Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-04-03

A NGLE
By LEWIS F. ATcHISoN

ONE OF THE GOLDEN figures of the Roaring ls2Os
passed away California Saturday when Ralph DePama
died In when hot motor meant just that, not
stolen car DePalma class by himself His gentle
manly and mpeccabe attire his name seemed
far from the grmy world of oil and scorched
rubber which he lived and fought achieve sports fame
Somehow DePama didn't look the part of a driver,
the best Cigar chewing Barney Olded of the
easygong and inevitable cap looked the part
Names like Ty Cobb Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey-even
that of Bill Tden tenns-seemed to fit but not DePama.
1t ronca but not too surprising to find the biography
of female thrush Anita DePalma, absent mindedy
filed away with Ralphs clippings At glance indeed after
close scrutiny would have taken him for diplomat
Forty years ago. DePalmas was household word.
Winner of the indianapolis 500ile grind in 1915 he
2557 of 1889 26year and racing fans
of this got look him in action at the istarred
Laurel Raceway that opened in 1925 and quietly expired
year later. Digging up information the place
threatened be for Bridey Murphy but Bill Ulman
Morris Glazer who handled the publicity Avery McBee,
who covered the for Baltimore and Rod Thomas
Of The Star knew the place and DePalma
ONE OF THE RACEwAYs hackers Theodore Michael,
Washington business leader and banker who died last week
at age 49, The corporation blessed with
funds after few feeble gasps its death warrent
signed when Ed Colgan, former State Senator and
member of the group became involved in feud with Ernie
Smith of the American Automobile Association which
roed racing The AAA only recently abandoned its interest
in racing
Laurel scheduled it's opening race on Saturday and
misfortune be hit by of the summers heaviest
transforms Colgan sought weeks posponement but
by Smith, who the best of memory declared all
Saturday dates had been allotted Laurel forced to run
Monday and the affair was colossal financial bust
1t was unfortunate for McBee believes the
the fastest track in the world much faster than Indian
apoliS" which indeed rated speedy Altoona
Pa Culver City. The Steeply banked turns gave the
drivers real chance to push their cars and there no
telling what dizzy speeds would have been attained had the
track operated few years.
McRee remembers coming upon DePalma driving his
racing along the winding old Baltimore pike
Laurel for the raceat safe speed of Like Others
he found Ralph friendly fellow, if not the
type.
ROD THOMAS RECALLED that DcPaIma blew tire
going into of the turns and caapulted from his
machine The first driver TO pass him Pete DePaolo,
Raph nephew Thomas sought Pete after the
get his reaction to that brief chilling moment and the
reply typical of the steenerved DePaoo. whom De-
Palma couldn't diSsuade from racing
"Uncles gone I've got to carry And stepped on it.
escaped with bruises and scratches but he
fortunate at Milwaukee in 1872 the year he
suffered series of mshaps His machine went out of control
and plunged into newly cropped field Hurled from
the car Ralph mpaed short sharp stalk and
spent the next IL weeks in the hospital,
Another contestant in the race Jerry Wonder
lach lucky to be there Sometime before he thrown
his and landed violently in the neld The doctor
his side found sign of critical injury
that Wonderach stunned and turning blue A quick
examination revealed that the the verge being
asphyxiated from dirt in his mouth throat and nosrs
DePALMA WAS OPPOSED BY all-star cast at Laurel
such Tommy Milton Ralph Hepburn, Ralph DeVore and
Harry Hartz of the first Ulman met Ralph he
with Louis Chevrolet builder of the that his
Il think they had only sales agency in town then,
Uman said land I'm not mistaken Louis under
making repairs"
Auto racing though dangerous and often dramatic, was
not however irresistible to everybody McBee quite frankly
found it bit boring, opinion undoubtedly shared by
Kesser, one-time sports editor Washington
Daily News who writes sports column for the Chicago
Sun-TimeS.
Covering the Indianapolis 800" Gene found himself
becoming brewster and brewster the soupcdup bugge
hummed the spraying brick oval until the mehodca
hum finally put him to sleep
To some like Fred Wagner who handled the checkerec
flag at tracks including Laurel the sport
meat and drink 1t at Laurel that slammed into
the rail small platform projecting from the grand
stand which Wagner stood In the excitement he bit of
the end of his pipe.
But whether liked racing not, most admired thu
who rsked their necks in buckets of bolts tires tina
now like rubberbands compared with todays safet!
treads Particularly high the list Ralph DePama
the little guy who had class If much color, thar
most Of the rest