile worldss record, now held by
johnny Aitken and the peugeot, In
Saturdays classic. Aitken covered
the two and onehalf centuries in the
1916 Astor cup. race In 2 hours % min
utes and seconds, an average Of
104.83 miles pei hour.
In order to shatter Athens record
which was made at Shepshead Bay,
DePalma will not be forced to extend
the Packard to the limit AS com
paratiye times will show there is very
little difference in the speed of the
New York and Chicago speedways al.
though the former Is credited with
being the faster course For example,
Resta, in winning the Speedway
Grand Prize here last fall, covered
the $50 miles In hours, "a minutes
and lG seconds, missing Athens mark
by the eyelash margin Of minute and
II seconds
There is another team of fast cars
in the Auto Derby the MERGERS being
rated around lis miles per hour
They may runafoul Of mechanical
trouble, however, as they are new and
green and may more preparatory
work before they are fit to challange
the Frontenacs. Just how fast the
MERGERS are, we will probably see
tomorrow or Tuesday as Manager
the l00mile Chicago speedway record
1917 miles per hour, the first Of the
week
The two in diyidual entries that are
mots feared are Dave Lewis Hoskinq
Special and Earl Coopcr's Stutz
They have the stuff to burn splnters
Off the boards, and their drivers are
experienced and crafty Neither can
should suffer from mechanical troubles
as they have been campagned lont
enough to have all defects dicoyere(
and corrected
No one denies that the two Delages
owned by Harry Hardness of New
York and driven by jules Devgne ant
jack l.ecain, are fest but to date
they have not shown the requisite
stamina to entitle the TO rank a
dangerous contenders.
In the l00.milc an hour class ar
placed the Hudson and the Dueser
bergs, the depestcrs predicting hta
these cars will not crowd the Is
miles In less than two hours and
half They are sturdy mounts, how
ever built strong and driven cor
servatiyely at slight sacrifice O
speed. Both the Hudsons, piloted b
milford, Vail, Patterson and Cabl,
and the Duesenbergs, driven b
Hearne and Milton, are rated as har,
consistent pluggers by the critic,
IhnY Will he run al a aafn nnnn [