Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 May 1941 — Page 25

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*THE INDIANAPOLIS

THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1041 —— THE LAP PRIZE DONORS

Art Sparks Started

Out as a Doctor

Art Sparks, who introduced Rex ays to the Indianapolis bricks and who this year groomed Joe Thorne’s entry for the “500,” is acknowledged 40 be one of the best mechanical men in the business. * Racing almost missed the quiet, soft-spoken engineer and builder, for he started out by studying medicine at the University of California. Somewhere he got his scalpels and knives mixed up with wrenches and pliers and he decided he liked pistons and crankshafts better than sutures and fractures. He became a movie stunt man sad it seemed inevitable that he would turn to auto racing. One day, however, he cracked up pretty badly and from then on he stuck ‘to the engineering end of the game. Art designed and built the car with which the late Jimmy Snyder set an official one-lap record and then the all-time qualifying record in 1939 of more than 130 miles an hour.

Foreign Cars Won

Seven of the 28 Memorial Day es have been won by foreignbu

NI stalled to insure against breakage.

Wf line under their own power.

KENTUCKY | STRAIGHT BOURsg

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WITH PRIDE

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The Geld Medal ‘Whiskey BOTTLED IN,BOND

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d| ballast must be securely fastened in

i officials and must ‘permit a 20-de-

i | June

£1| June 22 d| June 22

Both Drivers, | Cars Tested For Safety

Thorough Examinations Are Required

& . In the younger days of automeobile racing any car that would run and any driver that knew the clutch from the, brake were admitted to the country’ s race tracks. Not so toay. At the Indianapolis Speedway both drivers and automobiles are given thorough examinations before they are allowed to enter competion Drivers, aside from being physically fit, are required to take driver's tests with officials and seasoned drivers keeping a critical eye on them. It was in just such a test two weeks ago that Roy Russing, Angeles pilot, crashed through the| inner rail on the northeast turn.

driving, owned by Kelly Petillo, was badly battered but Roy luckily was thrown clear and was unhurt.

Cars Also Given Rigid Test

He had successfully driven the required 10 laps at 85, 95, 105 and 110 miles an hour, and was on the eighth lap of his 115-mile-an-hour test when the accident happened. Cars, too, are given rigid tests. The net weight of the car mus} lie within 35 pounds of the requisite minimum weight for the piston displacement of the car. Included in this total is the oil in the transmission chamber and differential and the tires. The maxi-

The four-cylinder machine he was .

They Got Hers Just in Time to Wait 35 Days

A robin is the first sign of spring and “squatters” are the first sign of the Speedway race. This year the first arrivals, hereafter referred to atters” were Larry Denton Cleek (left) and .- Futreil, both of Maury City, Tenn. Th pulled into the “pole position” at the Speedway gate way back on April 25th just in time to wait

as “s Harry

35 days until race time.

They are the earliest arrivals in Speedway his-

OFFICIAL 500-MILE RACE RECORDS

#8 |Joe Marks,

tory and “Squatter” Futrell explains it this way: “Two years ago I was four days too late to be first in line. I decided then I was gonna beat them to it this year.” Mr. Futrell is a jack of all trades and Mr. Cleek is a “cat-skinner”—g tractor operator. Their battered old coupe is rigged out with a bed, portable radio and electric lights for reading and cards.

mum weight allowable as ballast cannot exceed 35 pounds, and the

Laps Miles Time

M.P.H, Driver Car Year

place to the satisfaction of the technical committee. The body of the racer may have one or two seats but it must present a minimum exterior width of 32.46 inches. Each car must be equipped with a braking system which must operate the brakes effectively and simultaneously on all four wheels. The transmission system must include a de-clutching device and a reverse as well as a forward speed.

Steering Triple Checked Fuel tanks must be built and in-

The oil supply for the entire engine is unlimited but no additional oil can be taken on during the race. Cars must also drive to the starting

Steering is triple checked by track

gree turn in either direction. Steermg gear ratio may not exceed 15

Firewalls must separate the engine compartment and the driver’s cockpit and the walls are checked by the technical committee before the race. In addition to these rules from which there is no appeal, each vital part of the cars must pass examinations by highly skilled engineers and special machines are used for this phase of the examination.

A.A. A. Lists Future Races

Season Includes 21 Contests

If you can’t get enough racing tomorrow to last for a while here is the A. A. A. tentative racing schedule for the season: Date Place

June Williams Grove (Pa.) June Ft. Wayne=(Ind.) June Langhorne (Pa.) June Thompson (Conn.) Milwaukee (Wis.) Langhorne (Pa.) Williams Grove (Pa.) Dayton (Ohio) Langhorne (Pa.) Thompson (Conn.) -Jungle Park (Ind.) Langhorne (Pa.) Williams Greve (Pa.) Langhorne (Pa.) Winchester (Ind.) Akron (N. Y.) Langhorne - (Pa.) Thompson (Conn.) Williams Grove (Pa.) Langhorne (Pa.)

June June 15 June 15 June 15 June 22

June 29 June 29 June 29 July 4 July 6 July 6 July 13 July 13

July 13 . Dayton (Ohio)

* The BUSY BRUCKS WATCH EVERY DROP

cee or J UB-I-LEE TO MARE 17 TOPS!

*.jcrackup

Beverage

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1420 North Senate Ave. ‘INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

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:01:14.87 :02:25.79 :04:50.25 112: 03.79 :16.86 24.32 36.37 147.23 55.14 51.00 12.09 32.80 104.59 144.59 101, 82 117.09 +31.97 £45. 15 52.14 144.64 41.09 41.87 158.40

1 2 4 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200

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New President

The new president of the Champion. 100-Mile-An-Hour Club is young = “Howdy” Wilcox. Club members made the selection at their annual organization dinner Tuesday night. “Howdy” succeeds Chet Miller.

Hanks Is His Own Mechanic

The “glamor boy” of racing this year is a young hopeful from California by the name of Sam Hanks. ..- Although this is handsome Sam's

. |second year at the oval he is one of

the youngest drivers in the business ~just; 26.

‘|: It is for Mrs. Hanks, who he mar-

ried a year ago, that Hanks is concenfrating so hard on the job of ng tomorrow’s race. Sam Is one of the few drivers who is’ his own mechanic and he has spent the last three weeks working day and night to get his four-cylin-der job ready for the green flag. The

Jcar is owned by Ed Walsh, St. Louis 1construction magnate and is the

only machine entered which has inSenendent suspension on the front end. : Sam got the racing bug six years

ago when he was a driver for a

California brewery. One of his fel low beer truck drivers was Ted Horn. Sam next went to work in the oil flelds, in a ‘machine shop making rock bits for drills. It was here that he gained a great deal of technical knowledge. -

When he was 21 he began driving :

midget cars. In 1937 he held the Pacific Coast midget championship and that same year had a serious at Oakland, Cal. He went through a fence and was badly hurt.

coed on TOR Spettied srsins onli

for details consult agen

SATURDAY NIGHT, MAY 81 $5.00 ST. LOUIS © $7.00 PITTSBURGH

SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE 1

$3.75 COLUMBUS $225 DAYTON $1.50 RICHMOND $2.50 LOUISVILLE

Returning leave destination Sun. Night

Phone RI ley 9331

RIM DY “

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(Voll SW

i 2 Gill SUT SE EN Bin

" Cliff Bergere, who has finished

1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1939 1940

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Good Seats, Eh?

The one point on the Speedway in the money here seven times but|grounds where the entire track can has never taken first place, races|be seen is atop the Press Pagoda. It only at Indianapolis and spends|is here that the race is watched by the rest of his time as a movie the referet, the umpire, and high

120.208 123.465 124.031 124.517 123.553 123.608 123.441 123.381 123.425 122.306 120.966 121.021 120.893 119.788 118.397 118.696 118.958 117.954 117.5923 117.650 117.552 117.432 117.200

Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Wilbur Shaw Wilbur Shaw Wilbur Shaw Louis Meyer Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Jimmie Snyder Louis Meyer Wilbur Shaw Wilbur Shaw Wilbur Shaw Wilbur Shaw Floyd Roberts Floyd Roberts Floyd Roberts Floyd Roberts Floyd Roberts

Just a Sideline

in the Memorial Day race.

race in 1932 that Grandma entered the racing field. She bought a car from Louis {Meyer for $5000 cash after watching the car run fourth.

Grandma Does Very Well By Her Race Cars

Entering Big Event

Racing is considered a strictly masculine affair, but there’s no objection along Gasoline Alley to Grandma Mary Falconi of Gary, Ind., who since 1932 hds had a car

She appointed her son-in-law, as

her racing man- - ager and has entered the cars as the Marks Specials ever “Grandma” ] since. : , Her cars have never won a race but they've done all right by Grandma. They've run in the money several times and last year she purchased two new ones. In one of them Duke Nalon spun off the track on the 117th lap and ip the other Tommy Hinnershitz hit the wall on his 32d lap and went out with a broken crankshaft. Tommy recovered from the fractured arm he got in that crackup and is back this year for a second try at the Speedway prize in Grandma’s high powered Marks Special. Grandma takes her setbacks in the racing business philosophically. When a car cracks up or runs away from its axle, she just says, “That’s too bad. We try again next Year.” Head of a good-sized family Grandma Falconi looks more at home behind the counter of her grocery store in Gary than she does in the confusion of the machine plant and garage out back of her house. Customers who phone frantically for their grocery orders are quickly appeased when Grandma explains why delivery is delayed—it’s always

a race car and when he’s finished ke’ll deliver the orders. The customers don’t mind for they join the Falconi family in cheering for - the Marky Specials each May 30.

What, No Smith! There are probably a number of Joneses and Smiths who have watched the race during its history but, believe it or not, there has never been a driver in the race by

stunt man in Hollywood. Speedway officials.

Ford Motor Co., Bel Chicago, Vonnegut Hardware Co. a

* Since 1932 She’ s Been |Emd

Aviation Corp.

Hastings ‘Manufacturing Ce? brenner, Indianapolis, Arthur v

Delco-Remy Division (Gen. Motors oo:

._Perfeet Tg TL

Li S. Ayres &

her

South cant Co., Indianapolis Motor

American Automobile Association, dianapolis Athletie Club, - Strauss S. Holabird, Manufacturing Co.,

In- &

Robert |p is

Motors

anap ona, Bendix gisnapolis,’ =

Lubri-

10sS= Brow

Champion Snark Plug Co., diana. Bell Telephone Co., [Divis i0! Rastern, is, Chale

tors on, thyl soline pune Rad

Ei Hotel, Jndiana

oo oy rh Vv. Ing fanapolis, soit tiling mouth Motor Corp troit, h (1095 Meals). Pindianap o= - A vy Corp.. Ford Motor 4 Henkel-Randall- Warner Co., diana; olis, DeSoto. Motor Corp. Seth Kle : anapolis, Hotel Severin, Chevrolet Motor * Division, C. O. arno The Wil. kinson Co. Inc., Chevrolet °itotor DiviBurnet, Binfor ote] In, op RL in Ox , Ford Motor Co.. Snapoy Ford, Indianapoiis, Champion Spark Plu a Toledo, O., Ethyl Gasoline Corp., Tom 20 oyce 7-Up, The Cleveland Graphite Bronze Co., Ford Motor Co.

Yes sir, that handy family carton of Pepsi-Cola holds 6 big bottles , . . 12 big drinks. And say — just watch the folks go for this better drink with the finer flavor. Be prepared! Always keep a carton of tasty Pepsi-Cola in your refrigerator.

*Pepsi-Cola is made only by Pepsi-Cola Company, Leng Island City, New York. Authorized bottler Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Indianapolis, Indiana.

the same—Son-in-Law Joe is fixing |

SPECIAL TRAINS Between

Union Station and Speedway MAY 30

20 Cents Each Direction

‘Commencing 6:15 A. M. and at 20-minute intervals until 8:00 A. M.; thereafter at 15-minute intervals until crowds have been : handled to and from the races.

Safest, Fastest and Most Convenient Way

Running Time 12 Minutes Each Direction GS an . [BEEN

ES RNIN

either of those names.

New York Gentral System

—a

So you ve always wanted aP ontiaC—

Dansdatare poiswating for?

MERIDIAN PONTIAC, INC.

FROR ARIEL BRL,

923 N. MERIDIAN STREET

THE EINE CAR WITH THE LOW PRICE

WM. CARSON

1665 S. MERIDIAN STREET :" gndianapolis, Indiana

A GENERAL MOTORS MASTERPIECE

TODAY almost no reason remains for buying a small car when what you really want is a Pontiac “Torpedo.” For Pontiac’s prices are so. close to the lowest that if you can afford any new car you can afford a new Pontiac. It’s true that Pontiac is a b/g car—with big car style, - roominess and comfort.’ It’s true also that Pontiac with Body by Fisher is a fine car—with fine car luxury and beauty of appointments, fine car performance and fine car handling ease. . In spite of its size and quality, however, a Pontiac “Tor pedo” can be bought for very few more dollars per month than you would have to pay for a small car. And many owners claim their 1941 Pontiacs are the most economical cars they have ever driven. So if you want a Pontiac, don’t compromise. Get a new “Torpedo” —today! ;

* PONTIAC PRICES BEGIN AT $828 FOR THE DE LUXE “TORPEDO” 81X BUSINESS COUPE : Delivered at Pontiac; “Michigan. State tax, optional equipment end accessories—extra. Prices and specifications subject to change without notice.

HOWARD HOLCOMB, INC.