Des Moines NewsAugust 6, 1915
AUTO PILOTS ARE READY FOR SPEED EVENT SATURDAY
New Records Expected in 300-Mile Speedway Race - DePalma Sets Mark
BY SAM ABRAMSON
Ten drivers who qualified in Des Moines' first 300-mile speed race will spend Friday in recreating and tuning up their cars preparatory to responding to the starter's whistle at 1:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon.
The decks are cleared for action. The drivers are ready for the gong. New records are expected to be established as Ralph DePalma, Eddie O'Donnell and other entrants have have been showing great speed in their practice spins around the mile board track. DePalma broke the ten mile record set by Robertson in his Simplex on the Los Angeles motordome, clipping almost eight seconds off Robertson's mark.
Pilots In Big Race.
DePalma drove at a rate of speed exceeding 100 miles an hour. He made the ten miles in six minutes, nine and eighteen hundredths seconds. Robertson's time was six minutes and seventeen seconds.
Numbers Friday were assigned to the fourteen pilots who will start in the race in accordance with their speed records in the eliminations. Ralph DePalma was awarded "the pole."
Drivers and numbers follow:
No. 1 - Ralph DePalma, Stutz.
No. 2 - Joe Cooper, Sebring Duesenberg.
No. 3 - Eddie O'Donnell, Duesenberg.
No. 4 - Tom Alley, Ogren.
No. 5 - Billy Chandler, Duesenberg.
No. 6 - Ralph Mulford, Duesenberg.
No. 7 - W.J. Shrunk, White Special.
No. 8 - W.W. Brown, DuChesnea.
No. 9 - A.F. Scott, Anderson Special.
No. 10 - Pete Henderson, Duesenberg.
No. 11 - Grant Donaldson, Donaldson Special.
No. 12 - W. Barndollar, Clergy Special.
No. 13 - Bruno Lombardi, O.C. Special.
No. 14 - Don H. Clarke, Firestone Columbia.
W.J. Barndollar and several other late entrants will take their final qualifying trials today.
Speedway officials are cooperating with baseball boosters to make booster day a success. Racers will parade with the baseball men.