The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1922-09-01


possible to drive car wide open. The
twelve years "weathering' has made
the track rough. To the eye it is
smooth, but at 100 miles an hour il
is far from smooth. This results in
heavy strains on metal parts, as the
constant vibration results in crystal
lization.
Indirectly. the automobile engineer
has been able TO use the track to test
the metals of his individual car. by
observing results of the races. Speed
and its attendant crvstalliZation try
the metals and prove the durability OF
steels and alloys.
In wire wheels the weight of a car
is carried in suspension, while in the
wood wheels the weight of the car is
carried on a column under compress
sion. After two 500-mile races the
wire wheel began TO appear in these
events. 1T proved its worth in the re-
duction of tire wear and for several
years no driver has attempted to use
the wood wheels. The wire and other
metal wheels also aid in radiatinS
the heat of the tire. generated by ffic-
zion, and contributing to longer life
in connection. through this radia-
ton. Wood is a non-conductor and
the heat, generated with the wood
wheel and demOuntable rim, can only
be radiated by the steel rim, while
with wire or snetal wheel the radiat
ing surface is multiplied many times.
The first American cars used light
wire wheels for stock production, but
soon the manufacturers turned to
the artillery type of wood wheel, be-
cause it was much more substantial.
When wire wheels gained popularity
in races, they became popular for
stock cars also. The same holds good
for the steel wheel.
When racing was young the MAORI
ty of the cars had chain drive and in
the early events on the Indianapolis
course they still predominated. Soon
after the brick track became the cru
chile of the industry the makers learn
ed that the shaft drive was the most
efficient and today chain drive is linn
tied to heavy-duty trucks.
The steels and alloys used in the
race cars had much to do with de-
veloping the alloy steels, such as van
adium and molybdenum used in stock
production today, which makes it pos
sible to increase the economy of car
operation and tire consumption by
lighter construction without sacrifice
ing the strength of the car. This is
particularly true of the steering
knuckles and other steering mechan-
isms. A decade ago they were massive
Il
finger size and possess more strength
than the massive units of yesteryear.
The race var has had its effect on
body design. The drivers learned that
by smoothing out the angles and
giving the car continuous smooth
surface from radiator to tail it in
creased their speeds. In racing body
design pointed tail is used at the
rear to conceal the oil and gasoline
tanl 5, Tut in stock cars this is not
necessary, aTtho the angles anu sharp
corners have almost universally been
done away with.
But it is in connection with engine
design that the racing at Indianapolis
has had the largest and most lasting
influence, says the writer. Beginning
with the first two 5O0-mile races
The engine was limited to the 500
cubic-inches-or class. This
means that the cubic content of the
cylinders totaled not more than 600
inches. In those days 1911 and 1922
the engines We're almost square,
which is to say that the bore equaled
the stroke and the average engine
Stn an hn y
revolutions minute. The 75-mile-
an-hour car was the speedieSt of this
era and its gasoline consumption was
many times that of the car that the
owner handles in this day and age.
The owners of the speedway. at the
suggestion of its president, Carl G.
Fisher. announced, after the 1912 race.
that the next year the maximum en-
CINE size would be $50 cubic-inches
This was the beginning of the reduc-
ton of the bore of the engine and the
longer stroke. that the power might
not be sacrificed. After two years of
450-cubic-inch engines the 1915 race
saw the size reduced to 300 Gu. inches
When the announcement was made in
late 1914 the calamity howlers MAIN
tanned tnat Tne race was ruined, from
a speed standpoint. and that there
would be dearth of cars, due to the
lack of 300-inch engines.
The Daimler factory in Germany
built 300-inch engines for the 1914
French Grand Prix and made a sweep
in winning this famous road race. 1t
sent one of It's cars to America and
Ralph de Palma triumphed over the
French Peugeot. of Dario Resta. win
ming the 1915 event with the record
average of 1884 miles an hour. This
performance had lasting influence
on American design, particularly
when this country later faced fuel
shortage, due TO the war.
Beginning with 1920 the race was
cut to 1S3 cubic. inches and the tenth
race. was the last for this class. as
next wear cars of not more than 122
cubic inches will he eligible. In ten
races the engine size has been reduc-
ed to one-fifth of the power plant
limitation in the initial event.
In the 1919 event Ernest Ballot. Il
French engine builder, constructed his
first cars and sent them to America
for the race. They were eight-cylin-
der engines with the cylinders in line