The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-25
Race Pilots Expected to
UnCUk Dazzling Pace in
Time Trials.
500 MILE GRIND NEARS
Look for Records Smashing
FeatS Thursday.

be just timid cake eater of the past
when the boys who worship gasoline
take a fall out of time Thursday aft
ernoon in first batch of qualifying
trials for fifteenth international 500.
mile race which will be held at Indi-
annapolis Motor Speedway next Mon.
day.
Never, before in the history of the
race has there been more tense ex-
pectation of speed as the elimination
trials approach. With forty-one cars
entered and only thirty-three of them
permitted to start-the thirty three
fastest, naturally-there will be a
bulldog fight OH the track for the
right to even go to the tape for the
big rush for the rich prize money!
Lockhart Holds Record
Frank Lockhart, last years win
ner, holds the record for the fastest
lap on the local course, negotiating
it at a speed of 1859 miles an hour,
officially timed and accepted as
correct by the American Automobile
Association.
This year he has travelled unoffi.
clally better than 100 miles an
hour Tor full lap and Leon Duray
and Peter De Paolo have looped the
oval at 119 miles an hour, the aver
age being supplied by rivals holding
stop watches and they are just as
critical as the timing device that re-
cords official attempts. Numerous
other drivers have been running at
116, III and lis miles an hour.
So it seems there will be not only
a rush for the front row positions,
the drivers lining up at the start of
the race according to the quick time
they make in the trials, but in the
rear ranks for the mere right to
start the race. Eight of the cars
entered cannot start because the A.
A. A. permits only one car for each
400 feet of track
Test of Ten Miles
The minimum qualifying speed is
ninety miles an hour for ten miles,
or four laps, though that minimum
speed will have little or nothing to
do with the trials Thursday, as that
will be horse and shay gait among
the pilots here for the big drive
When Thursday night arrives It
seems likely that somebody will
have turned lap in one minute and
either twelve or thirteen seconds.
There are many bets of this type
among the drivers and mechanics
who are, as usual, at variance of
opinion.
Leon Duray last year qualified
faster than anybody else when he
drove four laps at 1911 miles an
hour, but it appears his record for
ten miles will fall.
Rain Wednesday afternoon again
put the hooks into real action at
the Speedway and the pilots spent
the rest of the day in the garages
giving their mounts the final "once.
over"
The rain let down for a bit and
Thane Houser wheeled his Duesen-
berg out only to get drenched when
Sir Pluvius cut lose with a few
more gallons of water.
Wilbur. Shaw had his lynx Spe.
cial out for a while early in the day
and it looked pretty good flashing
around the track at about 105 miles
per hour.
Frank Lockhart's black and white
No. 2 Miller Special again was on
the scene with hundreds of eyes TO.
cused on it. Lockhart enjoys the
distinction of being one of the most
ingenious youngsters ever to don a
pair of overalls. He has all sorts
Of instruments and tools which he
carries around the A. A. A. circuit
with him, packed away in compact
form.
W. D. (E6die) Edenburn of the
A. A. A. contest board is busy man
IHSSe udyS. Euule mas LHe WlOlS
race under his thumb. Eddie knows
the rules and regulations from the
ground to the sky.
1t was stated today at the Speed
way office that reserved seats in
grand stand III still are available.
able.