Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-17
EUROPE'S FASTEST
AUTO IN BIG RACE
Mechanics Will Accompany
Drivers for First Time
in Seven Years.

n YEW YORK, April II CP1.-
M American automobile rae
~ ing. like base ball, is bios
a soming into activity, pre-
pairing for the foreign invasion in
the grand prize event, the inter
national 500-mile drive over the
Indianapolis motor speedway, on
May 80.
Capt E. v. Rickenbacker. ace of
aces during the World War and himself
. famous auto racer of yesteryears and
now president of the Indianapolis
Speedway Organization, is here pre-
pairing for the arrival of two Italian
racing stars and their 16-cylinder car
a Maserati-the fastest car In Europe,
with q record of 1899 miles an hour.
Jean Gaudino, the South American
driver who recently won for the second
time the Gran Primo Nacional of Ar
gentina. an 800-mile road race, has
also announced his intention of seek
ing American laurels.
Mechanics VIII Ride.
Restoration of the two-seated racer
for the Indianapolis race, according to
Capt. Rickenbacker, has stimulated
competitive interest. and the prospects
OF reCOrQ-Sf0aS11lnR event,
More than so new cars are under
construction for the event and the adj
vanced seat sale, which opened in jan
uary, is nearly rs per cent in advance
of last year, when the largest crowd
in the history of the event--l63 600
saw the motor classic.
For the first time in seven years two
men will form the team manning each
car in the race 1t is a return to the
vogue of the riding mechanic, that
picturesque figure, who is the drivers
eyes In the rear and who receives and
transmits all messages to and from the
pit along the track.
Instead of the projectile-shaped
weapons of speed, the cars will be OF
many shapes and sizes, powered with
motors varying in size from the tiny
e112 cubic inches piston displacement,
which have been raced for several years,
to power plants as large as $3.50 cubic
inches.
Thirty three Starters.
Whereas only 80 cars have been per-
mitted to start the 500-mile grind, 40
cars will be allowed to face the starter
this year. The American Automoblle
Association sanctioned the increase be-
cause of the size of the track, which is
AZ miles around and has two long
straightways, two shorter ones and four
quarter turns Places in the Is rows OF
cars each and one car in the four
tenth row will be determined by time
trials over a l0-mile tour the week pre-
ceding the race. The fastest cars get
the front positions.
Heading the American defense team
will be a brace of two-tirne national
champions. Louis Meyer, 25-year-old
champion in 1928 and 1929 and winner
Of the Indianapolis run in 1928, will
pilot his own 16-cylinder car. Peter
De Paolo, nephew of Ralph De Palma,
and champion in 1925 and 1927, will
drive Duesenberg.
Italy will make a determined effort
with two star drivers in one car. Plan
ming to "sprint-drive" each man $50
miles. Ernesto Msserati and Naconi
Birzacchini will alternate at the wheel
Of the Italian speed demon. This is
the first time such strategy has been
attempted In long race In America.
South Americas strong boy Jean
osudino, who has demonstrated his ca
pacity for physical strain by winning
two 800-nnile road events, does not plan
30 use relief driver.