The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-01
SPORTS.
ALL TRIED RACERS
Winton, Owen and Mooers Will
Represent American in Inter
national Auto Race.
Contest Will Be Held Over Roads
Near Dublin Preparations
for Race.

kildare, Ireland, July 1.-The country In
this neighborhood has the appearance OF
coming under novel form Of martial law.
The royal Irish constabulary, attired IN
sombre dark green. appear to the mum
Der Of 5000 among the most peaceful fields
In Ireland, where the only other new
corners are devotees from four nations
Of the newest form Of locomotion. It is
around grass and timber lands In a Sec
ton noted for hunting and horse breeding,
that the International race Of motor cars
for the James Gordon Bennett cup has
now reached its last rehearsals
Yesterday was period Of slight show
ers and warm breezes. The American
and English teams have tested the route
at all its difficult points, and they are
many, but the French and Germans, the
latetr particularly, are still testing what
they have to so thru Thursday.
Alexander Winton and Louis p. Mooers
Of Cleveland, and Percy Owen Of New
York, the three chauffeurs who will repre-
sent America in the international auto
mobile race, are all expert automobile
drivers and manufacturers, and the great
est satisfaction is felt In this country over
their selection
Winton is the designer of the cars which
will be driven by Owen and himself. He
is a Scotchman by birth, but has lived in
America twenty years. He represented
the American Automobile club in 1900 in
the race for the Gordon Bennett cup,
which was run from Paris to Bordeaux,
France. After 1875 miles Of racing he
ripepd off a tire but continued twenty
five miles farther before stopping. At
the town Of Clean, Charron, who finished
second in the race, led Winton by an
hour, and the Frenchnan was obliged to
stop for two hours to repair his machine.
This would have given Winton second
place had he been able to continue.
Louis p. Mooers has the naree Of being
the most daredevil chauffeur In America.
His face has more than one scar as
souvenir of reckless rides. Mooers will
run powerful car. in the construction of
which aluminium has been used wherever
possible. The car. stripped, weighs only
2,204 pounds. It has wheel base Of 9
feet, and four steel cylinders with cast
head explosion chambers. The inlet and
exhaust valves are mechanically operated,
and two systems of ignition are employed,
a jump spark directly over the inlet valve,
and a contact spark beside the inlet valve.
The engine weighs 700 pounds, and all
parts Of the machine are ball-bearing.
Percy Owen, altho only % years old,
has been racing autos for three years.
The car which he will use is a long, low,
rakish craft, and strongly resembles the
Bullet"
The James Gordon Bennett cup, the
trophy for which these men will compete
was given four years ago by the man
whose name 1t bears. It is to be raced
for every year in the country Of the club
holding it, or in default of a suitable
course, in France. Last year the cup was
won by S. F. Edge, an Englishman. The
course this year is over the roads near
Dublin, 351h miles. Against the Ameri-
cans will be pitted such men as Henri
Fourier, winner Of the Paris-Berlin race;
Rene de Kurff, winner of the Paris Bor-
deuax race in 1899, and the leader of the
vfirst day in the Paris-Vienna test last
year; Charles Jaroot who has covered a
straightaway mile in 46 seconds; s. f.
Edge, who won the trophy last year; and
Baron de Katers, and Herr de Grass,
champion drivers of the ponderous Ger
man racing cars.