Evening star., 1933-05-30
2 RACERS BEGIN
SPEEDWAY CLASSIC
list International .500-Mile
Auto Event Gets Under
Way.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, May 80 up.
Smashing all records for the dis
tance, wild Bill'' Cummings knocked
of the first so miles in 26:l6.35,
averaging 114.1S8 miles an hour in
the annual 5o0-nlilc autcmob-le race
here today. Freddie Frame was
chasing him in second place, 81 Sec
onds behind. Frank BriSco of Mil
waukee was third. Shorty Canton,
Detroit, fourth; Louis Meyer, Hunt
ington Far..1s, Calf. fifth. and Mauri
Rose. Dayton, Ohio, sixth.
B. the Associated Pre-
SPEEDWAY, INDIANAPOLIS. May
30.-Risking their lives at every turn
OF the wheels. AZ drivers reared eva.
at 10 o'clock today in the start OF
the twenty-first international 500-mile
automobile race at the Indianapolis Mo-
tor Speedway
AS aerial bombs exploded in the air
as the starting signal, the cars, roaring
and snorting, flashed away to flying
start, abreast and IA rows deep.
Leading the pack was gray-haired
Freddie Frame of Los Angelo, winner
of the 1892 event, driving the same
front-wheel 8-cylinder car with which
he won year ego.
1t was a low-hung racing creation.
painted dlsb gray and with big
No. IL painted on the hood and tail.
100000 Present.
At the time of the start. it was esti-
mated that the attendance was in the
nsighborhcod of 100000 spectators
with additional thousands still stream
ing through the gates inclosing the
psrilous 2la-mile brick track.
The fist few miles found the thou
sands of excited spectators on Their
feet. waving hats and yelling Justify.
Then .hey settled down to watch the
race that YES to continue for mole
than five hours, expecting each momen!
hat the drivers might dash to their
death n making the treacherous turns
IS did tTo of their number, William
Denver of Audubon. Pa. and Bob Hurst
of Indianapolis, who rode to their death
Sunday afternoon in making their
qualifying test.
The weather was perfect for the race.
There was a strong breeze aloft and the
current below as the drivers sped
around tire track. The sun shonc
brightly down from a sky fleeced with
pearl gray clouds.
Cars of Various Designs.
The cars were various hhes and de-
sign, eight of them front-wheel drive,
one feur-wheel drive and the rest of
the conventional rear drive type. They
ranged from 4 to 16 cylinders. Each of
the AZ drivers, nattily attired in white,
and with white hoods covering their
heads carried riding mechanic beside
them whose duty was to watch the COM
petitors chasing them, keep an alert eye
on the tires and to watch the supply
of gasoline and oil.
The drivers engaged in their free-for-
all battle, racing at terrifying speed, for
roll of $4,000 in prize money, with
$4,000 going to the winner.
The field was changed Just before
the start when physicians refused to
allow Howdy Wilcox of indianapolis,
who finished second in the 1892 race,
to start, due to health conditions. His
place was taken by Mauri Rose of Day.
ton. Ohio. A protest caused the with
drawal of Phil Shafer, Des MoineS, Iowa.
His place was taken by Ralph Hepburn
of Los Angeles. driving his own car.
The start Of the race was held up for
few minutes while the speedway OFF,
cials considered demands of rebellious
drivers that Wilcox be permitted to
start. FoIty-one of them signed the
protest. The physicians, however, ruled
that it would be dangerous to allow Will
cox to compete. After arguing for or
10 minutes, the drivers were ordered
into their cars for the start. Mauri
Rose, driving the car that Wilcox had
entered, was sent away last because he
was unfamiliar with 1t.