The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-05-29

into winning condition just a few minutes before it was wheeled to the starting line.
 Many hotel room lights burn bright far into the night, but an other group does it's partying in automobiles lined up outside the speedway for a dash toward fa- forite parking spaces just inside the track early next morning
 That line usually starts to form days before the race and on the last night stretches out in a long queue for miles. It's a common sight to see the folks get out blankets and pillows, make their beds, drop a cover over the car windows, and try to sleep.
 Not a few put out folding cots on the grassy roadside, undress in their cars. slip under light cover and defy the mosquitoes to do their worst.
 Beer for Breakfast
 Comes daylight the long line goes into action, some of the folks with great spirit and others slow ly because of too much spirits the night before. A couple of bottles of beer have made up many a race fans breakfast.
 Then the slow, nerve wracking toward the speedway begins, as cars come in from all directions to join the all-nighters' line.
 Let's look at an average race fan who has parking space in the track infield Once in his al loted plaee he unleashes a bunch of lumber bolts it together until it frames the car, and, presto, he has his own little grandstand atop his automobile.
 Some of the boys sell sitting 'oom on such improvised stands. But Uncle Sam has wised up to hat little business venture and las corps of agents on the jol to ,ollect government tax on the tales.
 "Two-Lap Stretch"
 Then the race! It's almost a rit- Ial that every one must stand turing the first two laps.
 Then, having had their first aste of thrills, they settle back waiting the first crash or brush skidding drivers in the mad race for positions.
 Comes mid-day. In the infield, behind the grandstands and in the itands themselves, the thing be- comes a community picnic in ap- oearance.
 Stomach demands answered, it's back to the race itself for the final 200. miles, where most of the thrills develop as the surviving drivers open throttles wide for the dash toward piece of the $10O,O00 prize money.
 Beer and liquor flow freely be- fore and during the race, but the hard drinkers must bring their own. Only beer is sold in the speedway. It is delivered to the patrons in paper cups. just to do away entirely with the possibility of some one heaving bottle at one of the drivers.
 Crowd Orderly
 Policed by the Indiana National Guard, the crowd is pretty orderly. If anyone does get out of bounds, though, there's a jail on the grounds and justice of the peace to hold court. Removal from the grounds, fine, or cooling off in the jail house are the punishments.
 But back to the race. It has en- tered the last 25 miles. Ten laps 10 go, and the thousands of people are standing again to be on their feet until the winner flashes across the line.
 Hundreds, however, miss the fin ish and sometimes much of the race, for they have had too big a night and too big a day. Sleep has oyertaken them and they lie quiet ly under tree or in their automo- piles, missing the biggest thrill Of all.
 Once the winner has finished the 800 miles, there is a general rush out of the speedway. Prob ably less than half of the crowc sees the tenth driver-the last oi the money winners-ge his check cred flag
 Again we find auto-chocked roads leading to the city. One-way traf- fic speeds the exodus
 And in just few hours, In dianapclis is back to normal agair until another year and another speedway race.