The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-08

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30 Miles es,t5:o5 milford PeuEeot |
Ralph De Palma. who will defend his
worlds sprint title in the International
sweepstakes at the Sheepshead Bay
Speedway next Saturday afternoon
against the greatest array of auto rae
ing daredevils that ever faced a starter,
tcrest automobile racing enthusiasts.
De Palma's sole ambition is TO keep
America to the fore in automobile
racing. .
. The famous Italian-American pilot
4 has made a fortune in auto racing dur
Wing the past i've years: The money he
earned in this dangerous occupation
has been invested judiciously. and II De
Palma should decide TO retire to- morrow
ne could live comfortably for the rest
OF his days He holds stock in one of
the leading auto concerns. has money in
vested In tire concern and has q big
interest In one of the largest garages in
New York
So 1t can be seen that De Palma
DOESN'T have to race cars as a means
OF livelihood. He races because he as
pfres to be the leading driver of the
world, and as mentioned above, he
wants America to be on top. De Palma
being full fiedged citizen OF these
United States. a
When you ask De Palma IL he doesn't
consider racing frightfully dangerous
ne will say:
IF I thought 1t was I wouldn't be
soaring around track at breakneck
lpeed. love the game and win stick
70 1t as long "a can have a fast car"
When reminded that many drivers get
hurt and killed. with particular stress
upon the death Of three men in Indian
apelis last week. Ralph retorted
Accidents VIII Occur.
YES, they do, but only when acct
dents occur. You know. that while you
are riding around in touring car and
only going at rate OF fifteen miles
an hour. il an axle should snap or some
fool driver hit your car you might be
Buried from the car to your death. Or
rather may climb a stepladder at home,
and ii topples over, and father breaks
n leg or something like that. So you
see the non-combatant is just as likely
TO get into trouble as the man who
drives a racing automobile"
80 As an illustration that racing drivers
can be careful, De Palma cites the
100 per cent. record of his friend Eddie
Rickenbacker. the former star OF the
auto racing game, who went to France
last year and in seven months of air
lighting brought down twenty-six Ger
man planes. Yet Riclcenbacker never
smashed a single plane or even broke a
wing or q tail.
De Palma has been a serious student
of speed for about fifteen years. and
although only SO years old is already
spoken of as veteran of the racing
game. His first speed work was as
bicycle racer. Then he graduated into
the motorcycle racing game. and from
that TO the auto racing profession.
=.
Revolutionised Game.
Since 1908. when De Palma drove a
mile over the Daytona, Fla, course in
81 seconds, the Italian-American has
revolutioniZed the auto racing game.
This is best illustrated by his speed
achievement last February. when he
drove his ponderous Packard racer
equipped with Liberty motor, mile in
1892 seconds, which Is at q rate OF
1872 miles an hour.
Last march in the Santa Monica race
In California he raced homo in front.
having maintained a speed Of 1888
miles an hour. This is the best time
ever made in a road race in the history
OF the automobile racing game.
Last summer at the Sheepshead Bay
Speedway track De Palma established
b worlds record for ten miles. covering
the distance>pn the two mile oval track
in minutes 76 seconds. The previous
year at Sheepshead Bay De Palma ere
ated the records from one to six hours
-one hour. ITO miles; two hours. 21e
miles; three hours $40 miles; four
hours. 42S miles; Ave hours, 622 miles;
six hours. Gle miles.
-eDe Pahna's cars have been thorough
n overhauled for the classic next Sat-
farday. They need be because he will
JiEye TO create new records II he expects
10 beat the field that will start in the
International event.
- Resta's Mystery Car.
Resta will have his so-calied mystery
car ready and Tommy Milton promises
to show, something sensational in the
speed line with his new Duesenberger
With which he won at Uniontown.
, Then De Palma win have Rene
Thomas, Louis and CASTOR Chevrolet, Ira
Vail. Louis Wagner. Jules Goux and
several other foreign daredevils to con-
tend against.
Goux and Thomas are expected TO
drive the two Ballot cars that are still
in condition. Ballot brought forth four
cars here last April and 1t took a year
to build them. Each car represented
an outlay OF $4,000. They are
equipped with French areo motors and
i'm trial tests have reached a speed of
ll2 miles an hour. The French driver
threatens to "open up in this re ce and
there is no telling where they will land
II the cars fail to hold the road
A feature OF the meet at the Speed
way next Saturday is n race for drivers
OF non-stock cars. These pilots I'D to
now have been combining their opera
items TO dirt tracks. 1t will be the first
time these drivers will have a chance
TO compete on speedway. The race