Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1920 — INDIANAPOLIS CAR AND DRIVER [ARTICLE]

INDIANAPOLIS CAR AND DRIVER

Won Big Auto Race Monday at Average Speed of 88.16 Miles. It is estimated that 120,000 people, 10,000 more than ever before, witnessed the eighth International motor race in Indianapolis Monday. Perfect weather and the fact that it was a holiday following Sunday brofight out an Immense crowd. Gaston Chevrolet, an Indianapolis boy, driving an Indianapolis built car, a Monroe, won first over a field of twenty-two other competitors. He averaged 88.16 miles an hour and made 200 complete laps of 5:40:15:14, setting up the second highest record ever made on this track. Rene Thomas, who won the 1914 sweepstakes prize here, finished second in a Ballot, making an average of 87.45 miles an hour. Tommy Milton, who holds the world’s record for straightaway driving, thundered into third place in a Duesenberg, with an average of 86.52 miles an hour, and his teammate, Jimmy Murphy, brought another Duesenberg Into fourth place with an average of 86.52 miles an hour. Fifth place fell to Ralph DePalma, who failed to get away from the fateful jinx that seems to pursue him on every track. DePalma, who was two laps ahead of Chevrolet on the one hundred and eighty-seventh lap, ran out of gasoline as he was coming into the home stretch. His mechanician, Ralph DePaolo, ran a half niilo to the pits and returned with a can of gasoline and the Ballot was again placed in the race. The intrepid driver was cheered as he re-entered the contest, but on the south stretch he again came to grief when his machine caught on fire. The blaze was extinguished and DePalma sent the car Into the grind again. He drove furiously then and, although far behind the field, he slipped Into fifth place. There were no serious accidents on the grounds either among the drivers of the racing cars or In handling the crowds. There were ten regular prizes, aggregating $50,000 and lap prizes of about $25,000. Car No. 4, Monroe, Gaston Chevrelet driver, won first money, $20,000, with lap prizes of $1,300; Rene Thomas, Car No. 25, Ballot, 2d, SIO,OOO, lap prizes $700; Car No. 10, Tommy Milton, Duesenberg, 3d, $5,000; Car No. 12, Jimmie Murphy, Duesenberg, $3,500; Car No. 2, Ralph DePalma, Ballot, $3,000, and $8,300 lap prizes; Car No. 31, Eddie Hearne, Duesenberg, $2,200; Car No. 26, Gene Chassagne, Ballot, SI,BOO, and S7OO lap prize; Car No. 28, Joe Thomas, Monroe, $1,600; Car No. 33, Ralph Mulford, Mulford Special, $1,500; Car No. 15, Tom Alley, Revere, $1,400. Joe Boyer, in Car No. 6, Frontenac, ana Art Klein, in Car No. 8, also a Frontenac, failed to finish but won lap prizes of $9,500 and SIOO, respectively.