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The Automobile Journal, Vol. LXIX (69), No. 2, May 1922
Who Wins?
Indianapolis Speedway Again the Cynosure of All Eyes as Speed Demons of Two Continents Prepare for Tenth Annual Battle.
(By STEVE HANNAGAN.)
WHEN starter Eddie Rickenbacker waves his red starting flag from his lofty perch on the bridge across the barrier for the flying wedge of drivers on the first lap of the Tenth International 500-mile race Tuesday, May 30, the eyes of the entire civilized world will turn to Indianapolis, the home of the world’s most successful race course, as well as the NO. 9. greatest racing plant in the universe. It will be a race to the finish with the crack drivers of two rival continents battling for a motoring supremacy which Europe holds by a score of five to four in nine years of Inter- national competition on the great 2-1-2-mile-bowl of bricks at Indianapolis, but which America hopes to even up with a third consecutive, complete Yankee win.
IT IS authentically estimated that 150,000 people will watch the race from the grandstands, which loom up like giants along the home straightaway, stretching around the first turn and from the infield where 10,000 automobiles and a smattering of airplanes will be parked.
Indiana makes it a gala event that would put the Roman Holiday of yester age, with its chariot-race thrown in, to shame for being a county fair hippodrome affair.
„It will be the greatest race ever.“ If the speedway press agent made that remark it would be branded as out and out publicity, but that is the comment of the famous drivers themselves. Their preparation makes it evident that it will be the race of the century, with speed and thrills enough to last an entire year.
Drivers are switching cars with a reckless abandon that indicates they mean important business in the coming event. They are attempting to get the fastest creations and are in the market for every possible advantage before rolling to the tape. It is predicted that more cunning and strategy will be exercised in the May drive than ever before – this, because several of the better cars will lack an advantage of super-speed over other mounts and it will be up to the drivers themselves to supply the gray matter necessary to bring the lifeless mechanical steeds prancing across the finish wire to victory. Wits, courage and daring will, undoubtedly, play a leading role. Heroes will be made and stars crushed, for the goddess of speed pays no patronage to the heavy-hearted, light-footed sons of racing.
Hearne Out to Win.
EDDIE HEARNE, the battle-scarred youthful veteran of more speed duels than the average high school student of today can count will drive car No. 1, the Californian being the first to enter, with his Disteel-Duesenberg.
Chevrolet Enters Six Cars.
LOUIS CHEVROLET, who with his right-hand bower, C. W. Van Ranst, engineer, designed and built the two cars which have won the past 500-mile encounters, has entered six Frontenacs in a most determined effort to annex the honors for a third consecutive time. He has named as his pilots Roscoe Sarles, who is jumping the Duesenberg outfit to return to his first loves – Chevrolet and the Frontenacs, and who is considered the ace of the Frontenac team because of his sensational rise to the top of racing with a heavy foot and a bag of driving tricks.
Ralph Mulford, the smiling parson, who has driven in every 500-mile dash; E. G. „Cannonball“ Baker, who has made 52 transcontinental record breaking tours and who is now riding a motorcycle from Los Angeles to New York City to get in trim for the long Indianapolis grind; Peter De Paolo, nephew of Ralph De Palma, who is out to beat his illustrious uncle at his own game, and Art Klein, familiar for years in racing – that makes five, and the sixth probably won’t be named until the start of the race. Chevrolet will have several relief drivers, and he is leaving one car open for the man who will show the most aptitude between now and race time. It is known he is casting well defined glances on certain dirt track speeder who has come into great prominence, but who has never appeared in an Indianapolis drive.
Here’s Your Chance to Pick the Winning Driver
OFFICIAL ENTRY LIST INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY’S TΕΝΤΗ ΑNNUAL 500-MILE INTERNATIONAL SWEEPSTAKES, TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1922.
Car Driver Entrant
Disteel Duesenberg Eddie Hearne Disteel Flyers, Inc.
Frontenac Roscoe Sarles Louis Chevrolet
Frontenac E. G. „Cannonball“ Baker Louis Chevrolet
Frontenac Peter DePaolo Louis Chevrolet
Frontenac Art Klein Louis Chevrolet
Frontenac Ralph Mulford Louis Chevrolet
Frontenac Unnamed Louis Chevrolet
Not Named Tommy Milton Tommy Milton
Leach Special Frank Elliott Ira Vail
Frontenac Unnamed Mrs. Mae Harvey
Duesenberg Harry Hartz Harry Hartz
Ballot Jules Goux Jules Goux
Ballot Not Named Jules Goux
Peugeot Howard S. Wilcox Howard S. Wilcox
Duesenberg Wallace Reid Wallace Reid
Duesenberg Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma
Fronty Ford Jack Curtner Jack Curtner
Fronty Ford C. Glenn Howard Chevrolet Bros. Co.
Duesenberg I. P. Fetterman I. P. Fetterman
Bentley W. Douglas Hawkes W. Douglas Hawkes
Duesenberg Jules Ellingboe Jules Ellingboe
Duesenberg Jerry Wonderlich Jerry Wonderlich
Monroe Wilbur D’Alene Monroe Motors Co.
Monroe Tom Alley Monroe Motors Co.
Monroe Lora L. Corum Monroe Motors Co.
D’Wehr Frank Davidson Frank Davidson
Duesenberg Joe Thomas Joe Thomas
Duesenberg Unnamed O. A. Hoffman
Bentz Special Wm. H. Gardner Wm. H. Gardner
Mystery Car No Name …………
Durant Special R. C. Durant R. C. Durant
No Name James Murphy James Murphy
Goux to Be Reckoned With.
JULES GOUX, the Frenchman, is bringing Ballots over the big drink in an attempt to stem the American victories. Goux is the first of the foreign invaders who won at Indianapolis, breaking up the two straight Yankee wins by his victory in a Peugeot in 1913 and starting a string of foreign wins that lasted until 1920, when the late Gaston Chevrolet won in an American car. Goux has not named the driver for the second Ballot, although it is confidently expected that he will choose a Yank, as he did in 1919, when Howdy Wilcox, an Indianapolis driver, went across the tape first for the Peugeot team, of which Goux was then captain.
It is said Goux tried to get Wilcox to drive with him again this year, but Wilcox is satisfied with the Peugeot he has entered and which he has been tuning up for months. He hopes to repeat his performance of 1919, for after two years of dropping out early in the race because of mechanical troubles, he says „If the car isn’t in good shape to go 500 fast miles, I’ll never take it out of the garage race day.“
De Palma Has Duesenberg Mount.
JUST what Goux will be able to do with the French Ballots will be watched with interest, for it is the car the famous Ralph De Palma rode for two years without any bragging success, only to discard a few weeks ago in preference for a Duesenberg, which he will drive at Indianapolis.
The Duesenberg’s have never finished higher than second at Indianapolis and it was Roscoe Sarles, who has just switched to Frontenac, who accomplished that feat. But they are making a strenuous effort to grab the event this year and their belief is that if they can let De Palma hop the car up a few miles an hour faster than the other jobs, as he has always done with his cars, without sacrificing any of the endurance capabilities of the car as demonstrated in Sarles‘ drive and Jimmy Murphy’s grand prix victory in France last July, that the „hard luck“ Italian pilot can ride in a winner.
Wally Reid, a movie star, has legitimately contracted with the Duesenberg’s for a car to drive. He has obtained his Three A driver’s license and badge and has officially placed his entry and entrance fee with the speedway management. He has driven with the various drivers while appearing as the hero in several moving picture races which has been written into his scenarios.
Tommy Milton After Win.
TOMMY MILTON, world’s speed king, 1921 A. A. А. points championship leader, winner of last year’s classic and possessor of a score of other titles and monickers, will again drive. He has selected his car, and it is now being built on the coast. However, he has not yet named it and probably won’t until a few days before the race. It is said to be a duplicate of the motor he has been winning with so consistently on the Pacific coast during the winter racing season.
Will Jimmy Murphy Show ‚Em?
JIMMY MURPHY is jumping the Duesenberg outfit with which he has been identified so long to drive a new car, also to be propelled by a coast-built motor. He will not divulge the name of the car, but advance information is that the popular young driver will have it plenty fast.
Harry Hartz, a youngster with but four races to his driving credit, but who distinguished himself as a comer by winning the 150-mile Easter day event at San Carlos, Cal., from Murphy, Searles, Klein and other stars, will make his first start at Indianapolis, at the wheel of a Duesenberg.
Jules Ellingbee, third last year in a Frontenac, has gone with the Duesenberg’s, and Joe Thomas, I. P. Fetterman and Jerry Wonderlick will also drive Duesenberg’s. But there will be no semblance of team management. Every driver is out for himself.
Ira Vail will drive a mystery car, while Jack Curtner and C. Glenn Howard will drive Fronty-Fords equipped with wireless telephones for messages from pit to cars.
Milton’s Career.
Tommy Milton, the winner of this year’s Indianapolis 500-mile race, claims St. Paul as his home, and has a very successful past in the racing game. He is hailed as „The World’s Speed King,“ having, according to records of the American Automobile association, driven a Duesenberg on the straightaway at Dayton, Fla., April 27, 1920, at the speed of 159.4 miles an hour. He also holds the world’s records on straightaways for half mile, one kilometer and one, two, four and five miles. In last year’s 500-mile race at Indianapolis he finished third in a Duesenberg. In the 225-mile race at Uniontown with the same car he was first.
In 1919 the American Automobile Association A.A.A. did not announce any official champion. However, Milton was given this honor unofficially on account of his consistent driving. Milton started driving on dirt tracks several years ago and carried off all the laurels in every race of any importance at that time and during the last few years while on the Duesenberg team he has always finished in the money in the big sweepstake races.
Photo captions.
Page 5. Who Wins? – May 30th Tells the Story.
Page 7. 1. Howard Wilcox. 2. Roscoe Sarles. Hearne. 3. Ralph DePalma. 4. Peter De Paolo. 5. Tommy Milton. 6. Jules Goux. S. E. G. „Cannonball“ Baker – A Few of the Possible Winners.
