The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 33

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 1956- THE INDIANAPOLIS STAK PAGE 9 For Cold And Cilory 4500' Is Huge Broadcast Job Bob Sweikert's Popular Victory, Heroism, Tragedy Marked '55 Race HI Art Keller came out of the turn, steered for the Infield anil skidded BOJ d. Vuky and Ed Elitian came up behind. Vuk) 10 the right and rear of Boyd'l right rear wheel. Boyd and Vuky aimed left, inside, to clear the opening of roughly SO feet behind Boyd'a car. Vuky was about to pass I iov d.

i MSaT' 1 sdt Cross staved ahead until his car threw a connecting; rod and Hon Freeland tool over But within two lap Sweikert regained his lead on the 160th and held It. THE I70TH. Cai Niday smacked the wall at the northwest turn and his burning car careened Into the Infield) stopping upside down, Critical injuries and burns sent Niday to the hospital Traged) seemed to have run out of ammunition after the Niday crash and the rac settled down. Sweikert staying out In front With lb laps to go, Sweikert Witched to Ins reserve gasoline tank He was getting dangerously low on fuel. With in laps to go, Tony Bettenhauien who'd run In eight races and was still trying to finish one moved Into second place hen Pat O'Connor made pit slop.

AT THE FINISH It was Sweikert, with llclleiihnusen second. Jimmy David third, Johnny Thomson fourth, Walt Faulkner fifth, Andy Linden sixth Al Herman seventh. But O'Connor eighth, Jimmy DayJ wall ninth and Pal Flaherty 10th. The 29 year old Inner'! average speed was 128.209) mph good considering the long caution period, but the ilnwesl since 1951, Hi elapsed tune was three hours, 53 minutes, 59.53 seconds. Back In the fifth row waa Bob Sweikert of Speedway, who before the race had said "It'll be a cold day In May before 1 in It happened, this particular morning was old and ladj Mclirath, in the fastest car, grabbed the lend on the turn but in the fourth lap, X'ukv starting from fifth spot in his Hopkins Special shot ahead and showed he meant to stay there The duel was on.

On the MrCrath nosed ahead once more, but for only one lap. He jetted pait the flash I rom Fresno again the 85th, but Vuky showed Jack his exhaust on the next lap and to make things sure, shot out in front the REST of the field fought to keep pace. At 40 laps it was Vuky. McGrath, Sweikcr', Hanks. Bryan, Agabashian, Bettenhnusen, Cross, Faulkner and Hoyt and the average speed was L36.894 Vuky's white shirt was whipping in the brisk wind.

Most the other driven were wearing jackets It was just nbont noun when the two-year champ from Fresno, still leading, went Into his 57th lap As he WOUnd out of the southeast turn he came on one of thoat nerve hanging light! that only "500" racers know. the control center In the pagoda, and the plu -by-play of the mishap was going out, before Buttman was out of his pln and headed for the pits. While tMI winner wan having his car serviced, another announcer was Just a few feet away describing that action. And so It will today. Five years ago the mere Idea of a font --and-one-half hour broadcast mnde radio men shudder The thought was that reams of fill material would have to be prepared to keep the thing going.

The actual experience has been that it Is difficult to describe the 500 Mile Mace in that time You couldn't tell everything, If you had nine hours. THE ORIGINAL Idea for this broadcast came from Gil Berry, general manager of Radio Station WIBC, and he has been primarily responsible for the growth to its present stains. As director of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network, it is Berry's responsibility to contact nil of the stations, furnish cue sheets and promotional material, arrange for the braodcait lines and take care of many other details. Another first was scored by this network four vears ago when all five Indianapolis radio stations participated In the program Hnd sent It out on their frequencies, Never before has an entire city been blanketed bv radio with a single sporting event. The staff for the network comes from all five stations.

TODAY THAT st.fr will have Bill Froseh, WISH, on top of a grandstand in the south turn; Btrnie Herman, WIRE, at the golf bridge on the backstrctch; Jim Shelton, WIBC at track level on the north turn; dreg Smith, WXLW, and Luke Walton in the pits; Boh Rhodes, WFBM, in the garage area and Sid Collins, WIBC, and this reporter in the pagoda. Bill Dean, WIBC program director, will produce the Incidentally, if the above mentioned "stew" boils over and the announcer can't escape, the author of tins account will be changed next year. By CHARLES BROCK MAN WIRE Sports Director Picture a wire enclosure about 20 feet square. Fill it with the following ingredients; 20 Excited sun-burned individ-uals, 25 photographers, one beautiful movie atar, five or six hilarious mechanics, one race car, one king-sied trophy, one exhausted race driver and one radio broadcaster. Stir well This ought to do right nicely as a recipe for "pandemonium stew" which will be on the menu this afternoon at approximately 2:30 o'clock at the Indiana polls Motor Speedway.

SOMEWHERE In the middle of this teeming caldron will be an innocent looking microphone, which is the starting point for the transmission of the effects of this mixture to more than interested gourmets scattered all over the world. Tlil-t, In ruse you haven't Jrea4y fueased. Is description of the climax of the 40th Annual International the ADD-Mile Race. Also It Is the closing of one of the most challenging raillo broadcast ever attempted, over the largest single da) network In the world. For the fifth straight year, the Indianapolis Motor Speed way Network, consisting of more than 280 station! from coast-to-coast and the Armed Forces stations overseas, will he in business at 10:49 this morning.

Eight announcers stationed at strategic points around the 2'a mile oval will describe the action for racing fans everywhere. From start to finish, for four and a half hours, little that happens today will not be in view of a broadcaster. THE CELEBRATION in Victory Lane Will mark five years of experience in covering the biggest beat in the world. From a modest start of 26 stations in 1952. the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network has grown to its present size.

An elaborate engineering arrangement makes It possible to switch to the scene of action in a matter of seconds. One year, for example, Troy Ruttman spun In the north turn. Instantly a request for attention was sent from the announcer at that spot to Smart cryita gazers hung up their "out to lunch" signs when the 33 slatting cars thundered onto the southwest turn for Ihe first lap of the 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Inside dopcsteis said it Was "anybody'i race" and then clammed up. Qualifications had been a strange affair. Speeds ranged from Jack Mc-Grath's whopping L42.580 mph to the leisurely 134.113 of John Thompson a difference of eight miles an hour.

on RACK I) House Thai Speeil limit BT THERE was promise of speed duels. Wild Bill Vu- kovich, the cigar-chomping, 36-year-old leadfool from Fresno, Cal was out to repeat lus 1953-S4 wyas. Vuky, who had pulled from the 19th spot to in in 1051, bad qualified at 111.071 and was lumping off from the aecond row. Steely-eyed Jack McGrath, ho had zoomed to the hi ink of the championship so often, was out to go nil the way in '55. IN FACT, the field was loaded with aggressive racers.

Two besides Vuky were champions. Johnnie Larsons, who came in first in 1950, and Troy Ruttman, who copped top prize ill 1052, Were shooting for repeat perform nnces. Jimmy Bryan, Sam Hankf, Duane Carter. Jim Rathmail and Art Cross had their ryes on the top money. Only seconds had stood between them and victory in three previous runs.

Veterans Tony Be I I hausen. Fred Agabashian. Walt Faulkner, Andy Linden and Cai Niday were itarting near I front Another threat was Jetty Hoyt, the home town boy who'd qualified at a sizzling 1l(i(Vl5, In the Jim Robhini Special. I mam WlWl Jlrraks, Car Spins Heading For Car Rolls And agxatr: ts.wS?! 4- gaffe sx -m a Quick as a Plash at ihe Traffic Light INFIELD 81 oi i ks Ebb Tide PoUf Hour Away Keller's wheels were on the Infield dnt and in getting back on the track be swerved right Vuky'l gap narrowed. Keller hil Boyd Boyd and Vuky came together and their cars Jumped into the an Boyd'i Sumar special rolled north on the track and landed upside down Kllalan skidded and stopped upright nl an angle iii Ihe infield al Ihe track'! edge Vuky'i blue Hopkins Spa rial, spinning Ilka a bomb, aomenaulted over tin outside rail, bit noae-flrit on the asphalt maintenance road out-aide, bounced and flipped end over end, Iniiio, nose first sumo 70 feet aw in.

then bounced again, still iplnnlng, hit a police jeep and a Inn Ii mid flipped upside down In flames Just outside the guard rail, about MM) fee) north of Hin bridge. Most witnesses were sure be was dead before, his catapulting car stopped mm log. Vuky had set 136.212 mph record at L'r miles After the ptleup the yellow light flashed on for 27 minutes ami lo seconds, dimming any chance of speed records. in ihe roaring track, Bryan, the 1953 national AAA champion, grabbed the lead, hut fate in the shape of a sheared gear ring boll look In ii out oi ihe running Sweikert, who was slaving near the front In his pink John Simcial, shot away from the pack Bui All Cross was hot on his wheels and when Boh pulled Into Ihe pits, Cross took the lead. World's Finest fmWtmm 'Jf ap siestBio '(J Its Here Its New! And LowWcedToo! Car to MandloM Skid Starts On Track The Infield Dirt Flics The racing tire will be offered in a complete range for licet for all modern passenger cars.

It may be ordered through Firestone dealers and stores. Howdy Wilcox Won First Pole Position Time trials have determined starting positions In the annual 500-Mile Race aince 1915 when driver Howdy Wilcox won the pole position with an average speed of 98.9 mph. Wow! Best Gas Mileage More Inside in its Class, 1956 Room Than Any Mobilgas Economy Run! Highest-Price Car II MM I IMI On The Infield IN VICTOR LANE, hi fir. I words were "Who got hurt and "HoM many got back?" I' 'mil Ii en i a i finished Nineteen didn't. Accident! had put seven out of action, mechanical trouble 12, Sweikert.

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