$100,000 AUTO RACE.

Topics:  Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The New York Times
March 12, 1915

Indianapolis Speedway Probably Will Stage 1,000-Mile Event.

Special to The New York Times.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., March 11.—A super-sweepstakes for a purse of $100,000 in gold is the new plan announced today by the management of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it being the culmination of all 500-mile events and to be for a distance of 1,000 miles. The originator of the plan is A. C. Newby, President of the National Motor Vehicle Company and a Director of the speedway, who plans to stage a contest such as the world has never seen.

The race is to be by invitation, entry being limited to makes of cars having won previous 500-mile contests. To date four such makes are eligible, Marmon, National, Peugeot, and Delage, with possibly a fifth after the next contest has been run. Entering three cars each, or possibly five, as did Mercedes in the last French Grand Prix, this would make a field of from fifteen to twenty-five machines.

To qualify a speed of ninety miles an hour for twenty laps of the speedway would be necessary, with the start at 6 A. M. Drivers would take tricks of 250 miles each during the contest, to avoid every possibility of fatigue.

No definite date has been set for the event as yet, but it is likely that it will be held either next Fall or take the date of the regular 500-mile event next year.