Des Moines Register and LeaderAugust 6, 1915
DE PALMA BREAKS TEN-MILE RECORD
Italian Driver Makes the Distance at Local Speedway in 6:09.18.
BETTERS ROBINSON'S TIME
Brown Gives Up Trying to Qualify When Motor Goes Wrong.
Ralph DePalma was the hero at the Speedway yesterday afternoon. He set up a new world's record for ten miles on a one mile board speedway, and he was the only driver to show at the track yesterday who drove a 100 mile an hour lap.
The new world's record for ten miles is 6:09.18, and it eclipses a mark set by George Robinson five years ago at the Los Angeles speedway. Robinson's record was 6:17. Until yesterday it has stood as the fastest ten miles ever made on a one mile oval. DePalma traveled at an average speed of 97.50 miles an hour, and he did not do a single lap in less than :37.
Seven Cars Qualify.
Seven cars did qualifying laps yesterday afternoon, but all of the machines that ran test laps yesterday had previously tried last Saturday. Several drivers have not passed the elimination timing wire yet, and it is considered probable that these will be run this morning. Following are the drivers that have driven elimination runs to date, and the time they have made in each trial.
Driver..................First..........................Second..................Third
Alley....................40 1-5.......................39 2-5...................______.
Barndollar............50..............................______..................______.
Brown.................38 3-5.......................39...........................______.
Chandler..............42 1-3......................39 9-10....................______.
Cooper................38 3-5......................39.............................______.
DePalma..............37............................37..............................______.
Lombardi.............50 4-5.....................______.......................______.
O'Donnell.............42 3-5.....................37 1-10.........................38 1-5.
Mulford................37 2-5*...................39 1-2.................................40.
Shrunk..................40 2-5....................______........................______.
*Mulford's car qualified by O'Donnell.
Brown's Motor "Acting Up."
Brown started for a qualifying round yesterday afternoon, but he decided after a few trial laps that his motor was not working well enough to chance the trial. The following drivers and cars remain to take their first elimination runs: Scott, Clark, Donaldson, Henderson.
Scott has had considerable hard luck since arriving in Des Moines. He was the first driver to arrive in the city, but he stripped a gear the first time he was on the track, and he has not been able to use it since. He expects it to be repaired by tomorrow morning.