The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-08-05
SPEED DEMONS
ADOPT RULES;
.REVAMP CARS
Machines Conform
In Motor Size
By GINO SINH

voked their Monroe Doctrine.
With January, 1888, racing au.
tomobiles and regulations govern
ing them will be the same through.
out the world under the recently
adopted international Auto Rae.
ing Code.
Up until now, Americans were
under one set of rules, the Brit
ish had another and the Cont
mental Europeans a third.
The Americans, with the rich
Indianapolis Speedway classic as
their jealous possession. had rules
which barred all European regula-
ton cars from participating in
that event.
European speed wagons could
not weigh over 1850 pounds, while
the minimum weight for racing
cars at Indianapolis was 1850, a
difference of 300 pounds.
But the Roosevelt Speedway I'M
Intentionally ended Americas iso-
lationist policy. The Speedway
rules were such as to permit any
type of car and the Europeans,
equipped with preselective gears
and superchargers, grabbed the
lions share Of the "gelt."
Greenbacks Speak Up
OF course, you know, though the
Vanderbilt trophy is a handsome
thing the cracking noise of green
backs cuts deeper. So the Amer,
lean boys and their official super.
ViSors thought things over.
Finally they remarked to
European racing officials: How
about it, fellows, let's get to.
gether on thiS?" And the
Europeans, cycling the Indian
apOliS Gold Plum" retorted:
yeah, why nOt?"
The BritonS, who Stubbornly ate
the dust of both Americans and
Europeans, decided that maybe, if
they forgot their aloofness, few
stray dollars might accidentally
come their way, spoke up:
Hi say, old "happies, cawn't
we participate alsO?"
And so beginning with the first
OF the year, racing cars with super
chargers will be required to have
power plants of 1873 cubic inches
and without superchargers 274
cubic inches.
All Cars Change
This means that all cars which
race this year will get new motors,
and many will be discarded com.
pletely.
International automobile racing
which for the past three years has
been dominated by the German
Mercedes and Auto Unions and
the Italian Alta Romeos is now a
wide open affair with a dozen diff
ferent speed auto makers vieing
for honors.
America which has depended
for the past few years on the
products of Offenhauser, Of Los
Angeles, who took over the Mil
Ter Brothers works, will have q
new Speed-buggy maker in Joe
Thorne, Tucson, Arizona, mil
lionaire sportsman. The famed
Duesenbergs, of Indianapolis,
and the Miller Specials will chug
no more. They are out Of exist
ence.
Over in France the Delages,
DelaheyS, Talbots, and the Buga-
attlS, of AlSace-Lorraine, will
again take their ancient place
in the auto racing sun, while the
Italian Maseratis will not have
to second fiddle the Alfa-Romeos
henceforth.
Britishers may make the
names ERA, Frazier.NaSh and
Ace powers in the speedway
world.
Must Share HOnOrs
No longer will Bernt Rosen-
meyer, latest winner of the Roose-
welt classic; Tazio Nuvolari, the
Mailman of Modena, winner last
year, and Rudolph Caracciola, the
1talo7Swiss-German. lord it over
the worlds leading pilots.
No less a parsonage than Ralph
De Palma, internationally famous
1tallan-American speed demon, Is
the authority for the crack that
Americas pilots are every bit as
cool and skillful as any in Europe.
Says the Silver.haired daredevil:
with the new international
regulations in force, the u. s.
A. will quickly regain first place
in automobile racing. Not only
are our drivers as good as the
best but our scientists will dis
cover ways of getting the high.
est speed under the newest reg.
ulation. A great era of inter.
national competition is before
US and Uncle Sam need not
worry over the outcome"