During qualifying for Sunday’s 500 miles, Pete DePaolo crahed heavily, sending him directly to the hospital. This aarticle describes how courtuous his other competitors were as „these Lindberghs of the Track“, as they are called here, supported him in more than one way. And that in a firece competition. Could this be transferred to today?
Text and jpegs by courtesy of hathitrust.org www.hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracinghistory.com
Motor Age, Vol. LIII, 53, No. 24, June 14, 1928
The Milk of Human Kindness
Flowed Freely Among Race Drivers When Pete DePaolo Smashed Up Just Before the Indianapolis Classic
By C. Edward Packere
ΟUT of the heavy fumes of seared castor oil and rising louder than the roar of many racing engines comes the story of what men will do for each other in times of need.
On Saturday, May 26, just as the sun was setting, Pete DePaolo, the feared, loved, and respected race driver, appeared on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the purpose of qualifying his mount for the Decoration Day Race.
His car was a front wheel drive Miller Special. Because of DePaolo’s sales work with Reo products on the Pacific Coast he had requested and received permission to call his car the Flying Cloud Special. No part of the car was from the Reo organization, but the name was one which DePaolo said he would be proud to carry. The car carried the number 1.
But fate was not kind with DePaolo this year. In 1925 he had won the 500-mile race at an average speed of 101.13 miles an hour – but this year he was not to enter.
Speeding into the northeast turn from a furious dash down the backstretch, Pete for that is what all the boys call him – went out of control.
Sliding sideways at more than one hundred miles an hour he covered fully one-eighth of a mile. Then the front of the car struck the inner retaining wall. There was but a dull thud as the impact put his front drive mechanism out of commission.
But like lightning the car turned turtle. On its back with Pete still in it, it slid up the incline to the upper guard rail. The impact here was so violent and the angle at which it struck such that the car bounced back nearly to the lower guard rail.
But this time it rolled over and over. DePaolo was finally thrown clear of the car and slid fully 50 feet along the rough bricks.
While saving his face as best he could he badly skinned his elbow. In fact, wherever his body was not skinned it was badly bruised. He arose and walked in a circle in a dazed condition.
Fortunately, the ambulance crew was quickly on the scene and some good and quick work at the hospital relieved Pete considerably.
This happened Saturday and when I visited him Monday it was evident that while he was recovering nicely, he could not be in the race.
Immediately after the accident, flowers began arriving at the hospital for Pete. They were from every driver against whom he had figured on competing on Decoration Day.
However, the sending of flowers was but the surface expression of a deep regard – yes, an affection for a clean sport, though dangerous competitor.
The real spirit that prevails among these Lindberghs of the Track was seen when practically to a man they volunteered their services to put into condition the wrecked car. That this offer might mean the loss of dollars and possibly life itself, from attempting to keep up with it – for it was a fast car- proved the deep sincerity of the offer and the true sportsmanship of the offerers.
Obviously, it was impossible to take advantage of all the offers, so this is what was done.
F. E. Moskovics had offered all the facilities of the Stutz organization. However, Reilly Brett, mechanic, and Anthony Gulotta, driver of the Stutz Special (a rear drive Miller) gave their only spare steering parts to repair Pete’s car.
Wreck No. 1 was taken to the shop of Louis Chevrolet and torn down. Tommy Milton loaned his man, Myron Stevens, who was constructing a body for the Detroit Special, in order to put the wrecked and torn body and radiator in condition. That Stevens did his work well is seen from the fact that observers from the stands would have been unable to tell that the car had ever been wrecked.
As the body was being repaired, mechanics were busy on the chassis. The engine had escaped unhurt, but other than that, little was fit for use.
The Merz Engineering Co. of Indianapolis seemed crowded to capacity with work definitely promised for other race cars. Despite that, and without breaking any delivery promises on the other jobs, much special work was done for DePaolo’s car.
Among the items handled were the making of a new rear axle, new hub, front spring brackets, and several other parts. In addition, they straightened the frame and a universal joint shaft.
The car was finally completed Tuesday, May 29, at midnight. Just at dawn on the day of the race, while the track was yet wet with dew, the car was qualified. Wilbur Shaw put it through its four qualifying laps at a little over 100 miles an hour.
This landed it in a bad starting position far in the rear.
DePaolo had recovered sufficiently so that he was able to be present in the press pagoda. He was brought in in his wheelchair by hospital attendants who gently placed him where he could see the start of the race.
With a fond glance he saw his Flying Cloud come into position and whirl off. at the start.
As No. 1 steadily improved its position, Pete smiled faintly. But I think he was smiling to think what real men those were driving out there and working in the pits. And what real friends.
That mechanical trouble in the supercharger – possibly aggravated by the accident – put the car out of the race in its 42nd lap is not important to this story.
What is important is the fact that in this automotive business one man will help another to the extent just told about.
All too frequently we find a strangling competition right within one organization. The service department is all for the service department. The sales department can see only the importance of the sales department.
But it is this increasing ability to be able to think of the other fellow and to be liberally helpful that is going to mean more and more to this business as years go by.