Salt Lake Tribune | 1917-03-25 | Page 33 | Preparations for Big Race are Made

PREPJUUTiaUB 1 BIG M MADE Officials of 500-Mile In-dianapolis In-dianapolis Event Mailing Entry Blanks. EXPECT LARGE FIELD Famous Drivers of United States and Europe Compete Com-pete for Purse. "With the forwarding of entry blank and the final disposal of all. controversies contro-versies with the Indianapolis Hotel Keepers' association, officials of the Indianapolis In-dianapolis motor speedway began active preparations today for the running of the 500-mile automobile racing classic over the historic Indianapolis speedway speed-way oa May 30 for a puree of $.30,000, one of the largest purses ever offered for aD automobile raea. Public demand and the great popularity popu-larity of the oOO-mile race caused the Eoosier speedway ofticials to revive the race after having replaced it with a 300-mile event last year. T. K. Myers, general manager oi' the Indianapolis track and the man on whom the duties of arranging preliminary details fall, said today that thero was nothing to prevent the annual running of the world's greatest auto event, and he predicted pre-dicted that this year's race would go down iu history as the greatest auio derby ever run. That the held of starters for the long grind will include the llower of European Euro-pean racing was assured early iu the week when dispatches from the English En-glish 8unbeam tactory carried tho in-tormation in-tormation that Louis Cuatalcn, chief engineer of the ISuubeam Motor company, com-pany, hod accepted tho proposition sub-in sub-in it Wd by the executive committee of the American Speedways association, which met in Indianapolis last week, and would send two cars to America. Just what this offer was members of the executive committee refused lo say, but it is known that a substantial financial fi-nancial inducement to defray traveling expenses was made. It is believed that PJddie Rickenbachor, recently returned from Europe, will pilot one of the cars, and Josef Cliristians the other. The atmosphere around the speedway headquarters became charged with race talk and speed gossip Tuesday afternoon after-noon when Ralph De Pal ma, the diminutive diminu-tive Italian nice driver, paid a visit there. le Pal ma came to Indianapolis from Detroit to talk over tho 50U-milo race and to inform the Indiana speedway speed-way crowd that he woula enter two cars in the raco. De Palma volunteered the information that his fnmous cream-colored cream-colored Mercedos, so f miliar to nice devotees in America, has been rebuilt in his Detroit race shop nnd ia as fast and sturdier than before. De Palma also gave out the information informa-tion that he had obtained Lul chor Brown 's Peugeot and that this bluo fiver would be his second entry at Indianapolis. In-dianapolis. De Palma mav drive tho Mercedes in tho Indianapolis race, but has not named a pilot for his Peugeot. While in Indianapolis De Palma arranged ar-ranged to got new parts for tho Peugeot, through the courtesies extended him by the local speedway officials. Tho new Allison race shop, recently complof ed at a great cost, and the experts there, will bo placed at tho disposal of Do Palma for getting his Peugeot in con dition. The entry of Do Palma In the groat Hootder clapfde will bring vividly to the minds of raco followers tho many struggles and he-Art-breaklng raos tho doxing little pilot bus engaged in over tho historic course. Io Palma, in 1012, after having the big puree and victory within his grasp, was forced to push Ilia car under tho wire, cripiiled and disabled, dis-abled, while Joe Dawson m a ISational sailed to victory. Do Palma staged a wonderful driving feat in 1915 when ho forced Dario P"sta, champion of IDHs to bow to his truperior driving skill. Entry blanks have been mailed nut by tho JndianapolU ppoedwny promoters pro-moters and it is believed that the 1017 Memorial day clnKfdo will mark an epoch in ependway raring.