The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-06-02
FATALITIES IN
SPEEDWAY RACE
MAY REACH FOUR
Little Hope for Recovery Of
Mechanician Hurt as Thur
man is Killed.

man is Killed.
INDIANAPOLIS. June IN Molin-
arc. mechanician for Arthur Thurman
In the Speedway 500-mile race Satur-
DAY, who received a fractured skull
when Humans car overturned, kill
Ing the driver, is In dying condition
at the Methodist hospital, 1t was stated
there today. Thurman was killed
when his car, Thurman special. was
wrecked by "dished wheel" as the
speedy racer was going into the north
east corner turn Of the brick oval.
Thurman had been driving a steady
race, his car giving him no trouble.
Injuries received by Molinaro indi-
Gated that he had been dragged for
many feet under the wrecked car. The
skin was stripped from his right cheek,
his chin, right hand and above the
right eye where the skull was frac-
tured. He has been unconscious since
the accident and physicians said he
had no chance for recovery.
The death would bring the fatality
list OF the race to four. In the early
Fart Of the big grind Thurman was
killed Louis LeCocq, driver of Roa-
mer No. Is, and his mechanician, r.
Bandini, were burned to death when
the gasoline tank of the car exploded,
enveloping them in flames. The ex-
plosion came almost simultaneously
with the crash of the car against the
retaining wall at the south turn. Be-
fore assistance could reach them both
men had been burned to death.
Thurman's Body Home
Humans body was taken to his
home in Washington by his wife and
brother. No disposition of the bodies
of LeCocq and Bandini has been made.
In addition to the fatalities some of
the race drivers received minor in
iuries. E. T. Shannon. driving Shan
non Special, received a cut on his
neck when the timing wire struck him
after 1t had been torn loose from its
fastenings when Louis Chevrolet drove
a Frontenac with its right front wheel
of across the wire.
Ira Vail, who drove a Hudson Spe-
cial, in the 500-mile auto classic Sat
urday, and who was not recorded as
finishing the long grind in the official
checking Of the timing tape, has filed
a protest with Chester S. Kicker, d.
rector of timing and scoring OF the
race and local representative of the
American Automobile association, ask
ing for rechecking of the tape. Vail
maintains, Mr. Kicker said, that he
made the 200 laps and believes that
a recheck of the tape will show that
he finished in eighth place.
The protest was filed with Mr.. Rick
er because the representatives OF the
automobile association in charge OF
the race, as we'll as Referee Eddie
Rickenbacker. had left the city
Tape Sent to New York.
AS the tape was mailed Saturday
after the race to the headquarters OF
the A. A. A. in New York, 1t was I'M
possible to make the recheck here and
the association has been notified by
telegraph of Wallis protest. The tape
will be rechecked in New York and in
the meantime, Mr. Kicker said, the
eighth. ninth and tenth prize money
will net he paid If it develops by
recheck;rg that Vail finished the 200
laps III the time given him for 1913
laps. it will at least place him in
eleventh place and give him the credit
of finishing the grind. or may place
him as high as eighth, Mr.. Kicker sald.
Vail. according to Mr.. Kicker, was
not disposed to raise the issue in any
but a friendly spirit, but adopted the
only course by which an official re
checking could be obtained and the
Speedway officials said they would be
glad 70 accord him the privilege of a
rechecking here had not the official
tape been mailed before the protes.
was filed.
Much interest centers in the prob
able speed of Ralph DePalma IN his
aviation-motored car, taking into con-
sideration only his running time
Official Time, 6:1o: 1854.
DePalmas time was given officially
as 6.1O:10.64 Mr. Kicker said that
the unofficial records of stops at the
pits showed that DePalma had stopped
three times for an aggregate OF be-
tween thirty-five and forty minutes.
Estimating roughly DePalma's time
at the pits at thirty-f1ve minutes" Mr..
Kicker said, "and taking this time
from his total running time, it would
give him a speed of approximately
ninety miles an hour for the 60e
miles"
Exodus of the immense Speedway
crowds which filled all the hotels and
many residences on the eve of the
great contest and Saturday night be-
gan early yesterday. Thousands OF
tourists were in the city for the big
race and continued on their way yes
terday Auto parties from all parts
Al 10 fhofr