Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 May 1946 — Page 13

. ®

cates course is

Green—Starting signal, and indi«

clear.

Black — Stop for consultation (to car indicated)

Vi

Yellow—Drive with caution . . . maintain position.

White—You ne starting your last ap. :

’

Checkered (black and white) — You are finished. 9

Red—Stop; race is halted.

In the center is a natural

Lloyd B. Walton, Times

Here, reproduced in color, are the signal flags used for the 500:Mile. color photograph of Rex Mays, national auto racing champion; taken by

staff photographer. The processing of the photograph for reproduction, the engraving and the print-

z : | ing all were done entirely in The Times plant by Times employees.

! |

Engine Performance, Driving

|THE EVENT—30th Indianapolis

Meet New Bosses—Tony’ Hulman Rex Mays Sees 132 M. P. H. |

Wanted Speedway as Indiana's Own:

Wilbur Shaw Would Rather Be a Driver

If You See a Friendly Fellow—It's Owner

By ART WRIGHT

“Tony” Hulman spent $750,000 of his Terre Haute wholesale grocery fortune to buy the Indianapolis Speedway because he . likes sports . and principally because he wanted the famous track to remain an Indiana trademark During the war vears it.was accepted in some quarters that Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker would “pull out” of the Speedway operation and that the site would be con verted into real estate lots. That's how Wilbur Shaw, present general manager for Speedway, entered the picture , and interested Mr. Hulman in project.

the the the Drew Up Prospectus Wilbur, who had won the 500mile race three times and” has twice been national auto racing champion, wanted to “save” the track to perpetuate the classic. Shaw, a native of Indianapolis, drew up .a detailed prospectus on the Speedway’'s operation. Early in his éearch for a group of Hoosiers who would be willing to invest in the venture, Wilbur was told: “Why not talk to ‘Tony’ Hulman at Terre Haute . , . he's always interested in anything that wi]l further Indiana.” Wilbur was introduced to “Tony” « «+ » and the millionaire “grocery boy" pledged his support. Now All-Indiana As a result, the Speedway—which started back in 1909 as an Indiana institution-—today presents its 30th annual classic under an all-Indiana ownership and management. “Tony"—he %Yoesn't like to be called Anton—saw his first race on the bricks in 1913 when Jules Goux won in a Peugeot. Anton Sr, a close friend of Carl Fisher, one of the; track's founders, took “Tony” to the track that day. No, “Tony”. wasn't- immediately. “bitten” by the speed “bug.” “I enjoyed the race but I didn't decide to become a race driver or| to some day own the Speedway,”| he says today. Dream Shattered Early

Tony Hulman , . , he likes people, ' and sports.

Wilbur Shaw . . , from driver's seat to swivel chair,

Racket Racer Brings Challenge

By RICHARD LEWIS

: dt was a*reputation earned amidst | |

Three-Time Winner Now Director of Speedway

For the first time since 1929, Wilbur woh't wheel in the 500-mile classic . .

Shaw grip a steering for now he's the boss man of the famous speed plant, L As vice president and general Corp. racing

manager of the Speedway

national champion and three-time winner of the 500-mile will be busy with the job of directing the event. Behind an office desk, “Sharp” (as his racing buddies call him) says he'll never “hang up the] goggles” as a speed pilot. For racing | has been in his blood since that | day back in 1921 when he drove the first time on the Hoosier Motor Speedway, a dirt track here.

First Crash Helmet

He was only 18 and had much to learn about the sport... as he dis-| covered on the second lap wher his | steaming “hunk of iron” rattled! into ‘the pits. A sturdier car later carried the| reckless, eager youngster to a series of crackups. He wrecked his little] red racer almost every time he started. And when Wilbur wouldn't |

the twice auto

“slow down,” the car owner—Bill| Hunt, of Indianapolis—obtained a | German army steel helmet from| world war I for Wilbur to wear. Perhaps this was ‘the first crash helmet ever worn by any driver. The helmet—heavy and tiresome to wear—had its psychological effect It was a constant reminder that” auto racing. was a dangerous business. !

He Slowed Down

Alorig about that time Wilbur was! looked upon with awe by fans who cgowded into the dirt track grandstands, They said he was “hotter! |than a depot stove and cyazier than| a loon.” |

the debris of fences he has splin-| | end of racing pusgses. | But the German helmet, a serious

The day of the rocket car has|erack-up and a couple of fearful

venture in the Hulman personality When it will return,

when “Tony” became 12 years old. | For it was then that he rode al m at “Wwrre Haute . , . and crashed!’ through the fence. It was abrupt end to any dream he might have entertained regarding racing.

bicycle riding in the late 1880's and! early 1900's. Anton Sr. also owned | and operated ‘one of the fastest

Continued on Page 2, This Section |

Jet

No one knows |

come and gone at the Indianapolis close shaves, slowed Wilbur down There was a definite spirit of ad-|Motor Speedway.

“All of a sudden I realized that only a foolhardy driver ever would

It came briefly May 21, when stick his neck out beyond the safety

Duke Nalon of. Beverly Hills, Cal,,| margin,” he recounts. ‘cycle at the old fairgrounds tested four General Tire Co. aero-|that you éan't be reckless and live his Miller-Offen-|jong in auto racing.” an hauser, four-cylinder racer,

rockets on

“I realized

Meyer His Mechanic |

With a foar and a burst of white! {

smoke, Duke upped his speed from Probably "it was a natural urge, an estimated 80 to 100 m. p. h. by limitations, for “Tony's” father was the state| firing a two-second, 41-pound rocket | thoroughly and driving under a ©f using a two-way radio between, . champion in high and low wheel attached to a special mount at the planned system won fourth place for| nls car and the pits when, in the ’ 1935 race, his radio said, “Come in|

rear of the car.

That formula of realizing checking

your| equipment

|“Sharp” in his first attempt eon

{pitch of the curye

Average as 500-Mile 'Peak’

By REX MAYS, National Auto Racing Champion

SOMEONE TOLD me the other day he didn't think I could be] Indianapolis winner because I had a “lead foot” ,..

an

said I drove my|

Motor Speedway 500-mile race,

THE TIME—Gates open at 7 a. m. Starting bomb sends cars away in flying

(Indianapolis time).

start at 11 a. m.

cars too hard, and. that they couldn't hold up under the beating. w gy E R E — Indianapolis Motor He might have been correct a few years back—maybe in 1934 when

I drove my first Indianapolis race.

to stay in the running ... and at

The cars are too fast for the pitch -

of the curves.

But. today you have to drive fast!

that you don't drive at peak speed

Maybe not this year, nor next , ,

While I like to keep the throttle for the weather and wrecks deter-

as close to the “floorboard” as possible,

30 I'll still be battling for that

Speedway victory — my first — after two

finishing second the last

races,

in

» » 4 MY STYLE won't be ferent than it has ever I know there’ll be more

any dif-

been.

For power

mine how fast or how slow we'll

I don’t think this style of! ride the distance + driving is a handicap, And on May

Speedway, six miles northwest of Monument Circle at Speedway. WEATHER—Cooler tomorrow. Possible thundershowers,

TRANSPORTATION—Special busshuttle trains and taxis to and from the track.

Ses,

Experience—They’ll Be Final Payoff in 500-Mile Race

Hepburn Ranks as Favorite, but Don’t Pass Up Bergere and Mays

By J. E. O'BRIEN Engine stamina and driving experience — these two

I think it’s possible to break the PRICES—General admission (ad- qualities blended in proper proportions are going to produce

117.200 miles per hour record for the 500 miles which the late Floyd Roberts established in 1938. The average might some day go up to 132 miles per hour, but at .that terrific rate I believe the Indianapolis Speedway would reach its

under the hood of my Bowes Seal Peak for the present track.

Fast Special than, the laws of centrifugal force and gravity will permit me to use, Ill be able to tramp on the throttle only about 30 seconds out of every minute. And when I get up near the peak speed, thé emngine will be “wound up” for only a short time, For example, I've hit 169 miles per hour but I've only been able to hold it for the tenth-of-a-mile at the end of the straightaway. If I raced at my car's top pace, I'd go soaring off the outside wall on the curve . . . as though I were at the controls of my P-38, n n » THESE LIMITATIONS result from the fact that the contour and JBbasn’'t been changed since the first “500” in 1911, But you can still look for faster speeds for the 500-mile average than you've seen in the past

Superchargers

Add Efficiency

Race talk of superchargers, blowers. and compressors causes many a lower jaw to sag. In consequence a simple definition should prove helpful to the uninitiated. A supercharger also is called blower or compressor, is a methani= cal device employed on high speed

cient ratio between fuel and, air drawn into the engine. . The supercharger, itself, forces only air into the engine but does so in such a manner as to make the engine perform at its maximum efficiency at all throttle settings. This action makes it possible to obtain higher speeds than would be possible otherwise,

Three-Way Radio

Chet Gardner gave up the idea

He then achieved a meteoric boost | the Indianapolis Speedway in 1927,|for oil,” and he went in . , . to find

with a four-second, 70-pound rocket, Continued on Page 2, This Section

It was quite an achievement for Continued on Page 2, This Section

»

that the message was meant for another driver using the same {ype radio, vo "4

1 0

|

| Ralph Hepburn's sensational av-

erage of 133.944 in his 10-mile qual-| ifying run this year is a forecast | of speeds to come. -No one had ever| {driven in an official run at such a|

(gait. Those who saw Ralph's sen|sational spurt could well imagine the- terrific achievement of men

and motors if they ever should at-| tain an average of 132 miles per|

hour for 500 miles 5 n » THIS YEAR marks tempt in the 500- Mile classic. The records will show that each year. I've been forced out of the “500” it has beén the result of a mechanical failure , . . something that certainly did not result’ from my “wild” driving. I'll admit I was pretty “wild” back | {in 1931 when I first started racing {I was only 18 years old then (I was [33 last March 10) and like all the

| Continued on Page 2, This Section

Hepbu rn. Mays, |

Horn Are 4 to 1 |

| Three veteran drivers - Ralph | | Hepburn, Rex Mays and Ted Horn

| —rated as co-favorites for the big |

race along Indianapolis’ betting row | today.

In unofficial odds quoted by the

town’s better-known bookies, all

tered in his wild dash for the heavy engines to maintain the most effi-| three were 4 to 1.

{ Mays is national A. A, A, champ. | Horn is driving the same Maserati | | that brought Wilbur Shaw his | third Speedway victory in 1941, | Hepburn's stock soared after he| | established a qualifying record last | | week of 133.944 m. laps. Ranking fourth in the wagering | odds is Mguri Rose, 1041's co- | champ, at 5 to 1. CIiff Bergere and George Robson are next at 6 to 1 each; A dollar is supposed to fet you eight if placed on the noses of anyone of the following pilots: Paul’ Russo, Duke Dinsmore, Harry McQuinn and Shorty Cantlon, Sam Hanks is 10 to 1, Russ Snow-

p. h. for four]

berger 12. to 1, Chet Miller 14 to’ 1.| 1 Other drives are ab higher odds,

mission to grounds only) $3, government tax included. Bleacher seats, 5000 on sale at $3. Grandstand and reserved seats all sold CROWD-—Expected to be largest in history, estimates running to as high as 200,000. THE FIELD — Thirty-three cars chosen in qualification trials, consisting of 10 miles at an average speed of 115 miles an hour or more. THE PRIZES—First 10 finishers will share $63,100 from the Speed-

the winner of tomorrow's 500-mile international automobile sweepstakes. So say the dopesters on the eve of the first post-war renewal of the race. The whole aspect of the race was changed in last Sunday's humid dusk when 50-year-old Ralph Hepburn zipped (the low-slung Novi. Governor Special to a new qualifying ‘record of 133.944 miles an hour. Nevertheless, this record run served to confirm what |had been predicted earlier—that this would be a battle of

: | . way ‘fund alone. Winner getsithe veterans of the brick and blacktop.

$20,000. These awards do pot include accessory or lap prizes. Consolation prizes of not less than $500 to each starter,

my ninth at- rgE OFFICIALS—Col, A. W. Her-|POSI

rington, chairman of the A.A. A contest board; Jack Mehan, chief steward; Harry Bennett, technical committee chairman; James H. Lamb, secretary of contest board; Chester 8S. Ricker, timer and scorer; Seth starter. SAFETY PROVISIONS—Policed by Indiana State guardsmen, city and state police and sheriff's deputies; hospital and medical facilities on the grounds; flehting equipment on grounds. RADIO BROADCAST chain, Indianapolis air parts of the race.

Klein,

the

Mutual stations

Lost, Strayed—

It happens every year, Victory field is located on W. 16th st. on the most direct route to the Speedway, It has never failed to occur yet that some apologetic patron doesn’t come to the baseball ticket office and ask for a refund on the Sunday preceding the race when the Indians are in town, “I'm sorry,” they explain to the management, “but I thought this was the Speedway.” An exasperated Dale Miller, when he was secretary of the club, once exclaimed: “How could we wind a two-and-a-half-niile track behind this fence?”

15th Race for Cliff

Cliff Bergere, .movie stunt ace, this year will be starting in the Speedway race for his 15h time, yi G " . oa :

chief |

fire- |

to

Rex Mays Has Second Best Time Hadn't 49-year-old Cliff Bergere won the coveted pole a | position with his qualifying speed of 126.471 on the opening {day of time trials? y . And hadn't Rex Mays—not so old but just as track | wise—urged the straight-eight Bowes Seal Fast racer ta the season’s second best qualifying time of 128.861? | Tomorrow's favorite naturally will be Hepburn, who ‘has traveled faster than any other man on the histotrie | halo of haste. , Some say he can cruise at about 115 for more than ‘half the race and then gun the authoritative V-8 engine for a decisive triumph. Others predict he can make his bid early and take command before the race is 10 laps old. Note Bergere's Steady Performance Bergere's backers put their faith in his ability to stay clear of the race's early congestion and then perform in his usual steady manner all the way to the checkered flag. abs Hie most. important—ls the

Rapid Rex, the speed King| usually speed is the first requisite that his first name signifies, |of a racing engine; this year it

| dopesters rashly have forecast that has always barred him from the ie car that finishes will win the

barbed-wire winner's enclosure. But| ace, Hardly true, but it empha-

he has the “oomph” under thati gies the stress being put on long, sleek hood 10. advance Bm stamina. 3 f his starting spot in quickly out o 8, Spo Will Parts Hold Up?

the sixth row and keep him in| front. | The five-year lull in automobile These three are top favorites then racing naturally kept engines idle hd basis of qualifying speed “| ay in storage, and their trainers Yet there are others with the (had more important business than know-how and potential zip to grab nursing their stabled mounts, Minor and keep the lead. Among these ailments popped up. Col otion of are Mauri Rose, the 1941 co-wihner; these slowed pre-race and Ted Horn, who has renewed his | gave the Speedway. one of its latest membership in the 100-Mile-an-| starts in history. : Hour club five times; Russ Snow-| rhe war was over, but its effects berger, Chet Miller, Harry McQuinn still could be felt. Thers were

and Louie Tomei. : scarce parts, substitute deAll of them comprise the human | g..tive parts. There's no fe how

element—only half of a winning —y x combination, The other half—ancyContinued on Page 8, This §ection

will have to overcome the hex that ®ppears-to be staying power Some