Evening star., 1926-05-31
==28 DRIVERS START
/ IN 5|g}-M|[E RACE
Crowd Estimated at 10000
Ignores Rain to See Auto
Speed Contest.
Ev the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. Nav a.
Over a two-and-a hait t-rrile course. 8
narrow ribbon of brick made peril
ously slippery as resni, a rain. q
drivers, the pick Of three nations
roared away At 10 p IA. today IN tht
start Of the 500-miie automobile race
! A record breaking crowd estira 90
1t 10000, was drenched half-a -dH7:s :
times by the sudden showers, yr!'cl
At one time threatened TO c. !;.s~ :
ibostponement. AS the START w@
made. the sun was trying 30 h''e !
Through the rain laden clouds. Y ~;
carried a threat OF another down.
every second. The spectators x toeo
In the excitement that drivers nigh
be dashed to death ir thei~ lu''a q;
speed
Peter de Paolo, winner oc the 1922
race. was given a tremendous ovation
as his crea m .colored car. Sh~ieking cllt
predictions of a speed never before
eoualled by man travelling on ;he
ground tore past the cheering stands
de Paoio, waved his hand in sa!rte.
Spectators Wait Long.
Some spectators had maintained a
%0-hour vigil along roads leading 20
the speedway. Hn,;ciDeiiag :nei' re
ward of parking spare ai"rG the
rail back of the rrDai'' PITS or - one
Of the turns
The dawn that sen: knickered
women and sp"rr -c'ad nen tum,iinc
from improvised ,aqn-tos prnn. III
against their ni1"hiree also brought
explanations OF 81 tisfsction or grun!s
OF despair from mecila rics who had
labored throughout the night. Some
had their tiny mounts ready for Ia ST.
minute qualifications: others gave
way 10 halky srpercha reers or recall
citrant valves.
The race was the thing. The first
time spectators thrilled at the spec
tacle Of the northumberland multi.
tude. Others who had seen the eyol,i-
tion from the numbering racers of 1911
10 the sleek ones OF 1926 talk ed
knowingly of half-pirt motors of 9t1a-
cubic-inch piston Displacement They
specu!ated on the stamina nt these
new-tyDe engines scarcely larger tha n
toys. Still others sensei the nacni-
tude nj the drivers risks. The track
was rough, the speed hazardous. the
nght cars untried. they pointed out
100000 for Winner.
was s10h.on0 po; Of gold. The speed
way ma ma cement contributed s6a 0nn
OF which the winner received $50 600
accessory prizes added another $40, 900
and the 800 awarded To the driver
leading at the end of each of oOn
laps completed the fund. The win
ner's 1ve-hour jaunt was worth lie
tween s40.00n and $50. 900 dependine
. on the number of lap prizes he won.
The peculiar alignment of starting
positions and the quick evolution of a
new order of drivers provided puzzles
for the fans. Veterans based their
predictions OF 100 0mile- n hour aver
age speed on the presence far back In
the procession OF Pete de Paolo, smil-
Ing Italian. who won in record time
In 1925. and Frank Lockhart. Pacific
coast youth. who recently travelled the
fastest lap ever reeied off on the brick
course. They looked 10 these TWO to
battle for the rich lap prizes with
Earl Cooper. Harry Hartz and Leon
DuraE. fortunate occupants of front
row starting positions, by virtue of
their qualification speed averages.
Test Of Engineering.
The race was p test as well as a.
thrill-it was the crurihls in which
engineering hopes were proved. ne-
siEners matched frcnt-nheel drive
against conventional transmission
two-cycle motor against the custom
ary four-cycle type, wire wheels
against solid mes. this fuel against
that fuel and one tire against another
Innovations NJ five wears ago were
the basic principles today. Super
chargers. these devices which supply
additional air to high-speed motors:
fourwheel brakes. eisht-cy linGer en-
sines, balloon tires, all enjoyed wide
use.
The race was not without its trace
of superstition. Rabbits feet and trur-
leaf clovers found their way beneath
the hoods OF some drivers. Strapped
to De Paolo's front axle were the
worlds fastest travelling baby shoes.
those Of Little Pete, jr.. and the
Youngsters photograph sraced his
daddy's instrument board among gaso-
line and oil gauges