Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-09
STRAIGHT EIGHT
Wins BIG RACE
Marmon Wasp, Designed in
1911 Was First Step in
Speedy Cars

Another Memorial day 500-mile
race Of the indianapolis Speedway
is now a matter Of history.
The winner has been acclaimed.
the months Of hard work and the
thrills preparatory TO the great event
are over, and the technical results
are safely inscribed in the records
OF racing drivers and automotive
engineers alike-classified under the
significant heading, Experience"
Since the Mormon Wasp, resigned
by Col. Howard Marmon. won the
first 500-mile race in 1911, il has
been acknowledged that the event
IS Of inestimabie value to the entire
automotive industry. Therefore. il
was apparent. long before its actual
running, that the seventeenth re-
newal of the contest this year would
provide designers and engineers with
q wealth OF material with which to
make Americas passenger cars bet
ter, longer-lived and more econ
Omical.
This years race continued the i'm
portant work Of testing metal and
rubber, Of trying out new theories
OF dependable. high-speed perfor-
nance, Of re-establishing the Ind
annapolis speedway's reputation as
the crucible in which motor cars
are refined" Details OF design
again were put TO the severe test.
but the principal feature Of modern
race a design-eight cylinders
years, supreme.
The great majority OF entrants.
as well as the great majority of fin
lshers' III this years Indianapolis
contest were cars with straight eight
motors. Since 1919, the growth Of
the straight-eight principle on the
speedway has been constant and
rapid. No other type of motor is
favored by speedway experts and n
is only that this significant deye-
lopment be extended to the passen-
ger car as II has been in an impor-
tant and widespread way.
Marmon, for example. has taken
Iuu advantage OF the lessons OF the
speedway. All Of its passenger cars
are straight-eights. tested on the
very indianapolis track where the
elgnt-cyllnder principle was initiated
and then proved in superioritv
The present Marmon-bu built products
the roosevelt, the Marmon So and
tne Marmon 70, were driven in ex-
tended day and night trials over the
same brick track as was the scena
OF the 500-mile sweepstakes Nav an
Having the advantage Of a location
ADJACENT 70 the famous INDIANAPOLIS
track and employing an enTineer-
ing staff that has been fully con-
sclous OF the value Of speedway re-
suits since the year when the Mar
mon Wasp emerged victorious tba
Marmon company has m-aintsined
a constant check on the results M
each 5O0-mile contest. But Marmor
engineers do not stop at that fo-
Wnen a certain device or method m
construction is successful in a Mem
oTlaI Day race, 1t Is not accepted
as practical or useful until IL i
TAKEN again to the track and proved
70 their W satisfaction in trials
tnat are unhampered by the excite
ment and strain OF race dav.
. The adoption OF the straiRht-eirht
oy Marmon is an instance of how
tne companys engineers awaited
maj proof Of superiority. The
straight-eight made its appearance
on the speedway in 1919. In 1920
second to seventh inclusive we're
won by straight-eights. In 1921. a
straight-eight won the race and re-
peated IN each succeeding year. But
Marmon waited until 1926 before
reaching the decision to build eight
cyiinoer cars, Incorporating to the
1ulleSt extent the lessons OF the
speedway"