Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 29 May 1952 — Page 22

A LOT OF men have "racing blood” in their veins and many have done great things for speed 1 but few have done as mich as “Augie” Duesenberg.

This r .the stooped, whitehaired wborg expects to be in the stands to see his 35th 500-

Mile Race. There won't be any Duesenberg cars on the bricks this year, But not too long ago the 8cylinder cars were the machines to beat. They took top honors in 1924, 1925 and 1927. And until 1938, they were a eon stant threat.

= » » PRODUCTS of the designing genius of Augie and his brother Fred, the Duesenberg race cars were in the “500” field every year from 1913 until 1933. * “Our cars were always up in the money, too,” Duesenberg recalls. "A Duesenberg car was the only American entry evér to win the “grandfather” of all Furopean road racing, the Grand Prix at LeMans, France. ; Jimmy Murphy paced the field § at LeMans, nearly lapping the 4 field. The LeMans lap was 11 miles. Augie says his car won at LeMans because of its four-wheel hydraulic brakes and dates the popularity of the hydraulic system from then,

. w » MURPHY WON the 1922 “500" in a Duesenberg car with a Miller motor, Seven Duesenberg cars placed in the first 10 finishers that year and Murphy told him, Augie says, “Actually seven and § a half.” Augie was the racing expert of the Duesenberg team and stayed in it, in one form or | another, until 1938. The Duesenberg Brothers auto firm became part of the Auburn Motor Co. in 1926 although the brothers stayed active in the company. The last of the Duesenberg passenger cars, the Model J, came off the assembly lines in Indian~ apolis in 1936. More than 500 of them were built, and more than 300 are still running, Augie says.

» » ” IN 1988 AUGIE went to the Cord plant in Elwood where he prepared a “24-hour” ear for Ab Jenkins who was holding marathon runs on the salt flais of Utah. ’ Augie opened his own shop | in Indianapolis in 19390 and specialized in race car work until World War II when he built parts for the war effort. | Five years ago he moved to a farm south of Valley Mills, about 15 miles from Indianapolis.

- » » HE LIVES there with his wife, supervising farming and still doing experimental machine shop work for Allison Division of General Motors and some of the major automobile firma, Parked in his garage is a Duesenberg roadster built in 1926. It has a custom body built by Schutte and with a few minor repairs, still is usuable. “It has 100,000 on it and probably is good for another 100,000,” Augie says.

” ” » IF THE CAR'S straight-8 engine isn't in running shape, Augie might replace it with a $00-horse-| | power aviation engine which sits/ |

next to it. | B

. rv » » i The V-168 motor is one of four | built by Duesenbergs in 1018 ay . for military airplane use. | 4500; piston displacement, 271 Augie has no favorites in this' . | year's “500,” but he says he wil First Solo Victory be there waiting for the winne: pg 150 Floyd Roberts won the

to roll into Victor ne. | perhaps dreaming of the days 500-mile classic in 1038, the firs

when the day's fastest car was a year the race did not have riding Duesenberg Special? mechanics.

Pit Crews Help Hold Key to Victory Lane

ALL THE drama of the 500-Mile Race isn't on the race track. People scream as a juggernaut of speed passes another

streamlined dandy on the home stretch . , . or as a “dark-|

horse” (whom no one has even] thought about) crosses the finish|a 30-plus gallon tank for fuel line a winner of the world’s won't start this year's race with greatest auto race. {it full, There probably are othEnthusiastic fans push and ers, too. The idea being, that shove to get the autograph of the they've gauged their fuel with guy who has driven the car 500 anticipated wear on tires, and miles. Folks Invite him to dinner, [other circumstances. So, if they! and those who traveled hundreds don’t fill the tank all the way up, of miles—yes, thousands of miles when the driver has to come in —~to see the race, go back home|for fuel he'll need tires, too. A and proudly tell neighbors that full tank at the start would mean they even talked with one of the a slower speed. So they lighten drivers. the tank, increase the gait. To get to the driver, many | Maybe a driver has hiz own times they brush “awkwardly,” ideas of how to drive the race. past the little guy in the 'But the signal board held up by greased overalls. [the pit crew is the final word for

a. .8 8 {what the driver is to do. If the THAT “LITTLE GUY” might, 0,4 reads “come in” (in the!

“ " be Ne fain in the Phas own special signals), that! to NE , ee who added driver better come in. That's the on hig as Say unwritten law of the roaring extra something to make vic-\.,3q Drivers have been known!

tory possible. | The drivers, ‘winners ot|t® ignore signals from the pits.

past 500-Mile races, many times) But they didn't last long in admit they're grateful to the men |PI8 league racing. in the pits. — Ask any of the drivers and HH of Pole Positions ° “Without a smart pit crew, the! In 1911, the pole was awarded best driver is far from victory.” [to the first car to enter the 500For many reasons. The driver [Mile Race, From 1912 through can’t count laps in 200 grueling 1914, the drivers drew for the rounds of the track--500 miles [pole position regardless of what of blistering competition. The [day they qualified, In 1919 the driver hasn't time to work out pole went to the fastest car qualthe strategy of the big rade. He fying on opening day. helps, many times. But he |

trusts much of the job to his For Good Luck:

pit crew. g 8» | Triple, A champion of 1051, Ey TELL Him via the Si- Henry Banks, driving car No. 1, Haar ou ser them hold high nag a high hat and rabbit em-| ap after lap—when to come Inipjem on the front of his car for for fuel, how he's progressing in|good luck. f the race, how he stacks up - : against the competition. Not that the driver can’t

id a 3s MANUEL AYULO—No, 8,

BOB SCOTT—No. 93, Morris $ piston displacement, 270 cu. in, Qualified

' / Coast Grain Special; d.cylin er Meyer-Drake; bore, 43125; stroke, 4.625; piston displacement, 270 cu. in. Qualified 135.982.

"CLIFF GRIFFITH—No, 22, Sarsfoff Special:

ial; 4-cylinder ed 133.953.

cas

»ii

NO, i

I18-YEAR.OLD-BEAUTY—Here is a fine example of the work turned but by the Duesenber brothers. This is a 1934 Duesenberg touring car, Because of its extreme beauty it has been or | in the Third Annual Indianapolis Custom Car Show now in progress at the Manufacturers Build. | ing, State Fair Grounds. This show, directed by Ralph Potter a a part of the pre-'500" picture in Indianapolis,

Meyer-Drake; bore, 43125; stroke, 4,625;

dcylinder Meyer-Drake; bore, 3.3125; cu. in, Qualified 136.617.

ow_Tost ie Ome thet Bont all Comors.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

Duesenberg a Great Contributor to Racing

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THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1052

11,4Y.

Standard equipment, accenories, and trim ustrated are subject to changa without notices White side-wall tires optional at extre cosh

THURSE

Lee

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. drive so bad

He's been ex: way medical given the ol

ness to drive 4

LONG AG plan of drivi said he reali the terrific 1} « « » he’s not He still faces returning to tional skin g 37 skin graf If you've Vv lationship of toward Lee \ at all surpri: to “give Le token of resy with the big Tony Bet tional cham carry No. 1 his esteem f insisted on the car he this year . carried to ° off the tear “99” in qu Others of

. and fans, to

“helping ha back . . .

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300 Mile If all the

grandstands they would