The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-01

good advice, and Jimmy Durham,
my riding mechanic. That Dun
ham boy is a dandy. I'd never met
him before when Mr.. Ward signed
him to ride with me. He did
swell job, and if he wants to he
can keep on riding with me.
De Paolo's advice and handling
of the pit crew gave me worlds Of
confidence. Early in the race,
when l wanted to step out bit,
he kept tagging me to slow down.
And when the time came, he gave
me the go sign to pick up some
speed
My plans for the future are in
definite. I had planned to return
to California. I'm leading in
points for the West Coast driving
championship, and wanted to win
that title. But I've got higher
goal now-the national crown. I
probably will compete in the five
national championship races
scheduled this summer and expect
to win the crown Bill Cummings
holds now.
7 HAVE been invited to compete
Il in some European races late
this summer and may accept the
invitation. If 1 do go this car
drove yesterday will go with me.
It's my baby. I built it in three
months out on the coast, and
there are a lot Of my own ideas
in it. 1t has a new motor and
chassis, and there still are plenty
of good races left in it.
Everybody laughed when they
heard of my car. "Kelly's Folly
they called it, But they quit
laughing yesterday. It's my turn
now.
This car isn't a new idea with
me. I got the urge to try race
driving back in 1890 I came to
indianapolis, but couldn't get a
job. I demonstrated to the boys
I could handle a car, though, and
since then I've had some good
ones. But five years ago, 1 said
I'd build a car some day that
would win the 5OO-mile race, and
1 did.
l was worn out at the end of the
race, partly because I only slept
five hours Wednesday night. lost
seven pounds in the long grind,
but some good spaghetti at the
restaurant of my dear friend, Ed
die DeBiase, and several hours of
sleep have fixed me up again.
My chief worry, not counting
Rex MAYS and Wilbur Shaw, who
gave me plenty to think about for
nearly five hours, was the right
rear tire That's the one we all
watch and I was afraid that late
in the race, when Shaw was hang
ing on my tail, I might be forced
into the pits for a change. But
that tire lasted all the way.
ID Elk MAYS certainly set a fast
N pace for us in the first $50
miles. He had a bigger motor
than I did and would have been
hard, to catch if he hadn't been
knocked out.
But my real worrying started
on the last 10 laps. They were
the longest 10 laps I've ever
driven and the toughest part of
the race. I thought of many
things that might happen, like
running out of gas or having
something go wrong with the mo-
tor or wheels.
With Shaw just 40 seconds be-
hind me any kind of trouble
would have been just too bad.
I figured my car had enough left,
and so it did to beat off Shaw in
a duel, but there's nothing you
can do about trouble if it hap
pens that late-and it has before.
When I pulled into the pits yes
terday at about 400 miles they
wanted me to let relief driver
take the car, but I couldn't see it
that way. I was out in front and
riding pretty. too happy to be
tired.
Five hundred miles is a long
distance to drive without some
help, but when there is 100000 or
more waiting for you when you
get there it isn't so hard.
I'll be back next year. and the
boys who say it can't be done two
years in row may have some
more words to swallow, this time
in 1886.