The Indianapolis times., 1936-05-22
Race Drivers
Wives Anxious
to Help Mates
Mrs. Shaw Thinks She
Could Speed Things
Up in Pits.
BY HELEN LINDSAY

just as every business executives
wife has secret yearning to re-
organize her husbands business,
wives OF Speedway drivers long to
get behind the wheel OF those can
ron-bali-like vehicles in the 500-mile
race.
do I ever see things that I'd do
differently in the race? 1 should say
do" says Mrs. Deacon Litz. "And
! guess every other race drivers wife
although she believes her husband
the most expert on the track, has
the same feeling"
IT'S not so much the driving that
] want to help with" Mrs. Wilbur
Shaw interrupts. Il want to get In
the pits and speed up the work there
Every time Wilbur's car stops at the
pits, l have to close my eyes to keen
from. screaming with nervousness
No matter how fast the men in the
pits work. I always have feeling
that 1 could change the tires faster"
Feel Easier at Speedway
Both Mrs. Shaw and Mrs. Litz
have watched their husbands drive
on dirt, board and brick tracks.
And each confesses that she feels
much more at ease during the 500
mile race.
But that's not very much IT.
ease" they admit.
"On dirt tracks you just keep your
eyes on the cloud of dust which you
hope conceals your husband safe anc.
alive, and wait for it to clear TO
confirm your hopes" Mrs. Shaw
says.
You know that he has to drive
often by gueSs-I remember on one
dirt track, Wilbur judged the turns
by the markings on. the balloon L.
the center of the field. If the wind
had shifted the balloon too much
we'll, let's not think about that. He
probably wouldn't have made the
turns"
Board Tracks Are Feared
Board tracks, which both women
are happy to report are being torn
up call for many wifely qualn1s.
The bottom of the car is filled
with splinters of wood when the race
is over" Mrs. Litz explains. Il have
seen Deacon end race on a board
track with slivers of the track all
over him. There's always the dan
ger Of one of them puncturing one
of the tires. or injuring the driver"
Race drivers are just as business
like between races as men in any
other business. They work long
hours on their racers and take little
time off for entertainment.
Recalls Amusing Episode
If Wilbur Shaw wins the race this
year, Mrs. Shaw hopes she'll be
among the first to congratulate him;
But she's not at all sure that that
would be possible.
Last year, when I realized that
he would come in second, l tore
down from my seat to the track, to
get across and congratulate him."
she says. II proudly told the man
at the gate that / was Mrs. Wilbur
Shaw, and wanted to get across tc
see my husband. He just laughed.
Lady, I've already let three Mrs.
Wilbur Shaws over, he said, and do
you think I could get by him? 7
could not-I had to wait till Wilbur
came across the track after me-"
Worries Over Daddy
There's only one member of the
Litz family who will be absent from
the track Memorial Day. That will
be 10year-old Jacqueline. who saw
her second race last year.
She still feels just as she did
when she was 2 years old, and l
took her to see her father race Sh.
recognized him as his car went by
our seats.
Daddy better be careful,
Mamma, or he'll fall down, she said
I thought last year she might have
gotten over her fears, and enjoy the
race. But she still worries about
him, and will stay at home. But
I'll be there-hoping that he'll win.
and being scared to death every
minute"