Evening star., 1925-07-12
MECHANICS IN PITS
KEPT RACERS GOING
Lightning Speed in Aiding
Drivers Enabled Them to
Keep Pace.

Behind the skill of each driver and
the laundering little bits of machinery
in which they tore around the Laurel
bowl yesterday was a corps of eX-
pertS-known as pitmen-ever ready
and vigilant to spring promptly into
action to keep their driver in the
race at all times. And when they
had nothing to do on the cars they
were timing their racers and with the
aid of big blackboards showed them
the lap numbers made and the best
time. They are as necessary for the
race as the car and driver.
There were very few tire changes
yesterday considering the disastrous
punishment the pneumatics received
on the laundering grind, and only two
flats. Most of the tire changes were
made because they were observed to
be tearing, probably due TO skid on
the boards at the turns. BY the time
one of the cars with tire trouble stops
alongside of the pit, one of the aides
has a jack under 1t, and even before
II stops another had knocked loose the
screw cap. Before you can start
counting 10 the old tire is off and an
other mechanic has rolled another into
position.
Finished In Flash.
The man working at the wheel,
and by the time he gives 1t its last
knock with the hammer, the racer is
rolling away-perhaps drinking water
on the way.
He throws the cup, however, be-
fore he is many feet away from the
pits, and he is off again, pounding
over the boards. Mechanics strive to
reduce this time, for it may mean the
loss of a lap that means the win
oI,or toe
made in 13 1-5 seconds but they
later reduced this in another change
TO five seconds-the car had hardly
stopped. before it was off again.
Mechanics told of one expert at this,
said to be named Blubber, weight
ESQ pounds, who picks up the whole
rear end even before the car stops
and holds it until the tire change is
made. Harry Hartz had one of his
tires changed in II 2-5 seconds.
When Leon Duray was on his for
tieth lap, he came limping into the
pits and gave his steering wheel a
twist, as he called the mechanics.
Something had gone wrong-it
wouldn't steer the car. and to keep on
would be serious. He left the car,
took off his racing togs and remained
in the pits, ready 10 give a helping
hand to any of the other racers that
might get into trouble. His car was
backed off the track and he was out
of the race.
Watering a radiator took but a few
seconds. After observing the tre-
mendous grind at high speed, it is
wondered that all of them are not boil
ing all the time. When car comes in
for water, while one of the a1ls un-
screws the radiator cap, another
comes up with a receptacle of water,
and before the steam penned uD by
the car is out. the cooling water is
flowing in. and In a second the car is
under way again.
Pits Carefully Guarded.
After making his f1ftieth lap, Pete
Kriess remained in the pits for some
minutes, as the others raced by him
scoring lap after lap. There was
motor trouble. but 1t was eventualc}
remedied, but it left him too far be
hind to catch up with the others.
The pits are carefully guarded ter
ritory while the race is on. None but
pitmen are allowed within the en-
closure, for the mechanics must have
a free hand to perform their duties
incidental to keeping their respective
driversI in the race.
When Ralph De Palma, riding Ralph
Hepburn's car, was thrown into a
skid, while several ambulanceS and
surgeons rushed for the man, the
mechanics rushed for the car. They
examined it and found there was moth
ing wrong except a badly dented tail.
They rolled il to the track and Hep
burn took it out for the remainder of
the race.
Although there were tanks of gaso-
line and oil in each pit, not once did
any of the cars have to stop for re-
fueling or reoiling the crankcases.
Each of the machines carries a 30-gal-
Ion tank, and this was sufficient for
all those who finished yesterday.
Mounted tires are kept in rows, and
back of the pits were scores of un-
mounted castings and tubes, ready to
be mounted.