Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-20
FOREIGN BORN
STARS LEAD IN
: SPEED LAURELS
This Year Will See Chance for
HOme-GrOwnS to Even
UP Count.
OTHER SPEEDWAY NEWS

four Yankees have copied the worlds
leading speed event. If an American
born pilot can win the tenth annual 500
on May 80 the score will be evened.
their oyn way, Ray Harroun being the
1911 victor and Joe Dawson slipping
across the wire first in 1912. Then Eu-
rope cut in and Jules Goux, French
man. grabbed the big prize In 1913; Rene
Thomas. his countryman, copied IN i9lf
Ralph De Palma, a naturalfzed American,
but Italian born, gatht red in the title In
1915; Dario Resta, born in Italy and
reared in England. took first honors in
1916. Howard Wilcox OF this city was
first across the wire In 1919, but France
came back in 1920 when tie late CASTOR
Chevrolet breezed home after De Palma
faltered. Last year Tommy Milton,
worlds speed king and speedway cham
pion. made it four for America, the st.
Paul Lad driving home with a comforta
able margin.
Out of the nine previous winners Gas
ton Chevrolet is the only driver not liv
ing. Ray Harroun and Joe Dawson and
Dario Resta have retired. Tommy Mil
has not yet arrived at the track. Goux
has come across the Atlantic to battle
the $4,000 the winners end Of the
PURSE, and De Palma and Wilcox are
tuning up on the track every day. Thus
far no driver has been able to repeat
u OUu-uli6 VlctOIys out lnS uupo may DC
upset in 1922, as year ago Louis Chevro-
let had the honor to be the first engineer
to design and build a winner, coping
IL 1920 and 1921.
Four pilots Of the many entered for the
first annual 500 mile race are still COM
events, and all are entered for the tenth
annual 5O0-mile race May 80. The four
veterans are Ralph De Palma, Ralph
milford. Howard Wilcox and Eddie
nf fha fanr hor r-An
race, De Palma coping In 1915 with the
Mercedes and Wilcox hitting the ball in
1919 with Peugeot. milford has sec
ond In 1911 with the Lozier and a third
in 1916 with the Peugeot TO his credit,
while Hearne's nearest approach to a VIC
tory was second place In 1920 with a
Durant special.
Ralph De Palma has competed in all
but two Of the nine previous classics.
Hearne has been out OF four events, 1913
cox have competed in every event. Every
one Of the quartet is favorite with the
fans and In almost every race In which
the four have started each has been
factor In the determining Of the winner.
While there was little doing on
the track at the Speedway Friday,
drivers and mechanics took advan-
tage Of the bad weather conditions 70
put in lot Of hard work the
u
tivity around tho garages.
There was an air Of impotence and
anxiety around the British Bentley quar-
tiers, for the Bentley, which was shipped
from New York several days ago, has
, not vet put In an appearance. and Doug
Vas Hawkes. Is anxious to get the car In
Rape and try IL out on an American
lex. Herbert Browning and Leonard
FORD. memter Of the Bentley outfit say
they are about fed mp on motion picture
shows and watching their competitors
run around the track. They want TO see
their own little Bentley swing into ac-
ton
Despite the rain Pete De Paolo, young
est hope OF tie De Palma line. brought
out his Frontenac late and gave it q
short workout. knocking of three laps at
better than ninty five miles an hour
without pushing his motor to the limit
by wide margin. Pete Is duplicate Of
De Palma al the wheel He sits In ex-
actly the same position as does Uncle
Ralph. wears the same white uniform
which always marks the De Palma string
and his mannerisms are decidedly RENT
niseent Of his patron saint.
Up. Red) Fetterman. winner OF
last years Uniontown event, brought
out his new Duesenberg for its first
workout. This is the first time
Duesonberg has taken the track this
wall scraptng run made by Ora Haibe
last week.
The same old question is in the air
daily now, When viii the DeGsies come
outi" Fetterman said he believed De
Palma and one or two others would be
on the track this afternoon for Drivers
day.
Fisherman was determined he was not
n q 80 dr;.-
new car so he had his trusty mechanic
Harry A. Gilbert, cut the gas throttle
down moro than one-haR so that Il would
% impossible to open up at more than
logged around about twenty laps and said
he would not try any speed work until he
worked out for at least 2Oo miles.
Ralph Milford. for the first time In
years. Is Sitting rosy" and both he and
bis standby, Marcel Trevaux, are more
pndent than they have been for many
past season Ralph thinks bis car is
ready to go right now and he will spend
the rest or the time In tuning it up to
terday why he was not out he said !:
We only ride when the sun shines. and
then watch u.s."
Milford tried hard to get Tom Beall,
proprietor, owner, manager and chief
operator OF the drivers Cafe de Speed
way, at the drivers entrance gate to the
track. to bunch q victory for him Tom
picked Milton last year and CASTOR Chev-
rolet the year before. and as result he
rapidly is assuming the position of high
prophet among the drivers. Tom said
the spirit of prophecy had not descended
upon him yet, and he knew from past
experience that he could not hurry his
lunches.
Leon Duray ont alma IN his From
tenac for number of laps, but tried
no speed work. He has made very
favorable impression and looks like one
OF the best of the pilots who will drive
their first race this year
Los Angeles produced Jimmy Murphy.
who climbed to international fame as
winner OF the last French grand prix.
but she will have another son In the
500 mile race May 80 which her speed
Frank r. Elliott. nominated t. drive
the car which Ira Vail owns and for
which the Brooklyn lad first named him
self as driver. has been showing unusual
bursts of speed and heady driving on
the board speedways of the Far West
Elliotts mount is known as a Leach
Special and represents a Los Angeles
factory. Vail drove the car here year
ago, in its maiden race. and finished
seventh. Since that time the car has
improved and IL will be one of the
speediest to face the starter OF Memorial
day. In the board events Elliott has
been finishing well up in the money.
clock like regularity. Elliott has
I'm relief driver at Indianapolis and
knows the brick course, and being a
well-knit fellow, is one OF the drivers
who will not elect to have relief pilot
take the wheel. Frank aspires to be
the first native Californian to take the
honor Of the winning of J00-nile race