Evening star., 1925-07-11
16 DARING DRIVERS
TUNE UP TO START
IN BIG LAUREL RACE

Continued from First Page1
took their cars out for the last test
spins. Sunk deep in the seats Of
their diminCtive steeds. they flashed
round and round the big oval. actual
ly racing one another and iockeying
for position at the steep bank turns
to put their machines under the stern
est discipline TO make certain that ali
parts were running with certain pre-
cision. as the next time they take 10
the pine boards the Inaugural cham
pionship would be at stake.
An aggregate of S25, 900 IN prizes
is offered for the race.
or this the winner receives 50 900:
second. $500; third. $4,000; fourth
1000; fifth, $500; sixth. $1,000.
seventh. $500: eighth, $500; ninth. 500.
and tenth, $500.
Pits Are Active
From the grandstand the pits were
seen having tense activity. Large
painted signs indicated the driver
who occupied each of the little in
closures. All morning automobiles
were busy unloading spare wheels,
quantities of tools. huge cans of
gasoline; whole barrels OF oil and the
other necessaries for use in EN-
ergencies Two or more mechanics
helped the pilots go over every nook
and corner of the cars. Every ounce of
gasoline was carefully strained
through chamois before being poured
into the tanks. And the most petted
child of wealth never received more
faithful and painstaking attention
than these death-defying midgets OF
the motor world.
There were other preparations, too
preparations of the sanguinary ma
ture. In the mad dash for victory
death or serious injury will be faced
by the drivers at every turn and the
officials were ready for any eventual
titles. Underneath the grandstand
doctors and nurses prepared emer-
gency stations where unfortunate
drivers who might crash could be
treated.
Ambulance on Field
An ambulance was on the field
ready to fly to any point where a
crack-up might occur.
Although the grandStand was the
/ first choice of the throng as the
point of vantage from which 10 view
the race, the arena inside of the track
with space enough to accommodate
an unlimited number of cars. soon be
gan to I'LL up and by noon at least
| 2 1000 automobiles were parked around
the entire track. Any idea. however
that the motorists might watch the
test from their cushion seats was
abandoned, for the machines soon be
came too thick for any one to see and
their occupants crowded out in
front. protected from venturing too
close to the early racers by the high
and strong steel fence that was topped
with barbed wire to make sure that no
venturesome parties would attempt to
climb over.
To those who came early went the
! finest points of vantage. Unprotected
| by roof or cover of any kind. thou
| sands sat and literally cooked in the
scorching rays Of the sun for hours
while waiting for the flag TO drop
| and start the frenzied contest that
( would soon send thoughts of heat or
/ cold or anything else off to oblivion.
! Unless you have seen a bit of steel
! and aluminium, roaring like a thing
possessed. racing along "A glistenin2
! surface at a speed that almost makes
! the observer dizzy. sweeping up angles
| that no man could climb. and cliugins
! to heights in themselves terrifying
| no words or descriptive adjectives
/ could anywhere near describe he
| thrill that awaited the anxious spe-
/ tators.
! Every Driver Backed
| As to favorites. there were none be-
fore the race started. Every driver
was a god in the eyes OF some enthu-
siasts IN the grandstands and around
/ the track. but ii looked as though Earl
Cooper, winner of a recent race at
Charlotte. might have something bet
/ ter than an even chance in his Junior
1 ~ ~ 3 i l.
was called upon in his tests to skim
| the high. steep outside rail a the
turns. That is something that could
be said of no others.
Those 4S.degree bends plainly and
admittedly had the goats Of the other
drivers in the elimination tests. Earl
/ has had a long experience. He was
star in the days of Barney Oldfield and
Dario Resta, and was the king of
speed IN 1913. capturing eight consecu-
| tive victories that year.
| His hardened nerves may count
much on this new track of eXcep-
! tional angles. Ralph De Palma is the
/ granddaddy of the racing game and
on a dirt track is considered unbeat-
able. July he won the dirt
| track race at New Salem ~ H., but
| has had tough luck on the board
! tracks. His long experience, however
! may count much in his favor out here.
! for most of the drivers admit fra nix
| ly that they are not accusomed 10
such steep curves. Tommy Milton is
another ace who is being watched to
| day. He holds the record for the 25O-
| mile run on the board track. hour
| 5S minutes 1875 seconds, an avera sc
of 1856 miles an hour.
Would Honor Scientist.