The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-05-31
MEYER Of CALIFORNIA RIDES TO
SENSATIONAL VICTORY IN RACE
New Average Speed of 1O4.l62 Miles an Hour Estab-
iished; Mark Milman, G. L. Jordan and Lester
Spangler Killed in Memorial Day Races
By HENRY McLEMORE
United Press Staff Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS. MAY 81 CUP
The men of the roaring road
wrote another chapter in their
own private edition of death in
the afternoon" yesterday as Louie
Meyer of California, rode to a
sensational victory in the 21st an
nual renewal of the Indianapolis
Speedway 500-mile race.
. When Meyer, his grimy face
wreathed in smiles hammered
across the finish line with the
thpnderous salute of some 100,-
900 persons breaking against his
ears, two of the men who started
with him on the grind, Mark Bill
man and G.. L. Jordan, lay dead
In the little white-washed shed
that serves as the track hospital.
The race claimed its third VIC
tim of the day and it's fifth since
the qualifying trials began when
Lester Spangler of Los Angeles
died last night in the City hos
pital from injuries received when
his car. a Miller powered special,
COllided with a car driven by Nal
colin Fox of Detroit.
Jorden, who rode with Spangler
as mechanic, had died a few hours
earlier. Fox and his aide mirecu-
louSlv escaped injury.
Billman, an Indianapolis boy,
was killed as hundreds of friends
looked on when his car skiddcd
on the south turn on the S5th
lap. It was his first race on the
great brick oval.
Meyer finished three lengths
ahead of Wilbur Shaw. who took
second money, and, who, like the
winner, drove a Miller motored
car. Third place was captured by
Chef Gardner, with fourth and
fifth going to Lou Moore. and
Stubby Stubblefeld. The next
five fiuishers were Dave Evans,
Tony GulOtta, Russell Snowberg-
er. Zeze Meyer and Cliff Bergere,
in the order named.
Meyer set a new record by az
eraging 1O4.162 miles per hour
over the 5O0-mile grind and be-
came the second man in the q
years history of the classic to be
twice a winner.
Fourteen of the original AZ
starters finished, the 18th place
going to Raoul Rigant. of Argen-
tina. the only foreign driver en-
tered.
Meyers victory was the result
of mis- refusal 20 burn out his car
in the early stages Of the race,
and his willingness to keep the
throttle on the floor once ne
gained the lead.
The Californian made his first
appearance in the running at the
25-mile mark, when he came by
the Judges pagOda, in seventh
place. He moved up to fifth at
so miles, to fourth at IS, to third
at 100, to second az 125. He held
second place until IT'S miles when
Fred Frame. popular favorite,
moved past him. Meyer held onto
third until the 225-mile marker
when he gave his car the gun and
swept into second place, one lap
byehind the flying Babe Stapp.
For the next 60 miles Stapp
and Meyer staged duel that held
the crowd breathlesS. Determined
to hold his lead at any cost, Stapp
whipped into the turns at terrific
speed. And right behind him, his
motor at top speed, smoked Mey- !
err. Stapp's unwillingness to risk
his lead by a pit stop, finally
proved his undoing. On the 127th
lap as he headed into the back
stretch, his car sputtered and
came to a stop-out of gas. By
the time his mechanics could get
across the huge infiield with fuel,
Meyer was we'll out in front.
Once on top, Meyer never gave
the field a chance. He stopped
but once after going in front at !
the 10th lap for gas. oil and wa
ter but this pause was brief. his
pit crew having him out on the
track in less than a minute.
The race, which was delayed
by 10 minutes by a drivers
strike-41 of them demaned that !
Howdy Wilcox, who failed to pass |
a physical examination be allowed |
to drive-started off with a ire
mendous burst of speed on the
part of Wild Bill Cummings.