Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-28

Why? This is a question that has been
given many different answers, none of
them wholly satisfactory. But the fact
remains that of all the automobile races
in the entire world two stand out head
and shoulders above all others, to win
which any driver in any land willingly
would sacrifice all chances OF victory In
every other event of the entire year
the Decoration day 500 mile race at In
dianapolis and the Grand Prix on the
lie Mans course in France.
INDIANAPOLIS
BLAZED THE WAY.
Many factors enter into making the
indianapolis race the great contest 1t Is.
First its age, for the event is now ten
years old a short time in the life Of n
nation, brief period in many respects.
but in the automobile world a mighty
long period. for a decade ago the auto
mobile was, compared TO what II is today.
only In the OK cart stage of its exist
ence; and what developments the next
ten years will see is beyond the vision
Of the wisest old owl on earth.
Then there is the big purse. $4,000
divided into g.. prizes, the richest prize
money ofIere' or any automobile event
the world over, and to this must be added
the Sl00 that Is given to the leader of the
race at the end of each lap, which in
creases the total another $4,000 And
last but not least is the peculiar shape Of
the indianapolis speedway course 1t
vas built back in the early days Of au-
temobile track designing and from the
standpoint OF modern engineering il is
joke with its long straightaways and
its relatively sharp turns, and BANKING
fn lou fe q
1921 racing ears. On other tracks of the
high banked saucer type machines can
make far better speed than on the In
dianapofs course.
But in these very imperfections lies
much of the thrill of the great 500 mile
race. At indianapolis sheer speed is Of
no more Importance than the ability of
the driver On other tracks Of the per-
feet type the fastest car Invariably wins.
while here a fine driver with a good ear
will pull out a victory over fine car
with moderately good driver.
OLD TIMERS TAKE
DELIGHT IN REMINISCING.
Among the drivers. that is the old
timers, veterans Of the carly races, Mul-
ford, Wilcox, De faima, Hearne and
Barney Oldfeld, often spend hours rem
iniscing over the old days when the
work of changing a tire was a matter
of many minutes and not mere seconds,
when the whole racing game was an
awkward. immature, gangIy, ungainIy
youngster that had not yet found itself.
In these old days monstrOus 8OO-inch
motors used to thunder around the track
with a roar that sounded like lombard
ment OF heavy artillery. They burned up
gasoline and Oil by the gallon, spurted
fame, smoke and noise In b0unteous
quantities and never did so much
Nowadays the little 1873 motored rae
'ers, trim, neat, lusiness- like rip off more
miles and few. Tres In the course of a
few hours thar -neir heavier numbering
ancestors ever dreamed of.
And the way those old buses used to
throw tires around the track In that
faraway period of ten years ago, back
in the dark ages of auronobile develop
ment the tire industry also had lot to
learn and 1t was no uncommon thing to
see as many as three tires at a time roll
ing down the home stretch or into the
first turn at as much as forty miles an
hour. while bunch of automobiles
bumped into the pits their rims.
TIRES TRIED TO
SMASH GRAND STAND.
In those days there was a real need
for wire screens in front of the grand
stands, for many a thrown tire would
rush down the track, swerve and make q
desperate effort to mix it with the spec
tators in the stands.
One Of the spectacular features of those
early races was to watch the tires scale
the wall on the first turn. That was be-
fore there was a grand stand there and 1t
was an ordinary thing to see a tire rush
up the embankment, hit the wall, leap
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