Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-05-31
IIsy CHARLES w. DUNKLEY
Associated Press Sports Editor

somebody in the business OF auto
mobile racing today
Souders, a former student OF Pur-
cue university, driving his first
major event, won the fifteenth an
nual 500-mile grind at the Indiana-
polls motor speedway before Il
record-breaking crowd OF l45,000
Spectators Souder's victory was
spectacular because he did not fig
ure to have any more chance TO
Wln than BAT" Nelson
MS 81 year old youth from the
STICKS, driving the entire distance
without 1elief, and making only two
Quick stops, piloted his tiny racer
painted a dusty shade OF gray, two
hundred perilous trips around the
bumpy two and one-half mile track
IN 5:07:33 for an average OF 975f
miles an hour He had a lead or
seven and half miles when he got
the checkered flag as signal OF VIC
tory.
BY mis- victory Souders enriched
himself to the extent Of about $780,
600, cash money He won $20,00G
as first prize and picked up Sc, loo
in lap prize bonuses, getting one
hundred dollars every time he led
The Held each zap.
Scuders is a product of the dirt
tracks, and this was his first at
tempt on the we'll travelled bricks OF
the famous old speedway He did
his first automobile racing on the
country fair grounds track in his
own home town back in 1922. Since
that time, however, he has been
steaming fast automobiles around the
dirt tracks for five years.
He was a big speed thunder storm
down in Texas, but he was just a
local shower around Indianapolis
previous to today's race.
BY a strange twist of fate Earl
Devore OF Los Angeles, an cid timer
in major league racing game, grab
bed second place and its prize OF
$4,000 due to the misfortune OF
Babe Stapp who, with second place
within his grasp, was forced out OF
the race with only two laps to &c
because his motor began to sputter
tEQubIe.
Third place went to Tony Gulatto
Kansas City, who graduated into
'si1e racing business by acting as a
riding mechanic to famous drivers.
Gulatto got $4,000 in cash for him
finished fourth; Dave Evans, an
other veteran, finished fifth There
were 12 of the original 33 starters
in the race to finish, and they were
strung out all over the place from
10 to so miles back OF the winner.
For a time it appeared as If Franz
Lockhart, winner OF the 1926 event.
was going to repeat his victory or
year ago but after leading for 297
miles, he threw rear right wheel
and was forced out OF the race &c
the disappointment Of the, great
tIlrong
Lockhart's services were offered to
SOudSrs as relief pilot but Scuders
proK1Stly decided that he started the
race and would finish it. Souders
made only two stops at the pits for
three minutes. Twenty-four seconds,
once to take on Oil, gasoline and
water and the second time to change
tires.
Lockhart started out to make
winning race OF todays event. He
shot into the lead on the very first
lap and retained it except for a
few minutes when he was forced into
the pits to change tires The youth
full LockIlart profited to the extent
of $4,000 in winning lap prizes for
the time that he was showing his
back to the rest of the field.
The race was Teplete with thrills
spills and death-defying speed. There
were three serious accidents and the
display Of garneness that stirred the
emotions of thousands
Norman Batter OF Brooklyn, won
the admiration of the spectators by
his courage in driving his car en-.
gulfed in flames, refusing to desert
it to save his life.
The car, speeding at nearly 1O0
miles an hour, caught fire on the
back stretch in full sight OF the thou
sands in the grandstands. Batten
StanCing erect in the drivers seac,
and steering the flaming car with
flames licking his hands, brought it
to stop in front OF his pits SO
that the fire could be extinguished
Batten steered the car with first
one hand and then the other until
they We're so badly hlistered and
blaShed that he finished steering ;5
wi9fT his left loot.
If he had decidei to Jump out he
might have been dashed to death
by The cars srteoing behind him.
.CdNJl5 Ills QTlSSTi6SS MA ,filllE 10
smash into the grandstand ana per-
llaps kill or injurc spectator5 liz
stead IL stuck with the blazing ma.
chine and was rewarded for his
bravery by the presentation Of a
gold Sep watcn.
Jules ElIngboe c. Memphis, Tenn
was the most seriously injured OF the
three victims OF tie race. Ellingpoe
suffered {, smashed chest and other
internal injuries when his car crash
ed into the wall on the south end.
H KohIert, Of ST. Charles, ILL.,,
garage owner, driving as relief Tor
Fred Leckleider Of Elgin, Ills, was
another victim Of a snlash-up One
OF tIl9 tires on his machine explod-
ing causing it to skid and then turn
over with KonlertA beneath it. He
was picked up for dead and rushed
to the hospital It was first re-
ported that his skull had been frac-
tllred, but it later developed that he
was seriously if not fatally injured
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