Milford chronicle., 1951-05-25
Chryler PacemaIer
Carries On
Fine Tradition

For a few brief moments ais the
80 fastest race cars in the country
wheel around the indianapolis
Speedway three abreast at 10 a. m.
Wednesday morning, May 80, a
sleek, powerful locking white con-
vertiole viii be in the van-hold-
ing tie spotlight mOmentarily in
this panorama of might on wheels.
This is the Pace Car for the 500
mile Memorial Day classic and 150,-
600 pairs Of eyes will be focused on
il as it leads the roaring pack to-
ward the start Of this greatest of
all automobile races.
The colorful and coveted pace
maker role is played this year by
q Chrysler New Yorker convertible
with the new Fire Power VS. engine
OF l80 hOrsepOWe highest horse
power ever put into a stock car. At
the wheel will be David A. Wallace,
ChTysler Division president.
Wallace will be following in the
path Of three other Chrysler Pace
makers which led the 500-field to
a flying start during the last quar-
ter century. First was the 1926
Chrysler Imperial "80", brain
child" Of the late Walter P. Chrys-
Ter and considered the hottest thing
on wheels in those days. 1t was a
l0W-sWung 4-cylinder roadster and
was driven by the famous race driv-
er Louis Chevrolet. Next came the
Chrysler "8", driven by Vice Pres
ident Byron FOy in 1888. Chrysler
again set the ace in 1941 with it's
Newport "8", with A. B. "TObe"
Couture. Chrysler Corporation chief
test engineer, at the wheel.
AS the field rOars and splutters
around the track in the wake of
this most pOWerful-and possibly
fastest-stOck car in America to-
day, oldtimers will recall pace cars
of other years and the men who
drove them.
Carl G.. Fisher, founder of the
Indianapolis Speedway, in 1911, set
the pace for the first four 50O-mil-
ers in a Stoddard-D Dayton. Fisher
has been dead many years-the cars
he drove long since have passed in
to oblivion. Packard paced the race
in 1915 with big Boy Raeder at
the wheel Raeder, a leading test
driver of his day paced the race
more often than any other mansout-
side of Fisher-four times in all.
A Premier "Six" paced the 1916
race and a MarmOn Vic with the
Incompatible Barney Oldheld at
the wheel led the pack in 1920. Har-
ry G. Stutz, maker of the famous
StutZ Bear Cat" paced the race in
an He's (his own initials) in 1921
and Oldfeld again drove the pace
maker, a National, in 1922.
Fred DuesenbeTg, noted engineer
and automobile designer, paced the
1928 race in car bearing his name, |
and in 1924 a Cole IS" did the hon.
Ors. Captain Edide Rickenbacker,
now tycoon of the airways, paced !
the 1925 500-mile classic in a Rick
enbacker Special.
AS noted, Chrysler set the pace |
for the first time in 1926 and in |
1927 General Motors was repre- |
sented by LaSalle with Raeder |
at the wheel. Joe Dawson, first win
ming driver of the 5000 1922 to set |
the pace, drove a MarmOn in 1928
and a Studebaker played the role
in 1929.
E. L. Cord drove a pace car nam /
ed for himself in 1890 and Raeder1
was in the drivers seat of a CadiI- I
lac in 1881. Edsel Ford, late presf-
dent of the Ford Motor Company, 1
paced the race in a Lincoln in 1882 /
FOy with a Chrysler in 1888 and /
Raeder drove his fourth and last
pace car Ga LaSalle) in 1884. A
Ford VS. was the pacemaker in 1885
and Tommy Milton, twice winner of
the 500-mile marathon and now
chief steward of the Speedway, led /
the field in a Packard in 1886.
The spectacular Ralph DePalma, I
winner in 1915, paced the 1897 clas- 7
sic with a LaSalle; Hudson. Buick I
and Studebaker were the pacenlak-
ers in 1888. 80, and 30 in that order.
Crysler was back on the track in |
1941-the last race before World |
War II closed down the Speedway
for four years. When the race was
resumed in 1916, Henry Ford II |
drove a Lincoln pace car and in
1947 George w. Mason, president of
Observation-Disclosures, was at the wheel
of a Nash. Chevrolet was the pace
car, in 1948 and in 1949 Wilbur
Shaw, three time winner Of the 500
miller and now president and gem
eral manager of the Speedway, pac-
ed the 800" in an Oldsmobile. Last
years race was paced by a Mercury
driven by Benson Ford.