The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-05-30
MAURI ROSE IS INSIDE CHOICE AT INDIANAPOLIS
Drivers Hold Secret Ball. lot; Public FavOrs Shaw;
 Driver Badly Hurt
BY JACK GUENTHER United Press Staff CorTesuondent)

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 Indianapolis, May 30. - (UP) - Tho largest sport crowd to gather anywhere in the world this year moved through the gates of 1ndi- annapolis speedway today for the grim pleasure of watching g oil- streaked madcaps hurtle their stream lined racing cars 500 miles in a four-hour battle with death.
 The skies were overcast and tie weather Sultry, 50 1t appeared that record i60,000 persons would be present when the flag fell on the 29th renewal of the classic autono. bile test at 10 c. m. (i2 noon, EDT) except for the crowd everything was ready. Mechanics had the cars out early and the hush of the morning was broken by the roar of exhauStS as they were given 6 last spin for the 200.lap grind which will last half the afternoon.
 There should have been 8 cars in the line.up as the throngS, which had waited outside as long as two nights and q day, spilled into tho massive arena when the doors were opened shortly after dawn - but tho dangers which hide on every curve and ride on every straight away of the two-and -a-half mile brick oval had claimed one victim already.
 He was Sam Hanks, c 28.year-old Californian who was scheduled to make his second start on America s most famous automobile track but who lay instead in 6 hospital with concussion of the brain and unde' terinined back injuries. Hanks roared out just before dusk last evening to tune his big red Walsh special. Ae he reached i2i miles an hour, e connecting rod snapped and the brakes locked.
 The car crashed the inner guard rail on the southeast turn, rolled over twice and catapulted Hanks into the soft inheld before 1t con. tinued on It's careenilg way until 1t was c total wreck. The hospital said his condition was fair and that he probably would recover.
 Shaw Wcll-I.lked
 As in every race of every sort there was c public favorite. No man in history ever has won threc 1ndi- annapolis contests in c row or won four in c lifetime, but thousands Of the customers came hoping to sec dapper little Wilbur Shaw break both these records at the same time. Shaw, winner in l037, 1889 and l040, was q 6-l choice as such things are rated to turn back the nations most fearless drivers one more time and again take most Of the $i00,000 prize money that awaits the Vari- ouiS individual winners.
 The quiet, reticent veteran, c hometown boy who made good in his city's most famous spectacle, went into his 18th race driving the same type of car in which he has won tn past two years - c Boyle special. His car, powered with an Italian Maserati, eight-cylindcr en- zine, qualified e few days ago ct i27.836 MPH, third fastest time turned In by Nse 8 drivers.
 One of the reasons there was talk of c record today -- the old mark of il7.200 was set by the late Floyd Roberts in 1888 - Is that Shaw will be pressed plenty by those two heavy-footed dare-devils, Rex Mays and Mauri Rose. These two fol- lowed him home for second and third 6 year ago but claim they were de- nied their chance when showers brought out the yellow flag at the 375-mile mark and they were forced to hold the positions ct which the rain caught them.
 Due For Big Prize
 Mays, one of the most famous men In auto racing, has won just about every prize except this biggest one. He qualified ct 12830i. Rose - the choice of the drivers themselves in e secret ballot last night -- made himself eligible with the fastest time of all, l2869i, and held the pole when the starter sent 'ein away on their long cruise to nowhere. Be- hind these top three men, all Of them low-priced in the betting odds laid out by the local bookies, come at least e half-dozen others who could take 1t all. Strangely enough, they all are Americans.
 By name they are Joe Thorne, Ted Horn, George Connors, Floyd Davis, Kelly Petillo, Cliff Bergere, Ralph Hepburn, Chet Miller and Louie Durant. Among them they form the field to beat as the others aren't given more than an outside chance because either they lack experience or the type of power car 1t takes to win over the red brick saucer. The only two foreigners touted in pre-race forecasts were the Frenchmen, Rene Lebegue and Jean Trevoux, and they failed to