May 23 - Cold Dulls Practice

May 23, 1913 - The local newspapers reported that cold temperatures the previous day put a chill on practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Nevertheless a number of drivers hit the track including Stutz man Don Herr who drove relief on the Indianapolis 500 winning car the previous year. Ralph Mulford's gleaming white Mercedes got attention not for his brief four-lap practice session but because he was driving the car Ralph DePalma nearly won the race with the previous year. The press dubbed the Endicott brothers "The Rattlesnake Twins" because of their sibling rivalry - real or embellished. Jules Goux practiced in teammate Paul Zuccarelli's Peugeot until a suspension piece snapped. Notoriously clandestine the French crew kept the specifics under wraps but the reports indicated that the malady was extremely serious and would keep the team off the Speedway for day. Indianapolis Motor Speedway General Manager Charles Sedwick met resistance from the drivers when he called for a meeting the night before the Indianapolis 500. It seems the boys had plans to attend a big boxing match down town.