The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-07
INDIANAPOLIS
SOUNDS CALL
FOR BIG RACE

Indianapolis, Jan. For the
speedway will stage its 500-mile
international sweepstakes, May 80,
on the two and a half mile brick
oval, which has made the Hoosie-
ca pitaI city famous internationally.
AS in previous years, the race car
ries the largest cash reward of the
season for an automobile speed
contest, with $4,000 total and $780,,
600 to the winner.
Ten times in the last u years
the speed kings of the gasoline
world have contested for the homo:
of winning ali international race
and in the ten events no driver has
been able to repeat and have the
honor of twice winning the event,
something which no other speed
classic is distinguished by. The
race has grown from a domestic
affair in 1911, with none but Ameri-
can pilots contesting, to the great
est event of the season and the
cream of European teams as con-
testants. The lapse of two years in
the running of the Indianapolis
classic is due to the world war as
races were not conducted in 1917
and 1918.
Entry blanks have been placed
in the mails by the indianapolis
motor speedway company and re-
sponses from American and TO eign
drivers are expected daily, as it is
always a contest, especially among
the American pilots, to have the
honor of carrying the No. l in the
race. Conditions for the race are
the same as in 1920 and last year,
with the maximum engine size
placed at 1873 inches However. the
weight conditions differ from form
er years and foreshadow the Compe-
tition of what a decade ago would
have been scorned as miniature
engines. The maximum piston dis
placement cars, t. e. cars up to 1S3
cubic inches and not less than 123
cubic inches is $50 pounds mini
mum without gasoline, oil, or bal
last of any kind. For the driver
entering a car in the 2-Ltre class
i. e. 122 cubic inches engine con
teHt or under. new weight condi-
lions have been announced this
year. The engine Of 92-122 cubic
inches rates a minimum weight Of
400 pounds. while cars with en-
gines of Ola cubic inches or less
can start with a minimum weight
of 200 pounds.
The usual rigid requirements
making it impossible for Il physi-
cally unfit driver to start are in
corporated in the entry blank, in
the supplementary conditions to the
A. A. A. contest boards rules ami
regulations. II is provided that in
event of rain May 80, the race will
be run on May 81. Entries will he
accepted up 10 midnight on May
l.
Racing has always been the cTuc.-
BILE in which the mechanism of the
motor car has been refined. This
is the last year that engines IS large
as the Ford's power plant will be
permitted to race for an aggregate
purse of more than 500 .001 includ-
ing the Speedway's $4,000. Eleven
years ago the race started for en-
gines of not more than 900 cubic
inches piston displacement, but was
reduced for 1918 and 1914 to a $50
maximum. The cars showed too
much speed and the Speedway man
agement cut the displacement to
800 cubic inches where it rested
from 1915 to 1919. In 1920 the
present three-litre or 1S3 cubic
inch class was inaugurated. Next
years race will be for two-liter en-
gines, or 122 cubic inch cadmium.
The entry blank shows in addi-
ton to the cash prizes two famous
trophies. the Prest-O-Lite silver
brick to the driver leading at 500
miles and the Wheeler Schebler
cup, the largest silver trophy in
existence, to, the leader at 400
miles. The $4,000 purse is divid-
ed as follows: $40 600; $4,000:
5000; $500: $1,000; 50 200;
$1,000; $1,000; $500 and $1,000.
This fund will be more than 6ou-
bled by accessory and lap prizes.