Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-28
NOT SUITABLE.
Old Orchard Not Favorable to Auto
mobile Racing Meet.

Portland, Me-, April 27.-The Even
ing Express says, tonight:
Portland automobilists for the most
part do not regard with a hopeful eye
the effort that has been made to eS-
tablish a national summer racing meet
at Old Orchard Beach. The movement
in that direction appears 10 have been
started at Biddeford and the beach,
and while there is much to be said in
favor of the plan. there are some OBJ
jections to it which appear to the lead
ing riders Of the city to te insupera Bile.
Climatic conditions and facilities for
handling large crowds are points in
favor Of the scheme, but the beach
against il.
odd Orchard is a pleasant track TO
ride on in a light car said one prOmi
nent autoist, this morning, referring
, TO the matter. When the tide is low,
one can travel along the sand for quite
distance without difficulty. and APP
parently the wheels leave no mark be-
mind them But there are some grave
objections to it as a racing course. AMI
am afraid it would not stand such a
test as 1t would have TO undergo be-
fore 1t would be accepted as a national
meeting place.
The sand is porus, for one thing, and
holds water like sponge, which would
be fatal to heavy racing cars. There is
quite a slope to he beach too, and the
STRAIN of overcoming this cuts down the
speed in such q way that records like
those made on the Ormond- Daytona
track in Florida would be entirely out
Of the question. At the best. racing
would only be possible at low tide, for
the sand above high water is loose and
the cars will hardly go through it.
Most Of the prominent auto owners
who We're seen by the Express agreed
with these views.
Col. Howard Winslow Of the Deering
WinslOw Co., who has been on the Or
mond- Daytona course in Florida as
Well as on Old Orchard, could see little
hope for the proposed meets in Maine.
THE gullies formed by the water from
pools left by the tide cut the beach
too much" ne said. and the slope of
the beach makes too much against fast
time to allow high speed at Old Or
chard. The Ormond- Daytona beach has
come almost 10 the surface and are
covered with thin layer of sand SO
that it is almost as firm as asphalt
Those Florida beaches are miles in
length, very broad and perfectly fiat.
Tho conditions at Old Orchard are not
nearly as favorable for speed, and |
fear that the proposal is not feasible"
NJ. d. Hanson. the Monument square
photographer, was Of Il similar opinion.
He has ridden over Old Orchard Beach
in a light machine many times and is as
well acquainted with the conditions as
anyone in the city. The sand at low
tide is not solid enough for racing" he
said. Even with 1000 pound car. with
two occupants. there Is a constant trig
ging caused by the looseness the track,
and me has to keep up Il high pressure
To overcome it, The slope has some effect,
too, but the trigging cause ny the loose
sand is the greatest objection to the Old
Orchard track. Fast time with racers
would be impossible there
More favorable opinions were expressed
by professional chaffeurs who have been
on the beach and tested its possibilities.
one of them expressed the belief that at
low tide. track two miles long and 101
yards wide could be secured. which would
allow fast racing with large machines.
Iy running under the pier the distance
might be increased to five miles, he
thought. and the course would compare
favorably with those in Florida. The gull
lies across the beach were an objection.
he admitted but h thought they could
be overcome. if the scheme were taken up
with a determination to make it a success.
The effort to find a beach which will
enable the big racers TO hold summer
meets has already led to investigation at
several points. Last month. u New York
automobilists went to Virginia Beach,
where conditions are somewhat similar TO
those existing at Old Orchard Their YER
dict was decidedly unfavorable in that
case as the heavy cars sank in the sand
so that even ordinary speed was impos-
Sihle.