Evening star., 1954-04-30
Andrews Base HUNS
As Pilots Tune Cars
For Sundays Races

0ROA 70 O14 VI 1tCI0, SO1I1C COk11s
ing from as far away as Cali
fornia, and their finely tuned
racing machines are checking in
at Andrews Air Force Base and
going through the preliminaries
for Sundays National Capital
Sports Car Races.
Technical inspection Of the
autos, a rigid requirement to in
sure safety and proper specifica-
tions. began yesterday at noon
and was expected to continue
well past dark today. Mechan-
les pored over engines, brakes,
gear boxes and suspension ap-
paratus as the inspectors ap-
preached the cars.
At 8 am. tomorrow the 178
entrants will assemble at the
base for the drivers meeting.
Regulations of the Sports Car
Club of America will be read
a necessary but tedious session
for the veteran, a short refreSher
course for the novice. The 4.3-
mile race course on the Andrews
runways will receive thorough
attention in the discussion of
hazards. location of the ten 90
degree turns, etc.
Practice Runs Tomorrow.
Practice runs will begin at II
am. tomorrow and wind up
about six hours later. The big
cars and the smaller ones will
be kept separate and no more
than 70 will be allowed on the
course at one time. Each car is
required to go at least five laps
at racing speed before quitting
the track.
The Queen of the races. Sc
lected from the nominations of
IL Air Force squadrons at An
drews, will be crowned at noon
at the Non-Commissioned Off
GERS Club.
Pre-race lineup will be at 8:45
o'clock Sunday morning and the
f1rst OF six events will begin at 9.
The 5O-mile George WASHINGTON
trophy Race for smaller cars
will be followed by the Congress
slonal Trophy Race, also at so
miles, at about 10 am. An in
termission between II o'clock
and noon will allow spectators to
attend church services at chapels
on the base.
Has Largest Field.
The third race, named the
Abraham Lincoln Trophy Race
will get under way shortly after
noon with the largest field of the
day. Seventy cars, ranging from
medium to large size, are entered
in this 75-mile test and 10 alter
mates are waiting to sign I'D
should some drop out.
Two more 5O-mile races the
Thomas Jefferson and the White
House, will begin at 1:45 and 3
PM, respectively, and the 200
mile grind for the Presidents
Cup Is scheduled for about 4.
The cup race will draw 18 of
the Misunderstanding cars from
the first four events and lump
them with So automatic quail
f1erS for a maximum field of 10
1t is here that the speed. stam-
ina, agility and overall finesse
OF the country's best cars and
drivers will be given their stiffest
test.
According to SEGA records
there are only five 4.5-liter Fer
raris in the United States, and
four OF them will appear in the
PRESIDENTS Cup. These great
$15,OOO-plus machines are owned
by Briggs Cunningham, Gentle
man Jim" Kimberly, Bill Spear
and Masten Gregory. All ex-
cept Cunningham will pilot their
own entries.
Tests Secret Brakes.
Phil Walters, general man.
ager Of Cunningham's sports
car company and rated one of
the worlds top drivers, will drive
Cunningham's Ferrari in the
third and sixth races while Cum
ningham will pilot another of
his entries, an OSCA, in the
third race. This Ferrari is
equipped with a secret set of
liquld-cooled brakes that will re-
ceive their first race trial at An
drews in preparation for the
famous 24-hour race at LIE Mans,
France, in June.
Several experts have stated
that if the liquid-cooled brakes
withstand the terrible pounding
OF the 90-degree turns at An
drews, Walters should have the
Presidents Cup in his hip pocket.
But iquid-cooled brakes have a
bad record for stamina.
Spear Headed '53 Standings.
Spear raced his Ferrari to
first place in the SEGA standing
last year. Kimberly has won
five feature races in five attempts
this year. Gregory. although
inexperienced in comparison.
bought the Ferrari that won
Argentina's Grand Prix last
January.
Andrews Field lies southeast Of
Washington. eight miles from
the District line. Drive over
South Capitol Street Bridge and
bear left on Military highway or
go over SouSa Bridge and turn
right on Branch avenue. Signs
will direct traffic to any Of six
entrances to the base. Facilities
will handle parking of $1,000
cars. Six gates will admit the
crowd to the race course.
w. M. & A. buses will run
from Eleventh street and Penn
sylvania avenue N. w. to the
base.
Advance tickets will remain on
sale through today at Peoples
Drug Stores. Ford, Lincoln and
Mercury dealers, Shell service
stations and at branches of the