The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 6

TH I INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Monday, Moy 31, 1954 Page 6 Vukovich Is 4th Crockett CV'- I WASHINGTON BRIEFS Fear of Other Unions Cuts Postal Pay Hike Tnm tilt WuhlnftoB Barai just hit on the "numbers" that day. But the driver just moaned. He told Spangle it was the first day in a month that he hadn't played the numbers by putting a little dough on his taxi license number. He figured he lost $550 by not playing his hunch. Congressman Ray Madden, Gary Democrat, used the Congressional Record to convey the objections of the East Chicago and Hammond Police Drpart- 'rM.

ft--- Roving Radio Gal William C. Newberg, president of Dodge and driver Landlord and Tenant Speedway Owner Tony Hulman, hand to tie, exchanges a few words with Driver Andy Linden, who did a herculean job of putting the Brown Motor Spe-ciol No. 74 into the middle of the eighth row in the starting field. The News Photo, Bob Doeppers. fthe pace car in the "500," chats in a radio interview with Paula Carr of WIRE.

Interviews with spectators in the stands will be heard on the radio broadcast of the race on the Speedway network. The News Photo, Bob Doeppers. First Woman Aviation Writer Is 82 June 12 i mi hi ii in i ii i -i liiiSBSaiM Rode'High' on Banks Who is Larry Crockett? He qualified at 139.557 mph, the fastest qualifying speed ever made by a "rookie." Crockett has been called one of the best race drivers in America by Troy Ruttman, the big Californian who won the race in 1952. Like Ruttman, Crockett is big and young, only 27, and he got his experience by "riding the banks," the same proving ground for so many of the Speedway's young drivers. The "banks" are the steeply-inclined curves on half-mile or five-eighths of a mile tracks, like such places as Salem and Winchester, where summer sprints bring good crowds.

Crockett is unassuming and easy going. "I didn't even come to the track last year wasn't in a position to get a ride. Rather than beg, beg, beg, thought I'd better get good on the banks first and I guess that is what finally happened," Crockett says. Crockett grew up in Columbus, and works the third shift at the Cummins Engine Co. He has had May off to prepare for the race.

His sprint car mechanic, Paul Brooks, also from Columbus, has been with him. The Federal Engineering Special, owned by Dan Levine of Detroit, is being handled by the Russ Snowberger crew. The car, No. 28, was driven by the late Walt Brown in 1951, by George Connor in 1952, and by Paul Russo in 1953. Larry has driven it the fastest.

Crockett, who like boats al most as much as racing cars, isn't surprised his sensational qualifying ride caught the public unprepared. "Oh, we haven't been publicized very much. They didn't expect us to be very great, he said. B.M. 5-Mile Track First Laid Out The first track built at the Speedway was 5 miles long, the outer part being the present track.

The inner track connected with the outer one near the south end of the back stretch. Leaving the main track in what would be a continuation of the southeast turn it looped back toward the southwest turn, then ran parallel with the outer track almost up to the northwest turn. Here it looped to the east, then back to the southwest, then to the northeast in a huge letter reversed, joining the main track again a few hundred yards north of where it had left it. The outer track fcould be used by itself as a 21i-mile course or it could be combined with the inner one to make a 5-mile lap, in which case cars would pass the grandstand twice, going south on the outer track, then going north on the inner one. The inner course was entirely flat, with wide, looping, un-banked turns, providing driving conditions similar to those or road racing courses which then were popular.

The Roosevelt Raceway at Mineola, Long Island, where the Vanderbilt cup race was revived in 1936 and 1937, was laid out on the same pattern. After the grading was finished a mixture of sand, clay and oil was applied to the entire five miles and rolled thoroughly. National cars were driven over it at high speed and the Speedway directors and engineers watched with a sickening feeling as these speeding test cars dug ruts in the surface that deepened until finally the axles of the cars were scraping. They knew this surface never would do for racing so they abandoned the inner track. as Lap Leader in Only Years Bill Vukovich, the Fresno (Cal.) terror, has really made his mark in the last two years, climbing over the heads of some famous racing veterans to become the fourth-ranking driver in Speedway history in the of laps led during 500-mile races.

Vukovich led 345 laps out of a possible 400 in the 1952 and 1953 races to earn his high po sition in such a brief time. Ralph DePalma, who led five different races but won only one, still is far ahead in laps led with 613. Wilbur Shaw, three-time winner, is second with 508 and Billy Arnold ranks third with 410. In order below Vukovich come Louis Meyer, Bill Holland, the late Rex Mays, Mauri Rose, the late Jimmy Murphy and Tommy Milton. The top 10: Rank Laps in Lead 1.

DePalma 613 2. Shaw" 508 3. Arnold 410 4. Vukovich 345 5. Louis Meyer 332 6.

Bill Holland 297 9 tMays 266 8. Rose 236 9. tMurphy 237 10. Tommy Milton 233 Winner of race. tDeceased.

a mm 1911 Timepiece Is Still in Use The main chronometer used to time the 500-Mile Race is hardly at newcomer. Work was started on it in 1873 and it was "807o" finished by 1876. The Speedway bought it for the first race in 1911, and it has been in service ever since. The ancient timepiece is checked frequently with the Naval Observatory in Washington, and never shows an error of more than 2 seconds a year. As for the timing of the race itself, the margin of error in the less than 4 hours it takes to run it would be about 11.

000th of a second. Fireproof Clothing i Dr. William Kelly, assistant medical supervisor at the Speedway hospital, reports, every driver in this year's race will wear fire-repellent clothing. The clothes are dumped in a simple solution of boric acid and water and are almost completely fire proof. Dr.

Kelly said. K. Phena AT. 5528 of P. BLDG.

numbers! WASHINGTON It is extremely unlikely the post office workers will get the $800 across-the-board pay raise they have been pressing for since January. A source close to the administration said the postal workers will get approximately $160 if and when the House Post Office Committee reports out the pay raise bill. It is believed on Capitol Hill that President Eisenhower will veto any more than the $160 fieure. Powerful as it is, the postal lobby which has hounded Congress for montns wouia una it impossible to pass the $800 measure over the veto. There are several reasons why the administration will not go along with the postal workers union request.

First of all, an $800 increase would cost a total of nearly $400 million a year or just about the amount that Postmaster General Arthur Summer-field has managed to shave from the $750 million postal deficit Secondly, the $160 increase would amount to about 5c an hour boost for each employee. The $800 pay jump would be 25c an hour. The Department of Labor has predicted confidentially to the White House that a 25c hourly wage boost for postal workers might lead to labor troubles. It works this way: Postal workers now average $1.97 aji hour nearly 10c an hour more than industry workers. Should the postal cm-ployees get a 25c boost, it undoubtedly would lead industry employees to seek a substantial wage boost.

Industry itself has spread the word around it couldn't meet a 25c hourly request Fears were expressed the presently quiet labor situation might become considerably disturbed. Washington taxicab drivers are well-known for their conversational ability. Warren Spangle, Shelbyville, executive secretary of the Indiana Canners Association, learned that fact recently en route to the Capitol in a taxicab. Another cab pulled alongside and the driver waved the Spangle cab to the curb. The other driver notified the operator of Spangle's cab he had Grand Prix Crews Speedy American pit crews pride themselves on speed but apparently they could be a bit speedier.

Filippo Theodoli. representative here for the Fiat interests of Italy, recalls a pit stop in the Grand Prix of Switzerland three years ago when four tires were changed, a spark plug replaced and 20 gallons of gas taken on. Time: 20 sec-ends. The average pit stop in the last race here was 90 seconds. Lap Prizes Are $30,000 The Speedway lap prize fund, which now amounts to $30,000 or $150 a lap for the leading driver, was not established until 1920, and for many years after that was not completely subscribed.

However, every lap has been subscribed since 1946. Bill Vukovich, last year's winner, set an all-time lap prize record by leading 195 laps for $29,250. Russo, Hanks Are Deans Paul Russo and Sam Hanks are the only drivers in this year's race field who competed here before World War IL Eusso now is the dean of active drivers, having competed In nine races since 1940. Hanks also made his debut and has raced eight times here. $1,200, Pin Go to Head Mechanic of Champion Chief mechanic of the winning car is awarded $1,200 and a diamond lapel pin by the Wynn Oil Azusa, Cal.

Last year Jim Travers and Frank Coon, mechanics of 'Bill Vukovich's Fuel Injection Special No. 14. split the purse. ELIZABETH HIATT GREGORY pioneer birdwoman the old New York Morning Sun, Mrs. Gregory also contributed to a number of magazines and has written an autobiography.

Dry climates in the Andes south of the equator make temperatures at the equator lower than those to the south. A at Dcing piacea unaer tne social security aysiem. "The Fraternal Order of Po lice and City Firemen, not only in my district but throughout the entire state of Indiana, have been protected by a well-established and proven pension system for years," Madden told Congress. He explained that the police and firemen's retirement and pension funds are "now serving as adequate protection." A letter from East Chicago's Police Department "deplored" the action of a House committee in placing them under Social Se curity. Timing by Vuky Bill Vukovich, 1953 winner, keeps on eye on the preroce competition by meons of a stop watch at race time he'll be wotching from the Fuel Injection Special No.

14. A pole rider last year with a qualification of 1 38.392 mph, Vuky starts from first position in the seventh row this time, with a qualifying run of 138.478. The News Photo, George Tilford. Said Jimmy 1 1 1 i 4feit.vil if Ay -y JWty I Old Stars Stay On Some of the former race driv ers who now serve as top officials the 500-Mile Race'are Harry McQuinn, chief steward; Harlan Fengler, referee; Tommy Milton, chairman of the board of judges, and, of course, Wilbur Shaw, president of the Speedway. I A r--r.

Sign of the Times Chief Mechanic Ricky Iglesias cf the Ray C. Crawford Special No. 32 displays new wrinkle in pit signal geor plastic numbers and retters that can be quickly slipped onto the board. He'll be signaling Driver Ernie McCoy. The News Photo, George Tilford.

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Elizabeth Hiatt Gregory, former Indiana newspaperwoman, will celebrate her 82d birthday June 12 in Los Angeles. Mrs. Gregory, the widow of Frank W. Gregory, former newspaperman at Crawfords-ville, is the first woman to write and lecture on aviation. Her first articles on the new sport were printed in 1908.

She covered many pioneer flight events, Including the international meet at Belmont Park in 1910; the Curtiss flight from New York to Albany; the first experimental demonstration of air mail flight In 1911; Harriet Quimby's flight across the English Channel; the Sheepshead Bay meet in 1910 when the first shot was fired from a moving plane and Wilbur Wright's flight from Governor's Island to Grant's tomb during the Hudson-Fulton celebration. On her 80th birthday, she was honored by Transylvania College for the coverage of the Wilbur Wright flight. Formerly aviation editor for 3 Pit Stops Believed Necessary This Year The terrific speeds expected In this year's 500-Mile Race cause many to believe a car which expects to go the route must make three pit stops for tires. Several years ago, drivers could get by with no pit stops (if lucky) but no one even dreams of that now. The numerous pit stops, incidentally, add to the interest of the race by scrambling the leaders at frequent intervals.

there's WVIfpS ntiiwnirwimin iiirin nf I 1 I Fastest Crew to Get-Prize of $1,000 Dynamic Films, New York, will award $1,000 to the crew making the fastest complete pit stop. A complete pit stop has been defined as one on which the crew refuels a car and changes at least two tires. Dynamic has filmed each of the last four "500s" and last year received the fcpeea Age magazine award for its "distinguished contribution" in the automotive field. Yanks Not 1st Car Makers The first American automobile generally is credited to the Duryea brothers, Massachusetts inventors, who perfected a workable car around 1891. However, French and German inventors preceded them by several years.

Credit for, invention of the gas-propelled vehicle goes to Gustav Benz of Germany. Since the Duryeas, some 2,200 different makes of cars have been offered the American public. Of these, barely 20 survive today. First Trophy in 1936 The Warner which presents the huge trophy so much in evidence in the winner's introduced this prize in 1936. Louis Meyer was the first driver to win it.

However, all inners since 1911 have their faces in relief on the cup. It originally cost $10,000. to Art ri ting of niff, tfrepcl tfpn n4 voltet. Smc, or akooo for ttfinii rhone VA. 8445 216 MASSACHUSETTS AVE.

ROOM 836 safety in these )i f' a if ffN. Iff if I mjy -C ir i. 1 3 I Boyish-looking Jimmy Reece, pilot of the Malloy Special No. 24, exchanges some pitwall banter with Art Cross, of the Bardahl Special No. 43.

Reece marked himself as an able driver his first year ot the track when he finished seventh in 1952 at an overage speed of 123.312 mph. Cross was named "rookie of the year" the same year, when he ran fifth, and came back last year with a bangup second-place finish. The News Photo, Bob Doeppers. Start now, to build your savings account ii. with regular deposits.

Whatever your savings objectives, you'll find regular savings give the best results NEW TUESDAY STORE HOURS 12 Noon Until 8:30 P.M. For the Duration of the Transit Strike OPEN TUESDAY NIGHTS This In addition it our regular Tiunday Night Opening FREE PARKING For Star Store Customers And you'll find "Hit Htts: Indiana National a frped place to save I YES We're Specialists in DYEING A wtttondingly f'mt Mrk 4 household fiinithiftft, of volirjr ti color fidtlity. wrifo, wlrt la oil WIN BET ON WINNER You can win bets by saying you can name the winner of the first Indianapolis race. Most people will claim it was Ray Harroun. who was first in the 1911 "500." But it was Louis Schwitzer, driving a Stoddard-Dayton, who won the first race on the Speedway, a 5-mile event which inaugurated a three-day speed program on August 19, 1909.

His average speed was 56.53 mph. T. mm mi S18 Dorman Street Indianapolis Ind. i.