Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-05-13
old timer IS
COINCSTRONC
Cooper Captains Mar
mon Race Team AT
ter Many Years

Sports fans OF America like to
look back on days gone by to COM
pare the heroes of yesterday with
the present holders of titles and
crowns. According to many old
timers, Tunney would be a setup for
RUBY Robs" Fitzsimmons; Hans
Wagner and Larry Lajoie would re-
legate today's diamond stars to the
dugout. Americas heroes die hard
n feats of the present rarely dim
achievements Of the past.
Moreover, the enthusiasm of the
throng is doubled when the favori-
ties of yesterday continue to break
into the headlines with a seemingly
endless repetition Of their feats.
Ty Cobb and Jack Dempsey shine
as outstanding examples, both Of
them old. as e is judged in sports,
yet each still holding a generous
portion Of public affection.
To a list Of former heroes Of
sportdom who continue to appear on
the horizon, creating comment and
speculation in their activities, must
be added the name of Earl Cooper,
whose slight form has rested in the
pilots seat of racing cars for two
decades and whose once abundant
hair has disappeared under the
tight massage of racing helmets.
Twice in his tumultous career,
Cooper has retired from the track
and twice he has come back. heed
ing in part the pleas of his admir-
ers and the lure Of the game, but
making his final decision because,
through his constant association
with automotive experts, he knew
that the speedway has come to be
regarded as the real ~labratory Of the
automobile industry.
Cooper is now captain of the
Marmon racing team which will
guide the destinies of two Marmon
50 Specials entered in the forth
coming 500-mile "drive to nowhere"
ut the indianapolis speedway May
30. He is working side by side with
Col. Howard Marmon, world famous
automobile engineer, in the develop
ment Of the renowned wartime
Liberty motor.
Strange as it may seem, the very
workshop in Marmon plant unit No.
/ where the first Marmon racing
cars were built seventeen years ago
is again the scene Of the research,
experiment. ana Development IN con-
nection with this years race. Coo
per and Marmon-the one the dri-
yer, the other the ~engineer-are now
working and planning. side by side,
at the Marmon factory. From early
in the morning until late at night
the lights glow in their little work
shop, screened from the eyes Of the
curious, while they keep at it as
Ahn xn~fww -wu,v rw~-w,LI-w ~uI -
down the cars laboring tirelessly so
that each detail will be exactly cor
rect.
The assistance of a pair Of hands
as cunning and a mind as keen as
their own is given them by Reeves
Dutton, a racing mechanic whose
ability is summed up by Cooper, la
conisally as "the best" He is the
one who assemblies the tiny parts of
the motors, regarding the Tightening
of each nut as a rite and looking
upon careless work as nothing less
than Sacrilege.
Towering over the slighter builds
of his fellow workers is Pete Kreis.
who has been selected as one of the
drivers of the Marmon So specials.
Although n Of the n drivers.
kreis is we'll versed in the science
of racing and has proved himself an
apt pupil at the hard school Of ex-
perience in the gam that makes
young men old and keeps old men
young.
After long experience in the I'M
stable seat Of a motorcycle racer.
Johnny Seymour has brought his
mechanical skill 10 the harmon fac
tory and Is working with Marmon,
Cooper. Kreis, and Dutton on the
Marmon IS specials.
From now until May 80 this quin-
tet will work tirelessly supervising
the preparations for another advent
into the racing spotlight. An engi-
neer, a skilled mechanic, a young
driver noted for his heavy foot and
a daredevil motorcycle racer. these
five bring all their talent and skill
together, while the sporting world
waits, giving silent encouragement
to their efforts.