The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-05-24
Several Thousand Fans Ex-
peCted at Local Race
Plant Thursday.
DRIVERS AWAIT ACTION
Thirty-Six Cars Already at
Scene of Grind.

by the time thursday or TINS week
rolls around several thousand speed
fans are expected to be hanging to
their seats at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in pop-eyed amazement
as the fleet of high-powered racing
machines. being groomed for the
fifteenth international sweepstakes
next Monday, whirl around the track
in the qualification trials.
OF the forty-one cars entered in
the race, thirtysiX already are on
the scene of action and from what
can be gathered at the pits almost
every one is in perfect shape and
their pilots anxiously awaiting the
arrival of Thursday.
But ,thirty-three machines will
be allowed to start the 500-mile
grind which means that the cars
turning i'm the lowest qualifying
times will be eliminated from the
running.
From all indications a t preliminary
practice-spins records are due to so
flying this year. Drivers have
already TUNED in laps at an almost
unheard of speed on the local brick
oval. Frank Lockhart set a new
track record last year with a lap
at 115.SS miles per hour. This
speed already has been bettered
unofficially several times during prac-
tice.
Rain Monday afternoon put a
crimp in the activities at the track
and but few drivers ventured out on
the brick with their mounts. Bud
Houser had his Duesenberg Special
out splashing around the rain-splat-
tered oval at a fair rate of speed.
Most of the gang. however stuck
tight TO their garages putting the fin
ishing touches to their cars. The
noisy chatter of the workers mingled
agreeably with the strains of vic
trola music emerging at scattered
points along Gasoline Alley"
George SOuders, the Lafayette
youngster, driving Hollywood Bill
Whites Duesenberg entry, has
all the appearance of classy per-
former ON the speed paths. SOuders
had his mount out for few laps
and handled ii like a veteran.
The fight for frst-row positions is
going TO be a mighty battle That
much is ascertained. With Leon
Duray, Frank Lockhart, Dave Lewis,
Cliff DArant Pete DePaq1o and Earl
Cooper's four-man tenn boasting
some of the fastest travelling racers
in America, the rail-birds will be
treated to some real speed.
The first Of the new Duesenberg
fiers was out Monday morning and
cut a big splash. The early birds
were elated at their first glimpse of
the local-built product.
Earl Cooper has decided he will
not start the race. He has selected
the veteran Jules EllingbOe TO
pilot his mount, while Earl will
remain i'm the pits as commander
in-chief and relief driver for his
fOur-man team. The team now
consists of Ellingboe, Bob Nc
Donogh, Pete kreis and Bc~nett
Hill.
Nothing much has been heard the
past few days about George Fernic
and his French Bugatti. The Rou-
manian evidently is putting in some
hard ticks in an attempt to get the
| highest possible speed out of his "gas
! buggy" Fernic will have to coax his
steed to the utmost in order to avoid
elimination.
The qualifying speed this year is
ninety miles an hour for four laps.
No doubt several of the machines
will be unable to make the grade and
several more will be scratched to
make way for the fastest thirty
| three.