Transcription: ‘500’ Race Lineups All Set as 33 Teams Qualify
Joy and Pathos Are Mixed as Peddlers Seek Spots
By Bob Flentke and Jane Brown
They were riding bicycles Saturday, but the qualifications for the Little 500 Bicycle Race had all the late afternoon drama and pathos of the Indianapolis 500, with the last chance at a time trial close at hand and storm clouds in the air.
Late Saturday afternoon found thirty-three teams qualified, and a threatening sky that was all set to drench the time trials, forcing the end of qualifications for this year’s Little 500.
Rain Soon Stopped
It had all the making of the heartbreak in the Indianapolis Speedway pit area on the last day of the “Big” 500 qualifications. But the rain, which had spent itself in a quick downpour, soon stopped and afforded teams their last qualifications attempt.
Everyone thought it would be a perfect day when qualifications began at 8:30 a.m., but the wind grew higher, and by the middle of the morning the bikesters were struggling as they pedaled down the backstretch. The Friar Hall team, who pedaled away with the fastest qualifying time, took their four laps at 8:40 a.m.
Gets Wilcox Trophy.
Pole position for the Little 500 and the new Howdy Wilcox Trophy are two of the prizes won by the bikesters of Friar Hall as they romped around the Univee track to qualify in a record breaking 2:41:2.
The Phi Gams, with a qualifying time of 2:44.65, and the Alpha Tau Omega team, who rode the four windy laps in 2:45.9, will share the front row position with the Friars when the race begins May 9.
Jim Pauloski, senior, general chairman for the Little 500, announced the teams riding and the individual and team times, and injected a bit of color with comments about the threatening clouds and stinging winds. He was seen putting chapstick on his lips as he sat in the hot sun.
Plenty Support.
The Zeta Beta Tau team, who rode at 10:10 a.m., had plenty of moral support. Several men from the Z.B.T. House, were stationed around the Univee track to cheer the riders on. The team placed seventh in the qualifying list, with a time of 2:50.2.
The most inspiring sight of the day was a rider who was to ride at about 2:30 pm., and wanted to
