33 Cars in 500-Mile Race Today: Compete for over 00,000 Jackpot, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-30

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33 Cars in 500-Mile Race Today Compete for Over 00,000 Jackpot Ideal Weather Conditions Expected to Lure 150,000 To Indianapolis Speedway By ED SAINSBURY United Press Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 29. There were 33 "favorites" today for auto racings richest stake and roughest grind, the annual 500-mile jaunt on the motor speedway at Indianapolis tomorrow for a jackpot of more than 00,000. Even the slowest vehicle in the starting field, the mount which Jim Rigsby qualified over 10 miles at 133.904, could come through to win the event. But Rigsbys chance, and that of every other pilot, will be determined by luck his own, that of his car, and the weather. Weather forecasters anticipated excellent racing, conditions, partly cloudy and pleasant with a temperature in the high 60s for the start and rising no higher than 75- for the finish. A crowd of about 150,000 is expected to be on hand. The finish is expected in less than four hours with the winners average speed more than 125 miles per hour. There were standout choices in the field combinations of racing knowhow in the pilots and racing durability in the cars. Entry of Novi Specials Among them was the entry of the Novi Specials, duplicate vehicles with 550 horsepower to be piloted by Chet Miller and Duke Nalon. Miller proved the speed of his mount in qualifying, roaring to a 10-mile record of 139.034 miles per hour with a one-lap mark of 139.600. Miller, 49 years old, is the veteran driver in the field, making his 16th start in the race. He has traveled 4,797.5 miles on the speedway bricks and asphalt, but he never has won. Nalon, too, has speedway experience and his mount ranked equal to Millers in potential. Another entry with a possible winning combination was Johnny Parsons, the only former winner in the field. Parsons, Tiding in the same car in which he won a 345-mile race in 1950 and in which he finished second in 1949, qualified at 135.328 miles per hour. His car, driven by Mike Nazaruk, finished second last year also. Duane Carter, driving a sister car to the one in which Lee Wallard won last year in a record-setting pace of 126.244 miles per hour, also was regarded as a threat. Tony Bettenhauseh, the national driving" champion, will pilot the same car in which Mauri Rose won in 1947 and 1948 and ranked as a possible" winner. Two other entrants with good chances were .front., row starters, Fred Agabashian,-who will start a Diesel-powered mount on the pole, and Jack McGrath, in the same car in which he finished third last year.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952053001/drf1952053001_3_1
Local Identifier: drf1952053001_3_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800