The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-12
BUSINESS NEWS FOR THE WEEK
RACING DREAMS
ARE REALIZED
BY CITY GROUP
Speedway Classic Con-
Ceived Around Hobo Fire
at Playground.


The Indianapolis Motor Speed
way, where the international 500
mile automobile race is held each
May 30, had it's beginning around
a campfire at the Indiana fair
ground.
1t was Carl Fisher who conceived
the dream first on a chilly night,
when motor enthusiasts of the early
days were budding over a hobo fire
at the Playground, while Johnny
Aitken, Saddle" Kincaid and How
dy" Wilcox were plotting old Ma
tional cars around the dirt track IN
a twenty-four-hour test race. 1t
appealed to the sporting blood of
Arthur Newly, who had built the
famous Newly Oval of bicycle days,
and Frank Wheeler.
1t was in 1909 that the dream be-
came a reality, and a two and half
mile oval, surfaced with macadam
and tar. was built. The first races
were short stunts for varying prizes
and purses. They were not sue
cess either financially or from an
amusement standpoint.
Then in 1911 came the first Inter
national 500-mile race. T. E. Pop"
Myers was the manager of the track
for the first 500-mile race and still
is the general manager of the
biggest racing event in the world.
The first 500-mile race was won
by an Indianapolis made car,
Marmon, with Pay Harroun at the
wheel at an average speed of 1859
miles an hour. Joe Dawson, in an
other indianapolis made car, Ma
tional, won the second 500-mile race
in 1912 in a contest that was ire
mendouS success both from the pro-
moter's standpoint and the specta-
tors. 1t was such a success that
the prize money was increased from
SOS, 600 to $4,000.
Foreigners Won
In 1913 a contingent of foreigners
came to the race and it is signifi-
can't that Jules Coux in a Peugeot,
French made, came home first and
began a series of foreign victories
that continued until 1920 when the
late CASTOR Chevrolet won the race
in an indianapolis made Monroe.
Rene Thomas won in a French
Delage in 1914. Ralph De Palma
made a record breaking run for the
500 miles with an average sof 1884
in a German Mercedes in 1915. The
Peugeot came to the front in 1916,
Dario Resta driving.
"Howdy" Wilcox, an Indianapolis
boy, brought the Peugeot first to
the finish in 1919, and then came
the next Indianapolis victory with
CASTOR Chevrolet plotting the IN
dianapolis made Monroe-a car de-
signed and built by his older brother,
Louis Chevrolet.
The following year, 1921, Chevro-
let built another car, the Frontenac,
in which Tommy Milton finished
victor. Then came the spectacular
victory of Jimmy Murphy IN 1922 in
the Murphy special. 1t was an In
dianapoliS car, the H. G. S., driven
by Tommy Milton, the first two
time winner of the mile race,
which was the victory car in 1923,
and in 1924 little Joe Boyer, one of
the most daring pilots of all time,
brought first across the finish wire
a Deusenburg Special, built in Indi-
annapolis, and started in the race
by L. L. Corum.
De PaoIo Won in 1925
Another Deusenburg Special came
home a winner in 1925 when Peter
De Paolo, nephew Of Ralph De
Palma, established a record of
101.13 for 500 miles.
Frank Lockhart, in a car owned
by Peter Kreis and made by Harry
Miller of Los Angeles, won the 1926
contest and in 1927 another Deu-
senberg, driven by George Souders,
a Purdue undergraduate, was the
victor
Louis Meyer, who was to again
win in 1888, came to spectacular
victory in 1923, and the late Ray
Reach, who was later to set world
straightaway record at Daytona
Beach, was the victor in 1929. One
of the most colorful of the younger
drivers Rillv Arnold made his first