Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-12-30
WAR HEROES IN
SPEED CONTEST
Liberty Sweepstakes Classic
Date Changed From Memo-
rial Day TO May 81.
The Race Over the indianapolis Mo-
tor Speedway Course VIII Be 300
Miles For a Purse Of $4,000.

d
/ INDIANAPOLIS. Ind.-The Liberty
Sweepstakes for distance Of 500
miles and a cash purse Of 5000 will
+ be run over the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway course on Saturday, May
81. instead of May seth. as originally
announced. Popular demand by
patrons OF the historic race track and
+ because OF feeling that Memorial
Day will have a new meaning TO the
American public, influenced the
Speedway owners. who are spending
the winter in Miami Florida. 10 make
the change In the date.
The name ALLIED Liberty Sweep
stakes" might we'll be applied 10 the
worlds greatest automobile classic,
because there will be cOn,enders Of
both drivers and cars representing
England, France, Italy, Belgium and
the United States, That the foreign
entry will be large Is confirmed by the
contents OF a cablegram from w F.
Bradley. Paris. who is the foreign
representative OF the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, stating that two Fiat
cars and three Sunbeams are avail
able Immediately for racing, and that
negotiations are being started TO Sc
cure the entries of these cars for the
race.
Sunbeam racing cars are well
known to the patrons of the Indian
apolis track. one having appeared for
the first time In the 500.mile race on
May 30. 1918 Albert Guyot was the
pilot Of that Sunbeam, and he brought
with him an Englishman named Cross.
man, as a meehanician Guyot drove
the entire 500 miles without relief
and finished fourth In the race. The
next appearance Of Sunbeam cars,
entered by the factory. was in 1914,
when two cars were sent across the
big pond and were driven by Van
Raalte, an Englishman and Porporato,
an Italian. The most noted per.
Torrance Of this team was Porporato's
finish In second place In the initial
500.mie race on the Chicago Speed.
way in June OF 1914 or these drivers,
Guyot Is a Frenchman He Joined
hi9 colors at the beginning of the war
In 1914 and for a long period was a
driver for General Joffre and later
was engaged in special work in con
nection with the motor service OF the
French army
Crossman also went TO the front
with the English army He was cap.
/ tured by the Germans early In the
+ fighting and no late information has
been received regarding him. Por-
porato Is an officer in the Italian army
and has served his country with dis.
tinction
/ After the announcement OF the 500.
mile race for May 30, 1917. the Fiat
factory at Turin, Italy. cabled its en-.
tries for two cars and named Jack
Scales. an engineer in the Fiat fac.
/ tory, and an Italian driver named
Fagnano. as drivers. On account OF
difficulties in shipping from Italian
ports because OF the submarine men
ace, the Fiat officials decided to send
their race cars by trucks to Bordeaux
and were halfway between Turin and
Bordeaux when they were notified hy
cable Of the cancellation Of the Indi.
annapolis event on account Of Amer.
ica's entry into the hostilities The
cars were Immediately recalled and
shipping arrangements and reserya
tons for cars and drivers cancelled
II Is known on good authority that
Jack Scales has been experimenting
with three new Flats of 300 cubic
inch displacement, and that these cars
have shown remarkable speed in road
tests made in Italy during the prog
ress of the war It is said that these
three cars represent the fastest ONE
Of FIVE built by the Fiat factory some
time during the past year, and will b
available at this time.