Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-28
RACE STARS MUST
APPEAR IN OMAHA
New Ruling of A. A. A. Will
Force Five Leading Drivers
to Enter Local Derby.
$10O A MILE PRIZE MONEY

When the dozen or so racing auto
mobiles line up on the East Omaha
speedway July 4 next to clash in
Omaha's third annual automobile
derby the five leading drivers of the
country will be in the, starting line.
This is the word brought back from
New York by Director of Contests
Felix McShane, who went to Gotham
for the organization meeting of the
new American Automobile Speedway.
association. E..
The five leading drivers are Dario
Resta, johnny Aitken, Eddie Rickcn-.
bacher, Ralph De Palma and Wilbur
D'Alene in the order named.
The speedway association, in col
liberation with the American Auto
mobile association, under whose di-
rection and supervision all licensed
races are. run, decided that in 1917
only eight championship races would
be held. Each speedway is permitted
to hold one championship race. 1t
can, however, hold as many other
races as it wants 10.
Those speedways which will hold
championship events are New York,
Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Des
Moines, Tacoma, Providence and
Omaha.
Only these eight races will be in-
cluded in the race of the drivers for
the American motor championship,
which was won last year by Dario
Resta. Last year, however, about f.
teen championship races were held,
several speedways holding more than
one.
Will Forfeit Points.
When this decision was made the
speedway association began to lay
plans to force the leading drivers to
enter all these events. The American
Automobile association was appealed
to. And the American Automobile
association put a clause in its 1917
rule book that the five leading drivers
shall appear in each championship
race or forfeit all their point credits.
The prize money for the championship
last year was $4,000 1t will be at
least as large this year, if not larger,
That means the drivers will be very
,loathe to lose any points they have
earned and they will have to enter all
the races for their own protection,
So that is why Resta, Aitken, Rick
enbacher, De Palma and D'Alene are
sure, to be contenders in the Omaha
derby July T. Aitken is the only man
in the quintet who did not take part
in the local classic last year. Z
Hundred Dollars Mile.
Another ruling of the new speed
way association is that $100 a'milc
prize money must be offered for each
OF the championship events. Last
years several of the speedways fell
under this mark. .55 l,-.4
Omaha will probably hold two races
this year as last, except that the cham
pionship event will probably be only
100 miles long instead OF $50. This
means the prize money for the Omaha
championship race will be $4,000. A
secondary ffty-mile race, for which a
probable purse of $500 will be
offered, also viii be held.
Director of Contests McShane OF
the local oval was made a member of
the board of directors of the new
speedway association, so that Omaha
will be sure to be represented when
any legislation is passed. Harry Hark-
ness, head of the Sheepshead Bay
speedway in New York, and the man
who owned the fatal car which car.
ried Dan Columbo to his death here
last July Is, is president.