Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-29
FORMER WINNERS.

to the rear. OF the old guard there are
De Palma. Wilcox. Goux and winners OF
years gone by, and Hearne, Milford.
Durant and Alley. Then there are Peter
De Paolo. nephew Of the great De Palma,
who after two years Of riding with Ralph
In the meehanician's seat, is now out
on his own: Harry Hartz. Leon Duray.
all making their appearance for the first
time and landing in the first ten places.
Midway between the old gard and the
brand new boys come Jimmy Murphy,
Jules Eliingboe Jerry Wonderlich, Tom
my Milton, who won last year. Ora HaIbe,
Red Fetterman and Joe Thomas
Just what this race will bring forth
Is beyond the power OF prophecy and
passes Into the realm Of clairyoyance and
mere guess work. but 1t at least seems
certain It is going 10 be a battle be-
tween the cool. conservative element,
which believes the race is 10 be won by
steady. heady driving at a pro determined
set for each car according TO the
notion of its owner or driver. and the
burn -em-up boys" who are going out
In mad rush for the lead and the lap
prize money and trust To luck, provi-
dence and their motors TO hold up for 500
miles.
Which theorv will win out in the long
run remains 10 be seen, but It IL the
general consensus Of opinion among all
drivers and ali crews that the first half
of the race is going to be run at ter
rife pace. What will occur after that no
one even attempts to hazard bunch.
1t IS this battle OF the conservatives and
the burn em-up boys" which viii put
a lot of kick In the contest, and make 1t
in all probability the greatest of Eli the
Speedway races.
02e of the great thrills of the Indian
apolis race Is the marked individuality
Of each contest. No two have been alike
and In most instances there have been
one or two outstanding figures In each
one, and these figures not always have
been those Of the winner.
FIRST RACE
WAS RIOT"
The first race in 1911 was a wild
scramble II was the first contest of this
length and no one knew what the cars or
the drivers could do under J00-mile
strain. Practically every one estimated
the speed necessary to win at anywhere
from sixty-fiye TO seventy miles. A few
wild-eyed Missionaries set the figure at
seventy five and were raZzed for weeks be-
fore hand. The race started off in q lady
like manner far as speed was con-
cerned and all went well until little Cyrus
Patscke went In as relief driver on the
winning Narmon Wasp. Hardly known
previously, he took the wheel and cut out
a pace that brought every one to their
feet He showed that speed far above the
seventy -flve-mile mark was possible, and
although he drove only as a relief man.
the youngster came out of the race the
zeal hero of the day.
In 1912 it was Ralph De Palma who
proved that while TO the yIctors belong
the spoils, the glory and romance fire.
quentiy go to the losers. Ralph led the
field almost from the start TO within lit
tie more than three miles of the finish and
then, with twelve mile lead, his motor
died and he rolled the car slowly to the
pits while Joe Dawson whirled by time
after time and flashed home a winner.
But the gameness OF De Palma In the
hour Of his defeat with only three miles
standing between him and $4,000 and
victory never viii be forgotten by those
who saw him wheeling the car Of dead
hopes down the track with a smile that
was the same smile he wore three years
later wen he crashed through to victory
with a record that has stood to this day
And so it has gone. every race a race
to itself. with different thrills, and diff
ferent points OF dramatic interest, but
each contest has had its thrill, each
Its drama, and 1t is this marked indi-
yiduality, the frequent development Of
the unexpected which makes the race
the great event h is.
a world Of progress has been made In
automotiye engineering since that nrst
rscs was run twelve years ago, with