The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-26
De PaoIo, Duray and
Bergere Favorites as
Tests Begin.
TRACK OPEN SUNDAY
Exciting Battle for Front
Row Posts.
BY NORMAN E. ISAACS

11IO uoduQo VI SpScO-LudO
automobile fans focked to the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
this afternoon where approx
mately fifteen or twenty driv-
ers were to run through the
first day of qualifying trials for
the 500-mile motor grind next
Wednesday.
Thirty three cars are being
groomed for the Memorial day clas-
sic, and of that number about half
were judged ready to attempt to
place high up in the time tests.
The three fastest qualifying cars
today were to be awarded the front
row. positions, with the speediest
at the pole" A thrilling and spec
tacular struggle was looked forward
to between several of the motor
jockeys and it was believed that the
fight for the pole would be almost
as impressive as last years quail
f1cation battle.
Records Fall in 81
In 1927 the late Frank Lockhart
won the pole, only after breaking
the four-lap trial mark and estab-
fishing new lap record. Lockhart's
four-lap speed was 10000 and his
lap record was 120196. Peter De-
Paolo, the 1925 winner, who also
was among the favorites today for
a front-row position, last year made
a gallant bid for the honor, taking
No. post with an average time of
1880 for his four laps.
Leon Duray last year earned him
self the place at No. 3 with a speed
of 1878. De Paolo, Duray and Cliff
Bergere were the three top-heavy
favorites today to tie up the fore
most row.
All three set fast PAGES in practice
this year. Friday De PaoIo wheeled
his Flying Cloud Special onto the
bricks and whizzed around the oval
in 1:16 fiat, a speed of 118.421 miles
an hour.
Duray Sensation
Duray was the sensation through
out the two weeks of practice and
was clicked right around 100 miles
an hour several times. Bergere,
who qualified Miller last year at
a 108.820 mile-an-hour gait, has
been bearing down" on the throttle
and tore off one lap recently in
1854, a speed of 1852 miles an
hour.
De Paolo, Duray and Bergere all
have front-wheel mounts, revealing
a decided tendency among the speed
demons to adopt that style of
racing car.
The track will be open on Sunday
and the seconi day of qualification
tests held. The trials are to take
place between l and p. m, un,ier
the supervision Of w. D. Edenbucn,
official representative of the A. A. A.
All those qualifying Sunday will
take their positions behind those
taking the tests today regardless of
their speed. Cars not taking the
track either today or Sunday will
be forced to make arrangements
with Edenburn.
Earl De Wore. who will drive a Chrom-
olite Special, also was expected to at
the track for good portion of Friday
afternoon and was satisfied with speeds
ranging between 100 and los miles an
hour.
Ralph Snowberger, the third Mar
mon pilot, was out for short time
and was another who planned to
take the bricks this afternoon.
Snowberger, a dirt and board track
veteran, rides the bricks well and
turned in one lap Friday at 1924
(109 m. p. h.
Fred Conner, of the Boyle Valve team.
trife on several laps. He was timed BY
stop WATCHES at 1871 d11 m. p; h.
he %as dop S to land we'll Sp lG IN the
trials.
Cliff Woodbury., also of the Boyle
team, had his front-drive creation
on the track for short time. Wood
bury was expected to qualify today
and was ranked as real dark
horse"
Tony GuIIotta, who also planned to
take the tests today, was out breeding
around Friday in his StutZ Special. It
was one of the cars entered by Lock-
hart and regarded by the railbirds as
having Canned dynamite" under the
hood.
Cliff Durant was out taking his
daily workout in his own Miller
front-drive as Tommy Milton was
running around in the Detroit
c~>oa;aJ (N1;ffy. fI,o Mo