Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-12-26
RETURN OF 500
; Mile RACE IS
. NOW ASSURED
Automobile Racing Is to Be
the Major Sport, Say
Speedway Men.

indianapolis. Ind, Dec. 26.-The re-
turn Of the 5O0-mile race to the In
annapolis Speedway means the re-
turn of automobile racing as a major
sport in America.
since the war started in 1914 in
terest in all sport has Jagged. Auto
racing stood up we'll for a year, the
with foreign cars in action. The next
year the sport began to pail on the
fans with the growth of speedway
racing in many sections, although the
race for the championship in which
Dario Resta bested the late Johnny
A1tken and Captain Eddie Ricke-
hacker, Americas leading lace"
served to keep up the interest.
Indianapolis did not stage a race
in 1917 nor this year because the
owners Of a brick track could not
see patriotism in trying to keep alive
the sport when the participants were
needed by Uncle Sam to care for and
pilot his airplanes, trucks, tractors
m automobiles. Other tracks staged
races but melted only local interest.
From it's inception in 1911, when,
race was staged. the Indianapolis
America, replacing the famed Wander
b1lt cup of the road race era. In
dianapolis, in addition to being the
only speedway to successfully stage
more than one 500-mile race has a
track that tests the driving skill Of
the pilot. The brick course which is
familiar to every racing fan, has four
curves of slight gradient and four
stretches. The curves force the driver
to show his skill to stay on the track
and the stretches permit sprints for
position, which are lacing on the spe-
cially constructed bowls where the
curves are practically ironed out.
Driving skill and endurance Of
man and a Won every race in In
lance. Horroun in 1911 outgeneraled
his field: Dawson in 1912 hung on De-
Palma's flank until the Mercedes
Weakened; Jules Goux outguessed
Terrible Teddy" Tetzlaff in 1913;
Rene. Thomas actually drove the late
Georges Boillot off the track to win
with a slower car in 1914; Ralph De-
Palma outdrove Dario Resta and his
speedy Peugot to win with a slower
On any other track the faster cars
would have o.
For its sixth 500-mile race Indian
apolis will bring out the flower Of
the worlds racing field. With such a
race and a rich purse of $4,000, d.
among the first ten to finish,
the season is bound to be good be-
cause Of the number of cars that will
be made ready for. the first major
speed. event. Many foreign cars are
expected and several American factor
les, patrons of the sport in former
seasons, contemplate a return.
Since the start of the races, hotel
accommodations in Indianapolis have
increased, but they are likely to be
taxed to the limit this year, with the
interest already manifested in the
revival event by the fans who drive
from 100 to 1000 miles to see the
speed merchants gamble for big
+; stakes and pay tribute to the vassals
of the God-Mercury.
/ The first entry for the 50o-mile Lib
ierty Sweepstakes automobile ace to
be run over the two and one-half-
mile course, arrived at Speedway
headquarters this morning. r. c. Du-
rant, president of the Chevrolet Mo-
tor company of California, with head
quarters at Oakland, CAL, entered a