Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24
THE CIRCUIT RACE S

The national circuit will return to this cit!
/ Inside of a fortnight preparatory to the
close of the racing season. The date for
the reappearanrc of the crack riders is set
! fer the afternoon of October C. At the open
! ing of the racing season the circuit reached
| this city June % when the trial heats were
run off in the afternoon and the finals at
| night. The next circuit meet will be man
! ag"d 4 little differently, and on account of
! the cool weather it will be an entire day
! light meet, trials and finals being held in
the afternoon. making one big series of
races. The first race will be started about
2 O'Clock, giving about three hours of solid
riding. the events being run off in quick
succession.
The entry blank for the meet has made
its appearance and provides for a good pro-
gram of events. Though there are only
four different races. these will result in
about nineteen events in ali, while the other
attractions at the meet will increase the
number of separate events on the full pro-
gram The professional prize list aggre-
gates $50 in cash, divided among two races.
The twc-mile national championship race
will! have three prizes, the total of which
VIII be $3.50, while in the one-mile handicap
total of $40 will be hung UP in four
prizes. The amateur events on the pro-
gram also have good prizes swelling the
total value Of the prize list to considerably
over $500
of the amateur events On the program
/ perhaps the most important is the one
mile for the District of Columbia champion
, ship. This was run once before this
season AT the first national circuit meet
the event was run off in several heats and
a final, and though f. l.. Wilson was looked
upon as a sure winner. the honor was
wrested from him by Carl J. Mueller VINO
q N no fms fa,,
in front. Had It not been for the fact that
all OF the amateurs in the race were trans
ferred to the professional class, the race
would not have been run off again until
next season. AS things now are the man
asement Of the Park Bicycle Club has re-
ceiVed several communications relative to
me SUBJECT asking that the race be run
over again this year so that an amateur
and not a professional could have the
honor OF claiming the championship An
entire new bunch of riders will contest for
this honor. none of the old riders now
professionals, can compete.
Inc other amateur event on the nropr,p,
Is q one-mtle handicap race While the
race Tor the District championship is ex-
lected 10 be run in three heats and a final
the handicap will be divided into two heats
ana hnal. All of the local men are ex
pected to enter, and there Is every indico
tioH mat the number of entries in this COM
ing race Will exceed the record for any
previous amateur race held in the city.
lew weeks ago twenty-five local amateurs
entered one-mile open, this being the
largest number this season in any race for
that class of riders The national circuit
1t seems, is a magnet which draws forth
all OF the available riding talent In the
city The amateurs. the management
seems TO think, can be relied upon in show
Ing up In full numbers. and giving good
races for their half of the program
Perhaps the most important race of the
dty VIII De the two-mllc national CHAMPION
snip race This event will probably have
81 q n x.yin
to seven heats of five men riders each This
Is done at the request of the men them
selves. only one man in each heat will
qualify for the final, and the second man
IN the fastest heat This will leave eight
men to rid in the final and the first five
men to finish will be entitled to a score
in the national championship table As it
is now the rider will score six points by
winning; the second man four points; the
third man three points the fourth man
two points, and the fifth man one point.
The smallest score is acceptable to every
rider, owing to the fact that the season is
nearly closed. and that every point helps
the rider so much in keeping a position or
in passing some one just ahead of him in
the table of standing.
Prior to the national circuit in this city
the next meet prior to 1t will be the races
at Baltimore. which will be held on the
Colosseum track. sixth of a mile affair
quarter of mile national Champion
ship has been assigned to this meet, and is
of more than usual interest to the riders
owing to the fact that the winner of the
race scores sixty points; the second man
forty points; the third man thirty points:
the fourth man twenty points, and the
fifth man ten points. This is the same
system of scoring allowed for the cham
pionship races at Indianapolis during the
national meet, and at several other special
places. The sixty point race which Bal
timore gets was originally scheduled for a
race to be held in New England, but the
race meet promoter gave up the race, and
the event Was given to Baltimore.
Owing to the fact that it is siXth-of
quarter mile will be a steep bank and
| the man who wins the toss-up for the posi-
| ton next to the pole is the sure winner
| The entire distance will be a dead sprint
and from the crack of the starters gun to
| the tape ii will be an event in which all
| of the riders will exert their utmost. The
circuit chaserS themselves are not particu-
larry fond of participating in the Baltimore
race, despite the fact that it is a siXty-point
race, because of the narrowness of the
! track and the location of the start They
| expressed desire to run this particular
event at the local track, which thew re-
| garded as the fairest competition track In
| the country, especially for such short
| distance An effort has been made by the
Park Bicycle Club to have the race trans
ferred to this city. giving the Baltimore
| city. During the week Mr.. J. D. Lasiey
| went over to Baltimore and spoke of the
| matter to the promoters of the Colosseum
| track. They were unable to give an i'm
mediate answer to the situation, and their
| reply is being awaited with considerable
| interest. II the race Is transferred to this
city 1t will bring with it the sixty-point