Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-24
MOTOR
RACING
George A. Banker, the Famous Cycllst, Tells
Why He Has Deserted the One For the Other

considered boastful to have taken the
place held by Jimmy In the hearts of
the French public II the receptions that
have been accorded 10 me are any critic
rion. / can. OF course, speak the Ian
guage like a native and ann over there
regarded rather as a Frenchman than
an alien.
Although Zimmerman carried on so
many first prizes In 1884 / managed ia
scoop In quite a respectable number OF
winnings myself including the first
race for the now famous grand prize
Of Paris. grand prize OF Auslria, grand
prize OF Roubaiy, grand prize Of Ant.
werp grand prize OF Rome, grand prize
Of Trlest, grand prize Of Milan.
In 1895 / had considerably increased
IN speed and knowledge OF track tac-
ties. including that OF jockeying, so uni
yersnl on European tracks. In that
year | cleaned up about all the great
events IN Europe ! won the worlds
championship at Cologne but was rob-
bed Of the victory by the judges, who
ordered the race run over, At the Sec
ond attempt / rode over the course
alone. az no one would compete against
me, and so was declared the worlds
champion.
In 1855 ! was the only American rep
resentative az the worlds championship
races which were held at Vienna but
managed TO win the championship
again. although had only arrived from
America but short while previously.
In 1899 i won good percentage of the
/ races In which ! started and during
the latter part OF the season ! made a
racing and touring trip through the
French and other provinces of northern
Africa Alglers is one OF the finest
countries In the world for a cycllst.
Many of the roads there are far better
than our wen known tracks over here.
During the present season / have
done a considerable amount of racing.
with good success, ] WIS a member Of
the victorious American team at the
recent events held in connection with
;he Paris exposition great part of
my time during the present season has
been spent in learning TO control and
IN experimenting with racing motor
machines
I have brought with me from France
"a machine OF the gasoline type. with
which ! propose TO enter the racing
game in this country next season,
This machine. believe, Is the fastest
IN The world. II win travel al rate OF
30 miles an hour. II Is a tricycle. called
the Perfecta and ia fitted with two Bu-
chel motors OF six horsepower each,
which are an absolutely new departure
IN their line. When choosing this ma
chine. lhad several Of the best makes
on track. For half an hour they
raced against each other and the one /
have brought with me defeated all the
rothers with signal ease. / shall devote
a good deal Of time during the coming
winter to perfecting myself in the use
OF this machine and in Improving Il In
every way Then some time early next
year | will issue a challenge to all the
fastest motor cyclists In America, in
GLIDING A. c. Bostwck, William X.
Vanderbilt. Jr., Kenneth Skinner. Alex
ander Wlnton and Albert Champion.
My machine broke the record in the
recent great road race from Nice 10
Marseilles. in which the winner beat
the time Of the express train between
those two cities by two and one-half
hours. Motor racing In France is ahead
Of that sport as carried on IN this coun-
| try because Of the far better condition
OF the roads over there. 1t is no UNI
common thing Cor a whole French fam
! ny 10 start In an automobile and take
journey right across the country,
which would be an imposslbilty in
| America.
II motor racing Is to be carried on ia
this country 20 any great extent, the
promoters OF the sport will have 90 con-
struct special tracks, as the ones now
In existence are far too dangerous Trl-
cycles VIII always be the fayorite style
OF machine Tor racing Of this kind be-
cause two wheeled machines slide too
much, especially in wet weather. Those
who are unacquaInted with the con-
struction Of these motors often wonder
how slipping and the breaking Of axles
are prevented. In the middle Of the
axle there Is placed a difierential. by
means Of which the wheel on the outer