The Indianapolis News from Indianapolis, Indiana • 38

yiiyHHI'l' mw jh w'w w'jw "'ft ir 'T Thursday, Moy 29, .1953 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS Pag. 12 Old Forester Offers "Xbix sic Bourfobii Snifter jw4 wSS tes4 1 1 T' iLi2)F(n)EiEOTm; 4- i AVi r'-X 1 I viaiVMiiiii -'iitfriiwirrri r.r,rltMt ii.tiftr Wmi hi i rim mmmtmm immi itmt uiiiinifliiiifltmiiHinir mhii'i mm miftiiini It's Back at the Range for Sam wheel of the pace car that leads the cars around the track and across the starting line; His passenger will be Anton (Tony) Speedway "owner. Hanks now is director of racing for the Speedway. The News Photo, Bob Doeppers. Sam Hanks, winner of the 500-Mile Race last year, will drive again in this year's race although he has retired from active racing.

He will be at the Muddy I nfield Is Dried Up at Speedway Sam Had to Win td Take It Easy down-to-the-wire finish of con struction of the control tower which dominates the new Tower Terrace overlooking the 1935 had come a long way. Both were at an age when racing the beer trucks they drove seemed a fitting diversion. Sam was a fellow who was always fixing the neighborhood kids' cars as for himself, he had a pretty hot 1929 model A Ford with a Riley head. As the time neared for the first qualifications May 17, a slim tanned fellow emerged from the garage area and looked up and down the old track. "I'm going to relax today," he announced.

The speaker was Sam Hanks. After 12 years of trying, Sam Jiad come home a winner HERE'S Special offer Ask your retailer how to get your Old Forester bourbon snifter. They've don e. something about that muddy infield at the Speedway. A major project since last year's 500-Mile Race has been improving the drainage fpr the grounds as a whole and for the 48 acres of parking lot in particular.

"We moved 8,000 cubic yards of dirt to build up the parking areas," says Clarence Cagle, Speedway superintendent. This came after drainage ditcbes in the grounds were deepened and cleaned out so that water can flow away in stead of collecting on the parking lots and turning into quagmires, as happened sometimes in the past. Cagle, who has been on his present job since 1948, has the responsibility for seeing that everything about the physical plant is shipshape for the race. This includes last year's in the "500" in 1957 and he SPEEDWAY DEBUT h'ad decreed in rather con- MADE IN 1940 The rare qualities of a fine bourbon, as of a fine liqueur, are best appreciated in a snifter glass, or here its its character. its gentle flavor, are developed to their matchless perfection.

This is the test of ultimate fineness. test that only Old Forester suggests toyou. pit area. It was barely completed in time for the race. New construction this year was comparatively minor.

It included a 1,900 seat addition to the Tower Terrace, which now can seat 16,000. The ground floor of the new section includes facilities for press photographers to develop and transmit pictures and six A new sanitary sewer, which involved tearing up a section of the main straightaway a few feet north of the entrance to the pit. area, was brought into, the Speedway grounds. It connects with Speedway City's sewer system. The parking areas were sown with 1,500 pounds of bluegrass and the various areas were outlined with 3,200 privet hedge plants.

vincing fashion, that that was that. When May 1 came this year, Speedway owner Tonjr Hulman announced that Sam had been hired as the track's director of racing. JUDGE THE TRUTH OF THE LABEL'S PROMISE: rfi lA jfAZ6SAf One night in 1936 he gave a midget race car owner, Slim Ruhland, such a hair-raising ride in it to a Los Angeles parts shop that he told Sam: "You ought to be driving a ace "That's why I came to see you," the young chap confessed. His first race he came from sixth to second place and the next night he won the consolation. Obviously, the kid KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKY BR0WN-F0RMAN DISTILLERS CORPORATION AT LOUISVILLE IN KENTUCKY BOTTLED IN BONO 100 PROOF hadlt He made his Speedway de but in 1940 in the Duray Spe RACED TED HORN IN BEER TRUCK It was ahappy choice," all for Sam's popularity at the Speedway approached the" late Wilbur Shaw's.

N6w, Sam wouldn't have to be worrying about qualifying. He was free of that tension. When Shaw died October 30,. 1954, in the crash of a light plane near Decatur, Hulman had told reporters inquiring about a successor to Shaw as general manager: "I've been so broken up about it I don't know what we'll do." Four years later, Hanks' appointment was as near as Hulman had come to an answer. That young chap who used to race the late Ted Horn in a ber truck in Los Angeles in cial and in 12 years, he ran third twice (1952 and '53) and second in 1956, 20 seconds be hind Winner Pat Flaherty.

The illustrious "record, one of the most consistent in rac; ing annals, also includes the Positive crank-operated front centipanes on every model at no extra cost. national championship in 1953. Now, at 43, he's taken his place at the starting line, help ing run the world's greatest race. ROLE PACE GAR PONTIAC'S 1ST Wall-to-wall carpeting on even the lowest priced model at no extra cost. By HARRY DANIELS, Auto Editor Picking a pace car for the AMA edict divorced the pas Speedway can cause as many senger car builders from racing and facts faded, jitters as choosing a Miss John W.

Hedges, through Hedges Pontiac, and his son Charles, through Arrow Pon America. That was particularly true this year, largely because of the racing ban of the Automobile Manufacturers Association. This rule, binding on all passenger car builders in the tiac, kept a foot in, the door by announcing that either or Industry's widest selection of long-lasting Lucite lacquer at no extra cost. both, would be glad to work out a way for a Pontiac to Ije the 1958 pace car. Hulman also country, forbids any emphasis helped to keep alive a little on and high perform- rJiope by announcing fthe ance even sucn as mignt re- speedway would have a pace suit from bragging about se car even if he had to buy one.

It turned out that Hulman did buy one, but he waited until the track opened earlier this month. The regular price lection as. a 500-Mile Race pace car. The gleaming white Pontiac Bonneville convertible that will lead the 33 racers starting tomorrow's 500-Mile Race doesn't show a sign of the nervousness it must have felt of a Bonnevrfle is about $4,000. The pace car maker formerly Smoother riding oversize tires on every model at no extra cost.

supplied nearly 30 official staff cars for the top race officials waiting to be officially named and spent thousands promoting the fame of the pace car. Rail bird estimate totals for that somewhere between $150,000 and $225,000, The Bonneville's big moment ne pace car lor 1958. A year ago at race time the railbirds said that Pontiac had the inside track for choice as 1958 pace car. It was based on this much knowledge. 1 Pace car selection is or- dinarily passed around the big three of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler and the independents Studebaker-Packard and American Motors.

G.M. normally would get 1958. Want the Finest Performance on Wheels? Thert Isn't a Buy in the World that can Beat it I From the industry's hottest engineering team comes action to match any man's dream! Swift, sure response unsurpassed handling and a ride that tames the toughest roads you'll ever encounter all in a measure exclusively Pontiac's. Inspect it and drive it with value in mind proof it's today's biggest money's worth! comes when Sam Hanks, last year's "500" winner, ducks into the pit chute at about 100 mph to let the starters roar into the first scoring lap of the race. Hanks, who has retired from racing, and the Bonneville have practiced that bit of nervy driving until everything Genuine top-grain leather on many Star Chief and Bonneville models at no extra cost.

i The pace car usually rep tuned up just right resented something new. America's Number 0 Road Car bigger or better than most and it was reported that Pontiac planned a capable Booneville Get the FACTS TFJ) and You'll Get a JL ONTIAC No Rule Against SEE YOUR LOCAL AUTHORIZED PONTIAC DEALER for '58. 3 Pontiac had never paced aa Indianapolis race. A S. E.

Knudsen, new- gen-" eral manager, of Pontiac, and Anton (Tony) Hulman, Speedway owner, had become well acquainted when Knudsen was associated with Allison Division of G.M. here. The roar of the 1957 race had hardly died out when the Two Men in Cars Two-man cars were raced at the Speedway at two different periods. From 1911 1922 mechanics rode with the drivers, and again from 4930 to 1937. Although there is no rule against a driver having a passenger, it is agreed he would be excess baggage.

ARROW PONTIAC, INC. Ill WEST 38TH HEDGES PONTIAC, INC. 3215 EAST WASHINGTON.