The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-05-31
Continued From Page Twen;y-Four)

cally He was taken to Robert Long
Hospital. his back broken.
The race was only 20 miles along
when this crash happened, and 20
miles later, AL Gordon and his rid
ing aid, Frank Howard, miraculous
~ escaped death in a sensational
crash near the same spot. Gordons
car went into a spin, smacked the
wall tail first, whipped around
again and teetered on the wall. up
side down. Gordon was thrown out.
His steel crash helmet was smashed
on one side. Howard. pinned in the
car. finally was pulled out. He suf-
fered from decorations.
Spectators, many of whom faint
ed when the careenirg Weatherly
car leaped high over the wall and
headed for the grand stand said the
young pilot apparently lost control
Of his machine.
It was the greatest race of all
time. witnessed by a record break
ing throng of $4,000. The finish
was the most thrilling ever. 10
cars ending the chase with speeds
Of 100 miles an hour or better.
Finish Is Close
Only 40 seconds separated Petillo
and Shaw at the finish after a 200
mile battle that had the spectators
cheering and gasping. Three min
utes and 20 seconds back of Shaw
came Cummings. who was min
utes As seconds ahead of Floyd Rob-
erts. Only 8 seconds separated
Roberts. veteran California star
making his first start here. and
Ralph Hepburn, veteran of many
races, in fourth and fifth places.
Two seconds separated Shorty Can't
lon. Detroit veteran. who finished
sixth. and Chester Gardner of Den
yer, who was seventh. Canton
was only minute in front
of Babe Sapp. who finished Deacon
Litz' charger in eighth place. and
Stapp's margin over Doc MacKen-
zle in ninth place was l minute IL
seconds. Chester Miller. who was
tenth. trailed Mackenzie by only D
seconds.
When the first 10 cars had fin
ished, the time chart announced in
the press box revealed that only six
minutes, ID seconds separated Pc
tillo in first place and Miller in
tenth. That's the greatest blanket
finish in history. one that will not
be duplicated for some time.
Veterans Have Bad Luck
Hard luck honors for the day
went to two veterans-Louis Meyer,
two-time winner, and Cliff Ber-
gere. Meyer. who waged a sensa-
tional battle with Rex Mays. Tony
Gulotta and Babe Stapp in the first
half of the race. developed me-
chanical trouble near the finish. He
dropped to eighth place. and was
forced to continue the race on the
inside of the track at a slow pace
while the others hurtled around the
oval at an average of 10 miles an
hour.
When the rain started and vel
low caution lights flashed. it ap-
peared that Meyer might be able
10 hold onto his place and wind up
in the money. But the boys were
given the go ahead" signal. and
Meyer. although he finished. was
nudged out of the money, getting
eleventh place.
Bergere. driving a steady pace
with his eye on a money position for
the sixth straight year. pulled into
tenth place near the 425-mile mark.
With only five laps to go. however.
something went wrong on the north
turn, and Bergere and his mechanic
were forced TO push the car around
the track to the pits.
Wheel Collapses After Race
Lady Luck. in addition to smiling
richly upon Petillo. handed a real
favor TO Frank BriSko, another vet
eran. Forced out of the race on
the Seventy-ninth lap with broken
universal joint. Brisko aided IN
pushing his car TO the garage. At
the garage door. wheel crumpled
on the car that few minutes be-
fore had been flashing around the
track at terrific speed.
In an exhibition of bravery that
brought cheers from the stands. the
riding mechanic with Canton rode
for many laps holding the hot ex-
hauSt pipe on the car. Finally it
became too hot. and slipped from
the mechanics hand on the north
west curve. A guard attempted TO
pick il up and found il too hot. He
kicked it from the track. Canton
finished the race with his mechanic
leaning far to the let TO escape gas
fumes.
A thrill that practically all of the
spectators missed added drama TO
the closing chapters of the race. A
fire started under grand stand E
Flremen. working quietly and eff