Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-05-31
DEPALMAA AND
BOYER PUT UP
GREATCONTEST
Lead Race Most of Time, AL
though Rene Thomas Takes
Lead at One Stage.
sARLES GOES INTO WALL
BULLETIN.
At 400 miles DePalma was first;
CASTOR Chevrolet, second; Rene
Thomas, third.
BULLETIN
BY EDDIE ASH.
Tim les SPORTS Editor.


INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEED
WAY. May 31.-With $50 miles of
the long grind completed. Ralph De-
Palma. driving a French Ballot car,
and CASTOR Chevrolet. driving an In
dianapolis- made Monroe car, were
putting up a sensational battle for
the 500-mile sweepstakes race here
this afternoon.
Rene Thomas, driving a Ballot. was
third; Jean Chassagne. driving a Ballot.
was in fourth place. and Joe Boyer. driv-
ing a Frontensc. was speeding along in
6fth place
The $50 miles was run at an average
# 90 20 miles an hour
The crowd was estimated by speedway
N>Sieials a. l25.0c0.
Boyer was forced into fifth place by the
necessity o. taking on gas and OIL
He resumed the race at = terrific speed,
~deavorinc to regain heFead.
SENSATIONAL RACE
Boyer drove one Of the most sensa-
races ever seen on the Indianapolis
track.
~ S25 miles he had stopped hut
DePalma had stopped twice changing
tires on both occa sionS---
boyer tnrk the3ead in the FIRST lap and
teld d foT eighty seven miles Nvhen no
Palma overlook him leading unit was
forced u stop following the 15Gth mile
Royer's time for the 200 miles was two
hours. eleven minutes thirteen seconds.
only little slower than the record set
up by DePalma in 1915.
WILCOX DROPS
CIT OF RACE.
indianapolis race fans were disap-
pointed when "Howdy'' Wilcox. Indian
apolis man. and winner of the 1919 race.
as forced to drop out in the sixty-third
ian because OF engine trouble
Up to the end Of the two hundredth
isp there had been only one accident
GArt Klein driving FrOntenac, turned
49, in the fortieth lap.
Neither he nor his r1eohanician. CLYDE
iatman. was hurt. but the car was put
out Of the race.
Andre Boillot, driving a Peugeot. was
the hrst TO drop out being forced out
in the sixteenth lap by engine trouble.
Jean PorpOratO, driving a Gregoire
was ordered or the track in the twenty
second lap, when it appeared he might
lose control of his car.
Roscoe Sarles. one Of the Monroe rae
ing team. dropped out in the fifty sixth
lar with broken steering gear
The weather was ideal for speed with
brisk wind the oaiv handicap.
Under weather conditions that were
nearly perfect the twenty three French
and American cars roared away at 10
a. N. young fortune Of Ss5OOJ in prize
money was ar the end Of tbe rainbow for
the winner
A gay, eolOrful throng Of persons
variousiy estimated at from as 900
to 10000. saw Starter "BiH" EsterIy
of Indianapolis. and Pscemsker Bar
ney oidheid send the hooded drivers
on the long, hot nnan-kiIling grind Of,
500 miles.
The sky was overcast. with stin
hrseze a7d ~ hint Of possible showers
late in the day.
veterans 81 ;he great Indianapolis oval
who have suffered in past years from the
soaring heat on the brick course. viewed
the sky with Undisguised relief. It
promised to be an easy day on tires and
death rides with poor tires on this In
disnapolis track.
The veteran. Ralph milford. pilot
ing his own milford Special. and
Jean POrpOrato. smiling Italian at
the wheel Of n GreEOire. brought joy
TO their followers by qualifying at
the last moment and they roared
away with the rest.
''Howdv" Wilcox of Indianapolis and
Ralph DePalma. the only two American
entrants who have ever won the great
classic. received great ovations as they
Nsent their cars around the oval to get the
Kinks ont of their motors, in spite or
the fact theE were friendly enemies
driving fOreig9 cars.
OF the American entrants. the Dusen
berg stable. boasting such American vet
erans as Tommy Milton, Eddie Hearnc
Eddie O'Donnell and Jimmy Murphy. had
the favor of the crowd. American hopes
were pinned on the Duesenberg, Fronte-
nae and Monroe entries as the ones TO
give battle TO the PeugeOts.
Joe Boyer. In a Frotenae. won the
first prize money of the race, 500.
by leading at the first lap. His team
mate. Art Klein, was second. The
time was 1853. average. 1888 miles
an hour.
Ralph DePalma. noted as a hard luck
driver, ran into misfortune at the start
By having to change a tire at the end of
the pacemaking lap.
The American Frontenac made a
brave showing at the start. both Boyer
and Klein takirg the. turns high and fast
ami showing heels 80 the fisll.
The remainder of the field was f9irly
yell punched.
Boyer relinquished his lead after