The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-05-23
SPEEDWAY
ONE MORE
WEEK AND
eTHEY'RE OFF
German Ace and Joe Boyer
Stage Thrilling Pre-
Race Contest.
BY BLYTHE HENDRICKS

r M more week heIOre the StaTUnS
bomb of the annual 500-mile
race at the Speedway goes fly
ing high into the air and the long
lines Of motor cars, the speediest prod
ucts Of three nations. go flying down
the track on the first lap of the
worlds greatest motor event
It viii be a week of activity at the
track. particularly for the cars which
arrived late and those which are vet
to come. Elimination trials begin Sat
urday and the every effort is being
bent by drivers and mechanics TO get
their cars in the pink of condition for
the battle for first-line positions.
These positions are awarded accord
ing 10 speed shown in four lap trials
and the rivalry for the pole position is
secondary only to that for final vic
tory in the race. There are only three
front row positions and with such
headliners as Ralph De Palma. Jim
mie Murphy. Joe Boyer. Howdy VII
cox. Dario Resta, Harry Hartz.
Tommy Milton in the fight for the
front row limeIght the time trials Sat
urday will be a exciting contest in
itself
.7The most thrilling OF all pre-race
events 10 date was the short, hard
fought, and decisive two-lap battle be
tween Joy Boyer In his DePaIma- built
Packard and Christian Lautenschlaug-
or at the wheel Of the German Mer-
cedes, Tuesday afternoon.
LautenschIauger generally regarded
as the ace of German pilots. was
laundering around the track at a
ninety-seven-mile clip. having things
pretty much TO himself
Only a few Americans were out and
they were not trying for speed. The
tremendous roar of the Mercedes
motor. by far the noisiest at the track
drowned out the higher pitched hum
Of the other motors.
Almost without warning the little
blue Packard Of Boyer slipped on the
track. He Ioafed a couple Of laps,
warming up the motor and then began
to get down TO business.
~ OWN the back stretch roared
the German and passed Boyer.
BY the time the cars passed
the grand stand LautenschIauger
had increased the lead to 100
yards. Into the turn they went
and Boyer picked Up a few yards.
Down the back stretch they went.
Boyer trailing; into the north turn
they swept and Boyer again picked
up a little. Into the homo stretch
shot the cars. with the Mercedes lead
= -
away brought the big crowd in the
stands to It's feet and packed the pit
wall with drivers and mechanics OF
other cars.
The big crowd seemed to sense
Dmething more than a race between
DO racing motor cars. 1t was bat
tie of two nations. Then came the
most beautiful exhibition of driving
seen this year at the speedway. With
a last mighty rush the Packard drew
alongside the bulkier German car
Boyer swung sharply to the inside,
passing just outside of Leon Duray's
Miller and just inside Lauten-
schIauger. A mighty roar went up
from the crowd when it was seen that
the American was If front. Boyer's
skill had taken the pole from the
German. The Mercedes ace was forced
high on the turn in front of grand
stand B and by the time he was
squared away the flying Boyer was
a good 200 yards away.
When Joe came TO the pits on the
next lap and called It q day he got
the biggest hand ever given driver
on any pre-race day