INDIANAPOLIS 500.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 203, 28 August 1934, Page 14

INDIANAPOLIS 500.

WINNER BREAKS RECORD.

SPEED OF 104.565 M.P.H.

v MANY CARS CRASH.

A new record speed for the Indianapolis 500-mile race was set up by Bill Cummings, the winner of this, the greatest classic event in America, at 104.805 m.p.h. The fuel restriction regulation, which only allowed each car to consume up to 4iS gallons for the entire race, was also vindicated, for Cummings finished up with a surplus of three gallons in his tank and not one competitor ran out of fuel.

Cummings drove a front-drive fourcylinder Miller-engined Boyle Products Special, beating the record speed established last year by only 0.7 m.p.h. The speeds would undoubtedly have been higher but for the numerous accidents which took place in the early stages of the race, in consequence' of which the pace was slowed down by the officials. Up to tho half-way mark the average wae well below the 1933 figure. Big Crowd of Spectators.

The race took place on Decoration Day, J [arch 30, over the celebrated rectangular 2J-mile brick-surfaced speedway at Indianapolis. Over 145,000 spectators watched. It was a great day for the four-cylinder-engined cars, which (all powered by Miller units) took the first four places and two others.

Second man home was Mauri Rose, who drove the Leon Duray Special (similarly placed last year, but piloted by Wilbur Shaw). Third was Lou Moore, driving the Foreman Axle Special car that he recently took to Europe and then to Tripoli for the Grand Prix, without meeting with much success there, the brakes on the car not being up to tho nature of the circuit. Lou Moore finished third in the 1933 Indianapolis.

After a terrific struggle fourth place was taken by A. B. Deaconnlitz (Stockley Special), whilst Joe Russo piloted his Duesenberg Eight into fifth position, being the first man to register below 100 m.p.h.; his actual speed was 99.895 m.p.h. . . .

The eixth man to finlbn was Al Miller with the Shafer Eight (Buick power plant), while seventh prize went to Cliff Bergere (Floating Power Special with Miller Four engine); next came Russel Snowberger's Studebaker-powereJ Eight, then Frank Brisko's f.w.d. (also Miller powered) and Herbert Ardinger's Graham-engined Lucenti won tenth place.

The first ten drivers netted between them something like 100,000 dollars, of which 50,000 are given in the grand prize fund, the remainder constituting special lap and accessory prizes.

The lap awarde were divided rather evenly between Cummings, Mauri Rose and Frank Brisko, who led for the first 100 miles.

Struggle for Leading Positions. The early stages of the race were marked by the keen contests for first two places, the leaders reeling off lap after lap in closest company. They all had pit stope, however, occasioned by the fuel limit and the 15-gallon tanks, which had to be used. This tank size rule was introduced last year to enforce at least three calls at the pits so that the technical committee had a chance of making a chassis inspection, search for oil leaks and eo on, the latter having caused accidents in the past owing to the lubricant dropping on to the brickbuilt track.

Qualifying Trials. Very high speeds were recorded in the qualifying trials held a few days before the race, in which the cars had to prove their ability to lap at over 100 m.ph. for ten laps on an allowance of only three gallons of petrol for the 25 miles, plus five miles of starting and stopping. Their performances governed their positions on the starting line. Kelley Petillo, with a four-cylinder Millerengined Lion Head Special, won the pole position, with ten laps at 119.325 m.p.h.; next came Wilbur Shaw, with a similar car but equipped with an eightcylinder Miller motor, his record for the ten laps being 117.647 m.p.h. He had no fuel left after the test, but just qualified. The next highest qualifying epeed was made by Frank Brisko with a four-wheel-drive car, at 116.894 m.p.h. All are wonderful speeds for the Indianapolis track, which is both difficult and dangerous. What is more, experts dared not anticipate anything much faster than 113 m.p.h. to 115 m.p.h. in view of the small fuel allowance made.

There were many accidents soon after tho race had started, but, although several cars hurtled over the walls, no one was seriously injured. George Bailey suffered a broken wrist when his car leaped the wall, diet Miller and mechanic escaped unhurt when their machine skidded, somersaulted and then shot over a wall. These were some of the incidents which caused the officials to slow down the pace. The only fatalities occurred in praqtice, when Peter Kreis and his mechanic were killed.