Newspapers / Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) / June 10, 1954, edition 1 / Page 4
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PAGE FOUR Tirtftont NEWS JUNE 10,1954 New Design Firestone Tires Bring Home 31st Consecutive '500’ Winner - .1 ' 1 Vl -■ (L) SOME of the Firestone men most vitally concerned with the race examine the new Firestone DeLuxe Champion tire designed particularly for the race. Left to right: Leonard K, Firestone, President of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company of California; John Moore, Manager of the Racing Tire Division; W. E. Lyon, Director of Development, and Raymond C, Firestone, Executive Vice-President, (C) THE Pit Area of the Speedway is a busy place as crews of the cars prepare for the race. Here Firestone tire men check two of the cars. (R) IN the winner’s circle at Indianapolis, Raymond C. Firestone (right) exchanges congratulations with Bill Vukovich, who piloted the Fuel Injection Special to victory in the fastest and safest 500-mile Speedway race ever run. Mr. Firestone, Executive Vice-President of the Company, praised Vukovich’s record-breaking per formance, and the winning driver credited Firestone tires with making possible his 130.840 mile-an-hour average speed. It was the 31st consecutive Speedway classic won on Firestone tires. Bill Vukovich Wins Second In Row With Record 130-MPH Pace ROLLING on the new Firestone nylon race tires for the first time in a “500,” Bill Vukovich of Fresno, California, smashed Indianapolis Motor Speedway records and became the third man in history to win America’s race car classic two years in a row. For the 31st consecutive timeO Firestone tires took a 500-mile ■ champion into Victory Lane. | During the 3 hours, 49 minutes , and 17.27 seconds that elapsed Among the 175,000^ Speedway from his start to finish, Vuky made only two pit stops. In the slower 1953 race, he had made three pit spectators were cost-reduction con test winners from Firestone tire plants in Akron, Des Moines, Mem phis and Pottstown, as well as Firestone sales contest winners from every section of the country. The race on May 31 was the safest as well as the fastest in 38 years of 500-mile competition. Drivers and Speedway officials gave major credit to Firestone tires for new high speeds and greater safety in the race and in qualification trials. Vukovich’s 130.840 mile-an-hour average shattered Troy Ruttman’s record 128,922 set at the Memorial Day spectacle of speed in 1952. Runner-up Jimmy Bryan was a lap behind when Vukovich’s Fuel Injection Special got the checkered flag. Jack McGrath, whose record qualifying speed of 141.033 gave him pole position, finished third. Buried in 19th position among 33 starters, Vukovich doggedly work ed his way up front. He gained and surrendered the lead twice before permanently capturing it in the 149th lap, three quarters of the way to the winner’s circle. There, in a blaze of flash bulbs, the Californian exchanged congrat ulations with Raymond C. Fire stone, Executive Vice-President of the company that made his tires. Also on hand to greet the winner was Speedway President Wilbur Shaw, like Vukovich and Mauri Rose a champion twice in consecu tive year. ^ 4: OBSERVERS estimated Vuky’s take as high as $90,000 for his second victory. Ill luck had kept him from first money in 1952, when with a comfortable lead, he spun out of the race on the 192nd lap. Vukovich plans to try for “a couple more” Speedway purses be fore quitting racing, for his 40- acre grape farm. He’s 35 years old. stops. His crew needed only one minute, 42 seconds to fuel and service his car. No serious accidents marred the fastest 500. But drivers were slow ed by 20 minutes of caution light time caused by minor mishaps and the passage overhead of a threat ening thundercloud near the end of the race. Through most of the day the hot sun shone on the brick track. Its temperature was 88 de grees at starting time. Eighteen of the starting cars finished the race and 15 drivers were relieved at least once. Last year, during the hottest race on record only six of the 33 starting drivers finished. Drivers credited the new Fire stone tires—constructed with light weight, cool-running nylon cord for the first time at Indianapolis— with permitting the record-break ing sustained speed. According to Shaw, President of the Motor Speedway Corporation, “A lion’s share of the credit for this fastest field of cars in history must go to the new Firestone tires. The new tires are not only faster but they are also safer.” IN a cable to Harvey S. Fire stone, Jr., in Europe, Vukovich re ported: “My victory at this terrific speed was possible only because the new Firestone tires developed for the ‘500’ gave me greater stability through the turns and better con trol of my car. I know every driver agrees that no other tires could stand the punishment Firestone tires took today.” “We race drivers know that Firestone tires have proved their safety on the Speedway and are the safest tires for the highway.” Among The Two-Year-Olds MISS BETTY ANN PRICE, 2, takes a final look at her birthday cake before she and 15 birthday party guests are allow ed to eat it. The party was a big event for the small boys and girls of Betty’s neighborhood on South Vance Street. It took place Sunday afternoon, June 6. Betty’s parents are Mr. and Mrs. Norman Price, the former being a warper creeler. Firestone Playground Movies June 4—“UNTAMED BREED” With Sunny Tufts, Gabby Hayes, Barbara Britton. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 1 (With Tom Neal-Judy Clark) June 11—“BATTLE OF APACHE PASS” (TECHNICOLOR- MA JOR) John Lund, Jeff Chandler, and Susan Cabot. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 2. June 18—“FRANCIS GOES TO WEST POINT” With Donald 0’- Conner-Alice Kelly. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 3. June 25—“BEND OF THE RIVER” With James Stewart and Julia Adams. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 4. July 2—“YANKEE BUCCANEER” (TECHNICOLOR-MAJOR) With Scott Brady. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 5. July 9—“BONZO GOES TO COLLEGE“ With Maureen O’Sullivan- Gene Lockhart. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 6. July 16—“LITTLE BIG HORN” With John Ireland and Lloyd Bridges. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 7. July 23—“LOST IN ALASKA” With Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 8. July 30—“BANDITS OF SHERWOOD FOREST” With Cornel Wilde -Anita Louise, “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 9, August 6—“FLYING MISSLE” With Glenn Ford and Viveca Lindfors. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 10. August 13—“WILLIE & JOE BACK AT THE FRONT“ With Tom Ewell. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 11. August 20—”SCARLET ANGEL” (TECHNICOLOR - MAJOR) With Rock Hudson, Richard Denning and Yvonne DeCarlo, “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 12. August 27—“WEEK END WITH FATHER” With Van Heflin, Gigi Perreau. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 13. September 3—“DAUGHTER OF THE WEST” With Martha Vick ers and Phillip Reed. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 14. September 10—“SPIRIT OF WEST POINT” With Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. “BRUCE GENTRY” Chapter No. 15. (Last Chapter) FIRESTONE TEXTILES P. O. BOX 551 GASTONIA, N. C. SEC. 34.66 P. L. & R. U. S. POSTAGE PAID GASTONIA, N. C. PERMIT NO. 29 Form 3547 Requested
Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.)
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June 10, 1954, edition 1
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