May 17 - 100 Years Ago at the Brickyard

May 17, 1913 - Led by the Peugeot team drivers Jules Goux and Paul Zuccarelli an all-star cast of the top racing drivers of the day blasted around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway "Raising Ned" - slang in the day for taking great risk. The newspapers marveled at the sizzling speed in excess of 90 MPH lap averages. On the heels of the Peugeots were Mercer captain Ralph DePalma and Stutz driver Gil Anderson. Others, such as Howdy Wilcox in his Gray Fox and Harry Endicott in the Nyberg were recording slower times as they were breaking in their "stiff" engines - new ones that needed time meshing pistons against cylinders for a perfect fit. The newspapers also spent more time profiling drivers such as Don Herr and Charlie Merz. One big story that would drag on unmercifully was the absence of the much anticipated Isotta team that struggled on their long journey from Italy.