To Please a Lady Page #6

- He's up there now.

You know, I'm just beginning

to figure out why we're here.

- Our sponsor invited us, remember?

- Of course.

And you had no idea Brannan

was racing today.

- You know this Brannan, don't you?

- I met him once back east.

He's quite a driver. He's practically

the only one not using Magnum Oil.

It'd murder me if he won.

Johnny Probeck's still in the lead at the

end of the fastest 40 laps ever on this track.

Ninety-seven-point-three miles per hour

and the speed is still going up.

It's Car Number 22 in second.

No, no, he isn't.

There's that Brannan again.

He's gonna make it hot for Probeck in 54.

They're close.

There's nothing between them now

except a little dust.

Anything can happen when cars

are traveling at this terrific pace.

They're really bunched in there.

Brannan's trying to shake the pack

in the west turn.

He wants to get out ahead of 54.

Brannan's sparking the race,

egging Probeck on...

...making the boys hustle

to stay with him.

He's bearing down now

and moving up on 54.

The track's getting plenty cut up out there.

They're blasting through a lot of dust.

- Brannan will take him this lap.

- Looks like he doesn't need Magnum Oil.

Probeck's out in front, but coming through

the west turn, Brannan's closed up.

He's slowing up.

He seems to be in trouble.

Chuck Leighton and Number 14

both going ahead of him now.

He's slowed right down.

That motor don't sound good.

Something would have to give

at the pace those boys have been going.

It's tough luck.

Just when he was ready to grab that lead.

But his pit crew's all set.

They're ready for him.

They're swarming over that car,

changing plugs and both rear wheels.

They're working every second.

No waste motion anywhere.

Every man knows what he's got to do

and he's doing it.

But Brannan is as cool as a cucumber

in there. They all are.

But they're under terrific tension,

with cars screaming by all the time...

...leaving him further and further behind.

A stop like this can kill

a man's chances in a race.

Those mechanics are throwing themselves

out of joint to get him out.

He's been in there now 15 seconds.

That's a lot of time in a race like this.

I'm gonna start burning rubber

when I get out there.

Half a lap ahead of him. There they go.

Come on. Come on.

Shake it up. Get me going.

- Jim Davies is now second.

- Hit the button.

Both fighting it out for fourth spot.

I've gotta get in the money to pay

for this car. Let's go. Let's go.

He's been in for 30 seconds.

They're slamming on that wheel.

He'll be away any moment.

There he goes.

Powersliding and his tail wagging.

That fast-moving pit crew of his

changed two plugs, both rear wheels...

...slapped him on the back

and got him out again in 36 seconds.

- He's almost a lap behind now.

- Brannan will never catch those babies.

Now, isn't that too bad?

Give me a cigarette.

Now, the front spots are still the same,

54, 22 and 27.

It's a cinch for one to win.

Looks like Brannan's got other ideas.

He's going like a loose bullet out there.

He's caught one of the tail runners already,

Number 9. Brannan's there and pinching.

He's out there alone.

He's got the track all to himself now

and he's chasing everybody.

Look at him go.

The leaders haven't changed.

It's Probeck, Davies and Ben Freiden.

But it's Brannan who's making this race.

They said nobody could make a pit stop

in a 100-mile race such as he did...

...and have a chance at winning it,

but Brannan doesn't know how to quit.

He's back in there, driving like a wild

man. His last 10 laps were a track record.

He's after them. If he's got enough laps

to do it in, he can still win.

His record-breaking speed over

those last 10 laps was 98.4 miles an hour.

- He's terrific. Has he got a chance?

- He hasn't got a prayer.

My hope is she holds together.

Watch it. Watch it. There's a crackup.

Is Brannan in it? No, no, he made it.

He's driving right on through.

That was Kasso and Gorlan in that spill.

It looked bad for a minute,

but they're both okay.

They're out waving to the crowd.

Now, over in the backstretch,

Brannan's taking cars one at a time.

If he can keep up this blistering pace,

he'll hit that pay dirt.

And now, coming into the west turn,

it's Probeck in 54...

...then Jim Davies, Hoot Mailer

and here comes Brannan...

...riding into fifth place

as they hit the stretch.

They've put out a signal at Brannan's pit

telling him how many laps to go.

Nine laps. And in the stretch...

There, he's catching Hoot Mailer in 34.

Boy, he's standing on that throttle now.

If his motor can take that beating,

he'll be up with Probeck yet.

They're all barreling through that turn.

Watch it. Mailer's spinning. It's close.

Somebody's gonna hit him.

There's Brannan coming up.

He made it on the inside.

That puts him in fourth place.

What a driver.

There's a boy who can stop...

...change plugs, polish his goggles,

spit in your eye...

...and get up

with only two laps to go.

But distance is running out on him.

Speed is everything now.

And he's catching Jim Davies in 22.

If he gets by, he's in third.

He's gonna do it.

He made it.

He's hotter than a firecracker.

He's up there, he's third,

but the laps are running out.

He's the fastest thing on the track now

and the whole crowd's with him.

There he goes after the guy in

second spot, that's Ben Freiden in 27.

Brannan's bearing down

going into the east turn there.

He's closing up the distance.

Freiden's a tough man to get around,

but he's taking Freiden on the outside.

He's passing. He's got him.

He's grabbed second place.

Look at him go. He's showing them.

You're putting on quite a show yourself.

He's gotta fight heavy traffic

to get at him.

There's less than a lap to go.

Can he make it?

Can he get there in time?

He's closing in along the backstretch.

They're both lapping the slower cars.

Everybody's getting out of their way,

giving them room.

It's gonna be a very close thing.

They're coming through the west turn now

and heading for home.

And it isn't over yet. Here they are.

Probeck's still ahead.

Brannan's trying,

but he can't quite get up there.

And Probeck's the winner!

That's tough on Brannan.

One more lap and he would have had it.

Ben Freiden is third.

Jim Davies in 22, fourth.

- Well, that's it.

- Johnny's our boy. Wanna meet him?

She doesn't like race drivers.

And there you have it, folks.

Thanks for coming,

and drive carefully going home.

- Swell job, Brannan.

- You should've had it.

Hey, man,

what a ride you gave this baby.

I thought you had it in the bag.

What happened that last lap?

Second-place money doesn't hurt,

does it?

Maybe it's just as well

you didn't win.

The fast boys would've been laying for you

next time out.

And the big purses come later,

don't they?

You talk too much.

The blond on the end

in the Debrett show...

...caught a fast lane out of town

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