Cummings Shatters Diesel Records.

NEWS FROM THE U.S.A.

BY Our American Correspondent T. MERIWETHER-SMITH

Cummings Shatters Diesel Records.

Bill Cummings, winner of the Indianapolis race last year and national AAA -champion, set a new record for oil burning machines at Daytona Beach, March 1st, at an average speed of 137.195 -miles per hour. Earlier in the week Cummings had raced 133.023 miles per hour to break the mark set up by Dave Evans at 125.065 miles per hour.

Cummings was driving the special machines built by Clessie L. Cummins, of Indiana, and the same car that competed last May at Indianapolis. The body had not been changed since the 500-mile race and very little had been done to engine.

Evans, also a famous American speedway star, broke Captain George Eyston’s record of 120.33 miles per hour on February 15th, but Evans made his record over a very rough beach. The popular driver is returning to the beach late in March for further record attempts. He is driving a Waukesha Comet _Special, built by the Wuakesha Company of Wisconsin, builders of diesel motors for commercial purposes. The car is streamlined beautifully, and Evans believes 150 miles per hour possible with the car, which he designed himself.

It is highly probable that these two oil burning cars will be entered at Indianapolis this year, while a third Will be sent to the wire by Cummins. However, Bill Cummings will be at the wheel of a Boyle Products job in the 500.

Indianapolis News Fills Air.

With the 500-mile race still two months away rumours are rampant concerning cars and drivers for this year’s classic. It is rather certain that Cummings will be with the Boyle team, Frame will be in his own ‘front drive Miller 8, Louis Meyer will enter his own Miller 4 again and that Billy Arnold will not be seen in the race. But other than these great drivers very little is known definitely of other affiliations.

Wilbur Shaw, one of the very finest of the pilots, is said to have the inside track for the wheel of the new £30,000 frontdrive now being built by Offenhauser on the West Coast for Gil Pirrung, wealthy sportsman. This car was originally intended for Doc Mackenzie, but Mackenzie has asked for the old 4-cylinder rear drive Pirrung machine. It is -a very fast, capable car.

Jimmy Snyder, one of the sensational ” outlaw ” mid-western drivers, will be seen at the wheel of a Studebaker motored car. The entry is streamlined radically and should give a good account of itself in Snyder’s hands. Vernon Orenduff, young AAA dirttrack star, will be seen in a new car now being built in Philadelphia. Babe Stapp is busy on a new car equipped with a 253 cubic inch Miller marine motor which will be handled by young Clay Weatherly. Harvey Ward is expected to back two Cars for George Connors and Floyd Roberts in the race. Al Gordon will drive the car formerly handled by the late Ernie Triplett. Rex Mays will drive

the 4-cylinder Miller that carried Lester Spangler to his death at Indianapolis in 1933.

But most interesting of all the Indianapolis chatter is the definite report that Miller is constructing five machines in Detroit anti will race them at Indianapolis. These cars will go abroad for late summer races if they prove their worth in the 500, it is said. No details have been released concerning the Miller jobs, but they are certain to be radically different from anything now racing under his name in America. Traffic lights on the speedway ? Yes that is just what Indianapolis is installing this year. A complete system of electrical signal lights is now being erected about the giant saucer, with six light towers placed at strategic points on the big oval. The lights will flash green as

badly injured on this track a year ago that he barely escaped with his life, but with rare determination and courage, Insigner returned to Ascot and has been one of the features of the last five months. In this race, 100 laps, Insigner passed Gordon on the last lap to win. Rex Mays was third with Gardner fourth.

Midget Racers oft’ to Honolulu.

Twelve crack midget race drivers of the West Coast sailed from Los Angeles for Hawaii this month to compete in three months of racing on the pleasure island. The boys carried their fast little machines along and look forward to an interesting vacation. Among the party were Whitey Theuson, Karl Young and Leo Faulkner, prominent drivers.

Midget Driver is Killed.

” Speedy ” Lockwood, Los Angeles midget race driver, suffered fatal injuries in a midget race at Gilmore Stadium early in March. Lockwood was one of the pioneers of this sport and he will be greatly missed in the midget ranks. This is the second fatality in midget racing

long as the race is proceeding smoothly, but once a car goes into a spin, or crashes the wall, the yellow (accident) light will be immediately flatbed at all six terminals. Race judges will be in each tower and it is possible for one of these officials to flash all the lights simultaneously with a single button. This is expected to prevent many crackups, and to do away entirely with protests entered by drivers claiming competitors had taken advantage of the caution fig to improve their positions.

Insigner Wins Ascot Race.

Harris Insigner, Pennsylvania driver, won the feature race of late February at Ascot after a brilliant duel with Al Gordon, Rex Mays and Chet Gardner. It was Insigner’s first major victory on the West Coast and the young pilot seems destined to attain the heights. Insigner was so

after over two years of racing, with literally thousands of races having been held.

The proposed 600-mile International Gold Cup, intended for Chicago this summer, has been abandoned because those interested in the event were unable to agree on many details.

Wade Morton, famous race driver of a decade ago, and member of the famous Duesenberg team of Kreis, Shafer, De Paolo and Morton, in 1925 and 1926, died in March of injuries received when his motor car crashed into a truck on a high way in Florida. Morton was considered one of the finest automotive engineers ever to leave auto racing’s ranks, and had been employed by several large passenger car manufacturers in capacity of engineer. He was employed by Packard Motor Car Company at the time of his death.