Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 May 1951 — Page 24

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A : TUESDAY; MAY 29, 1951 PAGE 8x THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES hig

Pop Myers, Speedway’s Grand Old Man Of Racing Chrysler's Pace Role Familiar | Time

But he was having trouble with’ Pop has handled nearly all the

y He s Never Too Busy the financial aspects of the busi- details at the track since that : ; g Wi ness, so he called for his secre- first race in 1911. He married #4 i : i To Lend a Hand tary. (brace Fiddall of Indianapolis in 7 3 pd ] By JIM HEYROCK “Go over to the Speedway of- 1903 She died in 1938. When the smell of burning fice,” Allison told Pop, “find your- ’ a= ° Sets Up gasoline and alcohol drifts across self a desk and take over the fi- pop HAS had a colorful, full Five Tr the Speedway grounds, you can't nancial end of this busiress.”|,. S, 8 friends number thoukeep a racing man down—espe- That was in 1910, just before the For the firs cially if the racing man is The- big speed plant was built. Hesands, Including drivers, me. tory, The Ind odore E. (Pop) Myers. has been there ever sinee. chanics, car owners and automo- va i i The Grand Old Man of the Indi- IN 1914 . Ae y g tive officials. He has traveled Seas 8 using anapolis Motor Speedway ha Rare x oe er the 500-Mile p00 several times in connec- ard ane Pi been attempting to _Shake he Race ha een "un four times, tion with auto racing in Europe or ng effects of a flu attack suffer the Speedway board of directors jnd South America. Radio Corp., last December. He has been ad- manufacturer

decided Pop was the sort of man (pe of his greatest aims at

the Speedway needed and he was the Speedway is safety. Pop has named general manager. worked on this for years and He's still general manager to- has included the encouragement day but has the additional title of developments that will make, of vice president which was for safer pleasure operation. added in 1928. Pop has always been a busy The tall, straight Pop would man. But there was never a time give me the impression, through when ne wouldn't sit down beside his appearance, that he was a a troubled driver or mechanic, banker or businessman rather put out a friendly hand and ask, than a sports promoter. $ow can I help?”

viged to stay at home and rest. But after all, it's speedway time and how could Pop rest when the air around his big white house on the. Speedway grounds is filled with the Maytime madness that is 500-Mile Race time. ” ” ” IN DECEMBER Pop had an attack of flu. He hadn't fully recovered when he was off to the Mobil Gas test run in California.

transmitting Times set up of five transn to cover the | Four repor self-contained and receiving area. There the) and crews ai to a radio cc be stationed

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tions. Railro establish con boose and loc been purchas like to keep ing on in the out on the tr:

He came down with the flu again. ree - i —— ene | _ est: Then, during the late winter when : i : A oy : high in the p the weather was first warm and Cl k Th Y 4 | SETS THE PACE—David A. Wallace, president of the Chrysler Division of Chrysler Motors Batt then cold, he caught it again. oC em ourse | ; L . ; The portabl His doctor has ordered rest and How fast are they going? | (at the wheel) and Wilbur Shaw sit in the Chrysler Pace Car as they talk with Tommy Milton, AAA BV: three Sas no work. But Pop still goes to the ? With this chart you can translate elapsed time into miles an . flashlight ce] Eheedway Qe epsh day ang 10 hour, at least within the limitations of your ability to move your chief steward of the race. range is not 1 { . as : ualifications oy Sat- eyes from speeding car to watch in hand. operation the ew ~ ite warnings from his The track Is two and one-half miles around. The mihute and A Chrysler paces the warmup waves the green starting flag, tempts to select a different car as far as 15 urday desp g f second column is set upon a basis of the time for one circuit of the jap of the 500-Mile Race this the Chrysler will pull to the in- each year on the basis of the operating cor doctor and friends. track translated into miles per hour. th time in the Side apron, past the pits, and pull manufacturer's achievements in ATIansame Although those at the Speed- min. sec. m.p.h. min. sec m.p.h TAT for the four Me tn off the track at the south end of design and progress. - he way know For Shoda be at Some 1 30 0 100 1:13.8 122 Speedway’s history. the pit area near victory lane, ———ee art Ne: instead of a e track, jOUL) sessnnsanvnrvosany ey Yan -. Several practice laps will have y © 1118.2 sennnvnnnnsenenees 12 Driving the Chrysler New York p p wouldn't seem like 500-Mile time 1:20.1 .oeeencncecneansse 101 13. MMM. J Co I on J take-off lap been made by Mr. Wallace under 10 Records for Parsons and police Ia without Pop's silver hair popping IABR. Coieiiiiiriaveies 102 BIG a atts gus ®1 = David A. Wallace, presi- the instructions of Wilbur Shaw| Johnny Parsons set 10 new ree- diana distric up around Gasoline Alley. 1298 icciisninrivannss 103 TiVTR oe 195 et 8, the Chrysler division "of Prior to the race. For there is no ords in winning the 1950 Indian- Motorola Rac Go the birth rec Pop Myers Grand old man of the Speed 1:36:53 senesnncirnnensses 1M V0 oerinianneses «ees 127 (Chrysler Motors “retake” ...the pace lap must be apolis “500,” despite the fact that The circuit ACCORDING 10 the hirth rec: : yous ne 8 Speedway: YE35:9 caesssnriccer cerns 105 1108 128 | Toding beside him will be Wil-2 perfect one, his mount was discovered to have broadcast on orde: Fa ir er es automobile industry, which then, HE WAS fast becoming a suc-| 1:24.9 ...veveeiveerseess 108 1098 ..... ceseirees cers 129 pur a president of the Speed- Chrysler first paced the “500” 2 Sgnyy cracked block just be- high fregien: him 77 years old Pop Myers how.- | called Indianapolis its head- cess fn Indianapolis but his mind| 1241 cececvnierencenses 107 1:09.2 ....... tssesessses 130 way who for many years annually Im 1026, t The er [Duisjiore Se a table me ne : Shady quarters. 1:23.48 cevsnersiisirnnese HB CL EN, de behind the pace car in one of Chevrolet. In 1333 Byron Foy, :- » weighs ever, was born in May, 1911. That Pop came to Indianapolis to| still was on the automotive in-| BEE 109 18.2 : 152 Io e be p president of Chevrolet, drove the Control Li hts is plugged inf makes Pop 40 years old. Con- Bere (dustry. A friend tipped him oft| ;. mm. ttserseseseses [00 [ihe race cars Chrysler pace car and in 1941 it 9 a. c. outlet. become associated with this new | 1218 sesesevesesssesess 110 1:07.7 ceveeenasvareceses 133 | They'll down the straight- y fusi huh? ey ll come down the straig was driven by Abe Coulture, an Control lights are so arranged ng, "Th ™ lindustry. But before he could|that James A. Allison, then lead-| 1.21.1 .,...c0vvvneeees o M0 1:07.2 coiiennecnnenesess 134 laway three abreast . .. 11 TOWS joioio) {n= Chrysler’'s design de- around the track that drivers al- C It seems Theodore Myers Was oo¢ pymgelf established, Pop found|er of the auto industry here, 120.8 ........cc000000.. 112 1:06.7 ...ccveeevesnneess 185 of growling high-powered race oh y Sign ce- ways have at least one in view to Th working at his desk in the Speed- |} geif behind the desk of a cold|needed a secretary. Pop applied 1:19.68 ..........c.ocoeee 118 108.2 ouiueiieviasaeeees 136 engines awaiting the green for hid warn them of d The portab way office shortly before the first 5 : g gr Pacing the race is a singular Warn them of danger or give trial version y. y storage firm. The aggressive,|and was hired. EIB sceniiiecsvisnesne 114 1:05.7 civeecnvsesesensee 137 the takeoff that always has the them 11-cl si 1 500-Mile Race in 1911 when an J honor for an automobile manu- them an all-clear signal. Talkie used b of lle Rac en |hard-hitting Pop soon was secre-| Allison was working with the] 31:188 .........c0000000. 115 1.05.2 ...covenevesseess. 138 impact of a tornado. facturer. As Wilbur Shaw puts it - — err Batt Indianapolis printer and racing|tary and manager of the firm, Speedway experimental grounds. | EE0 ore seessissssusnee HIE HOLY ..ooivererneisossy 139 The pace car will approach the t iz : eries will fast into the office. — — : pens - Bh EE selection of the car is “to honor For Good Luck give eight sol enthusias came Inlo e o ce, Ro \ | 1116.9 scssensseessecrses 17 Ji04:2 cose ncanssncnsasss 140 starting line, after the tense “pa- the manufacturer for his con- \ 0 8 ti He looked at the man in charge R ber | 1116.3 cevvecscanereses.. 118 1:03.8 ....ce0ueueaeenee 141 rade” lap, at about 90 miles per temporary position in the auto- Triple A champion Henry ° epee on, and saw a crop of gray show-| roy urrman emem 4% | M186 Loci 119 1082 ieee 142 hour motive. frmgrent.” Banks, driving car No. 1, has a Stler uses ing through the bushy brown] | 15.0 .eveiiiniiiniinn.s 120 1:028 ....oe00vnnvenaee 143 After crossing the staxting line In ‘“pit-wall” parlance, that high hat and rabbit emblem on . ¥ a cost. $2 | L144 ..... Gisiseisy crue I 1024 .iiievinincanseas 144 and when Starter Seth Klein means that the Speedway at- the front of his car for good luck, use them for | Riahdb cxibE bhi Mi bith — :

Be have to call you Pop, Day He Wore Mays’ Shirt

guess,” said Buzz Spring, the rac- | ing enthusiast.

It was a warm Friday, the day | “baby” Bowes, his mount for the 2-8 =n {before the first qualifications in|“500” around at an unofficial THUS THEODORE Myers be- 1950. The sun was shining bright- speed of something over 130 mph. | came Pop Myers. There are those ly as drivers and mechanics made] He was rooting through some among the racing greats and last-minute checks on their cars/of the trunks in the garage when

near-greats who don’t knowin preparation for the first speed he spotted a shirt that had be-| In in Ft. Way Pop’s real name. And much more, runs the next day. ’ [longed to the late Rex Mays, who| orders from they don't care — Pop’s good| Troy Ruttman, the handsome had been Troy's idol. Rex had | Although | enough for them. |24-year-old “All-American boy” been killed in a racing accident low-powered Pop was born in Williamsburg, of auto racing, was pacing around on the West Coast in Nov., 1949. | out a strong

cated right race cars in roaring engi broadcast cai avay as clea phone conver

Ind, (Wayne County). He re- the Bowes Seal Fast garage at ‘Can I Wear This?’ ceived most of his education in the Indianapolis Speedway with; Troy pulled out the white shirt Richmond. As a young man, he nothing special to do. Earlier with the name “Rex” embroidbecame interested in the infant that day 'Troy had taken thejered over the pocket. : A — | “Mind if I wear this?” Troy lasked Pete Clark, Bowes me-|

|chanic.

“If you want to” shrugged! ; Gy | Racing Ce | Troy scrambled out of his Black! To Passer | coveralls and put on a pair of] ) Passe

slacks and the white shirt. | He walked around Gasoline] {Alley, into the pits, Back to the |garage and finally decided to take {the Bowes out again to turn a fast lap. Tires Scream . | He went onto the track at 5:55 'p. m., five minutes before the track |closed. He took a lap, unofficially clocked at 132 mph, The next lap| he went into the south turn with| the tires screaming. They screamed louder, there

was a dull thud and Troy was on| FOR Y UND [© > | At Methodist Hospital, while

{attendants worked over the gash|

worth of aut ~few contri " passenger ca rors, stream] anti-knock f improved Iut engines, kne pistons and b

Where

Here is the Decorative and other specifications subject to change without asthe story of past

Yr. Winner ’1l1 Harroun ’'12 Dawson

|

in his head and the burns on his| '13 Goux body, the torn white shirt was| ’14 Thomas thrown over the screen at the ’15 DePalma door of the emergency room. | '16 Resta {There was a spot of blood just ’1" No race under the name “Rex.” '18 No race | It was Troy's closest call. The '19 Wilcox blood has been washed from the '20 Chevrolet ‘ragged shirt. It's a memory and '21 Milton also a reminder. Whenever he gets '22 Murphy |that wild feeling, he digs out that ’23 Milton 'torn shirt and just looks at it. 2 Boyer | ses st———————————t 2 ePaolo FROM COAST TO COAST Plane Output Held 28 Locka Dependent on Housing '28 Meyer Also Results and Pietures from Foreign Countries WASHINGTON, May 29 (UP)| 28 Keech —Plane production goals will not| ’30 Arnold be met unless Congress takes ac- 31 Schneides: MOTOR ‘tion to provide housing for air- '32 Frame craft workers, the international 33 Meyer RACING association of machinists warned 5 Cuniming today. : Je ; Union President Al J. Hayes '38 Meyer OVER wrote the House Banking Com- 31 Shaw mittee that reports from its mem- '38 Roberts ; bers say there is no-housing avail- 39 Shaw 3 000 RACING RESULTS able for aircraft plant expansion '40 Shaw I in areas of San Diego and Los] 41 Rose-Da Angeles, Marietta, Ga., and Hart-| 46 Robson . ford, Conn. '47 Rose eo Championship ® Sprint - i) 43 Rose First Car In Gets Pole SS ’49 Hollan 9 Midget . Stock In 1911, the pole position was = 50 Parsons awarded to the first car to enter Fe . Semi-Stock . Hot-Rod the “500.” From 1912 through! Best Eighi

1914, the drivers drew for posi-| 1 ’ | . | » 13 Week Tria VTE Ameices grand wy driving tl! TP IEE $1.00 a An exhilarating 120 horsepower! IE i” 8 Yours For Only ck :

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