Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1912 — DAWSON WINS BIG AUTOMOBILE RACE [ARTICLE]

DAWSON WINS BIG AUTOMOBILE RACE

Makes 500 Miles in 6:21:6, Breaking Record. TETZLAFF IN SECOND PLACE De Palma Loses Event When Almost Certain of Victory Through Breakdown of Car—No Serious Accidents. Indianapolis, Ind., May 31. —Joe Dawson, in a National car, won the 500-mlle automobile race on the Speedway. This time was six hours 21 minutes six seconds, and he averaged 78.72 miles an hour. A worldrecord for the distance on any kind of road or track. The former speedway record was 74.6 miles. Fifty thousand of the home folks and thirty thousand visitors from other cities and towns cheered the victory of the Indianapolis boy and the Indianapolis car. ©Da Palma in Hard Luck. Luck had something to do with the victory, for Ralph De Palma in a Mercedes was ten miles ahead of Dawson in the 496t1i mile. De Palma had led the parade from the tenth mile and seemed sure of victory. But automobile racing is uncertain and with the race almost in his grasp the Mercedes car developed trouble and limped at a snail pace around the track.

Meanwhile Dawson saw' his chance fbr glory and opulence and drove fast but carefully. The victory meant a fortune for the boy, as his winning brought him more than $30,000 Including the extras.' Second place with its SIO,OOO prize and some extras fell to Tetzlaff in a Fiat. Hughes Is Third. Third place was won by Hughes in a Mercer. Much glory and $7,000 goes with this position. Hughes' car was one of the lightest in the race. Fourth place was taken by a Stutz car driven by Merz. Bill Endicott won.fifth place with a Schacht, and sixth position was taken by the Fengle’s Stutz. The White car, driven by Jenkins, took seventh place. A Lozier, driven by Horan, took eighth place, just in front of a National driven by Wilcox, which was ninth, with the Knox, driven by Mulford, in tenth position. Start Is Spectacular. After a spectacular start from which twenty-four cars emerged from a cloud of smoke, which for a minute hid the entire group of Jockeying drivers from view, the race was on. For a few seconds and for the only time in the contest Anderson, in the Stutz, held the lead on the second lap. Tetzloff, in the Flat, secured a fragment of glory by pushing to the front of the “race of lightning bugs.” On the fourth lap, or in the tenth mile, Ralph De Palma in his Mercedes dashed to the front and converted the race into a parade by maintaining the lead to the 496th mile, when to accomplish this feat De Palma was required to establish a world-breaking and heart-breaking pace of better than 80 miles an hour for almost the entire race. Speed Is Terrific. Some idea of the speed of the Mercedes may be understood from the fact that the first hour’s riding established a record of eighty-two and sev-en-tenths miles. Bruce Brown, in a National, who had been a favorite in the betting, withdrew from the race at the 50-mlle mark owing to gasoline trouble. From this point on the real Interest in the race was Inspired by the nerve racking contest for second place between Dawson’s National and Tetzlaff’s Flat. At the half Bragg replaced Tetzlaff and made the race still more furious. Meanwhile “Bob” Burman in the Cutting had been creeping up from a rear position, passing one after another at lightning speed, Burman worked his way into fourth position With still somethlag better in sight when his car turned turtle at the opening of the back stretch. No Serious Accidents. Excitement in the crowded stands was Intense until the official announcement was made that ■ neither Burman nor his mechanician, had been injured. The accident to Burman was the only serious incident of the race, although hearts, and bank accounts were strained by accidents to many cars in th© race.