Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-07-22
ONLY VETERANS
AT WHEEL LAST
Automobile Racing Game No Place
for Youthful PrOdigies Fe;.tur-
ing Other Sports,
FIVE ENTRIES OF MATURE MEN
Chevrolet is Daddy OF Them All
List Wei Over Work or
Fight Age Limit.

Automobile racing. unlike other
sports. has little room for youthful
prodigies. The HOllocheTs, Francis
OUimets. Benny Kauffs and Bobby
Joneses Of other pastimes don't
last yong behind the wheel of two
miIe-a-minute racing car They are
killed on TOO quickly.
The successful driver Of the mod
eTn, high-speed machine with its
aeroplane motor must possess eX-
csptional judgment and self-contrOI
that comes only with mature years
The impetuosity OF youth, the IN
checked desire 10 take a chance.
only spells disaster in the heat Of
a ETuelling race on the auto speed
ways The excitement and fascina-
ton Of the dangerous sport attracts
many young recruits. but they soon
either pay the penalty of over
rashness or gracefully switch to a
milder form OF livelihood.
The best Evidence OF this is shown
in the selection OF the drivers to
compete in the International Sweep
stakes at the Chicago speedway on
Sunday afternoon, July 2S- The
management decided in arranging
the race 10 select the five greatest
drivers in an effort TO determine
just who is the best After going
over the field carefully the follow
ing were selected:
Ralph De Palma Of Italy,
great st all-ar0und champion
the game has ever known.
nari0 ReSta Of England,
speedway champion for 1916
1916.
Arthur Duray of Belgium,
worlds speed champion.
Ralph Milford OF the United
States. 2f-hOEr champion.
LCuis Chevrolet OF France,
81 adWay champion for 1918.
Ths daddy of all the drivers" is
Chevrolet, who has just passed his
53rd birthday. The daring French
man has been manipulating the rae
ing wheel for 90 years and is better
today than ever before. Scores of
young chaps have tried to drive
the veteran into retirement. but he
is still flashing along with the best
of them Last year he won the
speedway championship in a race
at Sheepshead Bay in which he Gov
cred 100 miles al an average speed
of 10 miles an hour. In the recent
Chicago derby he won over the 100
mile route by averaging los miles
an hour Only last Thursday he
captured the 112-mfle race at the
Uniontown, Pa, speedway. Now he
is engaged in defending his title
against the greatest drivers in the
world
Hold old do you think Ralph De
Taina is2 In the early 20's would
he the natural answer if one was to
Judge solely by the champions
youthful appearance. But De Palma
IS fast approaching the 40 mark.
The daredevil Italian, possessing
rare mechanical genius and stead
mess when in action, began his rae
ing career when but a mere kid,
but he was one of the few to sur
vive the early critical stage.
De Palma to Continue.
But there is no telling how many
years the name of De Palma will
be flashed the winner in many of
the important racing events. Ralph
has no idea of quitting the strenH-
Gus sport. On the contrary, the
sprint king intends to compete in
all the important contests this sea
son, especially to triumph over his
greatest rival. Dario Resta.
And Resta, speed king of 1856.
is another old stager as auto racers
20. He has passed 80, an age when
an athlete in any line of sporting
endeavor would be due for retire
ment Ralph Milford is as old as
Resta and declares that he will be
racing for the next 10 or 20 years.
Duray, European champion and
holder Of the worlds record of 147
miles an hour, is As years old, but
seems TO grow letter with age.
So when these veteran speed
kings clash at the Chicago speed
way on next Sunday afternoon 10
race for their own money the battle
should be worth while going miles
TO see.