The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-31

gallons of gas left out of the
forty-flve gallons he started with.
Mauri Rose, second place driver,
had between four and five gallons
left of the forty-f1ve maximum
allotted to each driver"
Colonel Rickenbacker paused
dramatically.
How did they do it? Well lots
of skeptics have laughed at me for
saying that the Speedway races
are a big boon to science and
especially the scientific needs of
the automotive industry. I've
heard people say that the race is
nothing but glorified Roman
holiday
Yesterday we found that the
500-mile race can be run safely
and at the same time help your
everyday motorists immeasur-
ably.
Lots of the race drivers
'squawked' when they heard that
the gasoline supply for the entire
race was to be limited to forty
five gallons. Several of the larger
gasoline concerns went into hud-
die with the drivers on their
problem.
"THE laboratory men found a
Il gas which will save mileage.
Bill Cummings used the new gas
yesterday and averaged about
fourteen miles to the gallon-bet-
ter mileage than lots of your stock
cars get. And that gas will be
made cheaply enough to benefit
the average motorist.
'Mauri Rose, driving his Duray
Special into second place, showed
the tire industry something, too.
He drove the entire 500 miles over
the burning bricks without a single
change of tires. When 1 was in
my heyday as race driver, it was
common to have thirty or forty
blowoutS on a car in the course
of race.
The minimum gasoline allot-
ment was the big element of
safety in yesterdays classic,
Colonel Rickenbacker revealed.
THE drivers yesterday coasted
into the steeply banked turns,
said Colonel Rickenbacker in
stead of stepping on it. at the
curves as they did in previous
years when they were allowed all
the gas they could use. The boys
knew that acceleration on the
turns eats up the gas because of
the increased pressure and the
greater load.
Directly attributable to the
gasoline control system was the
absence of deaths and bad acct
dents" asserted Colonel Ricken-
hacker. THAT stirring finish with
Cummings and Rose, neck and
neck, past the 400-mile mark was
the biggest thrill I've had in
years. Once, near the 400-mile
mark, the five leading cars in the
race were punched in the same
lap.
"T WAS delighted to see Wild
l. Bill win this year. said Mr..
Rickenbacker. He drove Splen-
did race. l don't think this COM
plant that he failed to heed the
slowing down flag early in the
race will affect his win. But it
goes to prove that driver can't
be too careful to heed the signals.
A winner, of course, stands a
chance of losing all on needless
error. But, ali in all, this years
race was the most interesting and
most keenly contested of all of the
twenty-five previous contests.
Asked about improvements at
the race course next year, Colonel
Rickenbacker's CHEEKY mood
changed.
Were having engineers survey
the turns to make Improvements
for next year. The bad bumps
will be smoothed out. But there
is one problem which is causing
great concern. Something will
have to be done about gate
crashers."
Yesterday a boy jumped the
fence\ and ran across the track
in the path of the race cars. He
might have been killed or caused
a terrible accident. This will be
stopped next year"