The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-05-19
SPEEDWAY
international
Aspect to
Big Race
German Cars Take Track
Cumbersome Vehicles
Show Speed.
BY BLYTHE HENDRICKS

r INTERNATIONAL aspects of the
great 5O0-mile race at the Speed
way May 30 are becoming more
apparent every day. AS a mater of
fact, the motor world from beyond
the Rurh to California, with the sole
exception, strange as 1t may seem,
of indianapolis, is well represented
on the track. Our own home-built
Duesenberg. the Scheel- Frontenacs of
Louis Chevrolet and the newly
Hoosierized H. 9. S. Miller-motored
specials being about all that is miss
ing from the course.
+ + +
With cars of three nations,
United States. France and Ger
many. and drivers of seven. Pc
land. Argentina. Italy. United
States. France. England, and Ger
many, the motor world will be
represented we'll when the cars
roll to starting line May 80
+ j. +
The German Mercedes took the
track for the first time just before
shutdown Friday. AS the big. cum
bersome, four cylinder, TWO seated,
travel stained car rumbled out from
As garage with Christian Werner at
2he wheel. there was a scramble for
the wall. Later Max Sailer took
the wheel. The Germans contented
themselves with laps at about
eighty-three miles an hour, feeling
out the track from pan to top re-
tanning wall.
The general consensus Of opinion OF
American and French drivers was this:
the cars are heavier than any others:
they ride the track well; the motor
roars with q sound that indicates great
reserve power; when the blower. and
individual feature of Mercedes race
car construction is put into action on
the carburetors. II will increase the
speed fully ten miles an hour; they will
bear watching
+ + f
Tut Werner did not have the
X umeIght all to himself with
~ the Mercedes debut. Hardly
had he passed into the first turn than
the angry. high-pitched bark. bark Of
a motor was heard from behind the
pit walls and around Tom Bealls
lunch stand its wheels hurting cinders
in all directions, spun the 1.-the, blue
Bugattt of the dark haired De Viz
caya, captain of the Bugatti team,
and was off in pursuit. II was noticed
than France was in the field.
De Vizacaya ran two laps, pick
ing up about ten seconds to the
lap on the German car, and then
drove slowly off the track. apar-
emily well satisfied.
Howdy Wilcox. who will chaperone
IN H. c. S. special the day Of the race
Ast couldn't keep off the track even
Nough his car was in the paint shop.
so he took two-iap JOY ride in a
touring car.
Mig Shank. pit manager de luxe.
who has presided over pit fortunes
Of Wilcox through victory and defeat
in years gone by, will be back on the
job again. FRIDAY ne visited Bugat1
headquarters ana gave them a bas-
ket full of tips as 10 the handling Of
supplies and equipment during the
race.
Frank Elliott slipped out in his Mil
Ter for a few laps. but was content
with relatively slow. testing laps.
+ i +
The crowd got its first look at a
Schee1- F'rontenac. Louis Chevrolet and
Peter De Paolo took turns driving the
new rotary valve racer Things we're
not working just right and more time
was spent in adjustments than in run
ming. The car threw clouds Of smoke
and apparently Carburetion and oil
feeding was not satisfactory Louie
kept his car away from the pits and
did all work in the grass alongside
the track in the back stretch.
~ +
Dario Resta. winner in 1915. got a
hand from the crowd when he drove
out in his new De Palma-buiIt Pack
ard. Some of the stop watches caught
him at 100 miles an hour for two laps.
But Resta said he was not making any
such speed as that
Harry Hsrtz took his usual after
TO- run In a Durant and turned in
%nne ninety-seven and ninety-eight-
mile laps.
INDICATIONS were that more
cars would be OUT today than at
- any time this year.