The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
OLDFIELD AUTO CHAMPION.
WINS INTERNATIONAL RACE IN
RECORD TIME.

Easily Defeats nernin In Trial and sartori
in the Finai-COyers Ten Miles From
Standing start In @ Minutes n 81
Sec0nds--Big Crowd at Empire Track.
Barney Oldfeld Is automobile track
champion OF the world Americas speed
lest motor car pilot on mile circuit courses
came again into his own boasted title yester-
day without dispute, when at the Empire
City track at Yonkers he won the four
cornered match that was made for him
that he might have q chance to retrieve
his title and prestige from the slump they
had undergone when both Maurice Bernin
{ nd Paul Sartori beat him in the so-called
international race at Brighton Beach last
Saturday.
Oldfeld had asked for q broad, smooth
track. He had it yesterday. SartoH and
Bernin. his copquerors Of the event before
had, with oommendable sportsma nship,
agreed TO another and indisputably fair
race to decide the question OF track SUI
premacy Leon Thery, the road racing
champion Of Europe, also consented to
enter the lists against the redoubtable
Barney.
There was much good sportsmanship In
this too: for the French crack was utterly
una c<luainte with track speeding and had
had but two days in which to familiarize
himself with 1t and prepa re his car for new
va riety of test. In fact the whole affair
sma cked OF the genuine article Of true sport
throughout.
The prizes were silver cup to the owner
OF the car and a gold medal to Its driver
This WAS no hippodrome, with gate receipts
won or divided. Oidheld received from
the Empire City management 500 to cover
his weeks training expenses, and 1t is
said that Thery was to receive slice OF
the gate money toward the cost OF his
American trip, provided the real interna-
tional favor, presumably added by his
participation, should attract crowd above
a certain number.
Were not these facts, which are vouch-
safed by the nanagen ent and contestants
to be true. it would lay Oidfeld open to
the suspicion Of having thrown his races at
Brighton Beach for the sake Of another
race at the Empire City course with its
attendant big gate money; for Oldfeld won
80 easily and with such little seeming effort
that he ade practically runaway OF 1t
in both the trial and the final heats In
the former he beat Bernin nearly half
mile, and defeated Sartori in the final by
about the same distance.
The victory OF the American driver and
car carried with it more than mere beat
ing of the European oars and champion,
for in the final heat, though starting from
a standstill. he covered the ten miles In
minutes IL 3-5 seconds, as against the pre-
vious worlds record OF minutes 10 seconds
scored by Charles Basic and the Bowden
Mercedes at Providence, X. l., Sept. 10
last with flying start, an advantage esti-
mated at not far from ten seconds.
10 appreciate what this rate OF going
means it may lie stated that had Qldneld
Teen racing from the City Hall to Harlem
against one Of the subway expresses he
would have reached l45th street, nine miles
distant, just as the underground flyer was
pulling out Of the Grand Central Station.
Oldi eld's fastest mile was run In 50 lis
seconds, as compared with tarl Kiser's
record OF 81 As seconds;
The figures scored by the Green Dragon,
by the way, were not the only RECORD
breaking performances to be credited
against time before the big match Frank
kuick, wing the tiny Ford racer, whose
weight is s75 pounds and horsepower Is 20,
covered five miles in minutes ~ 3-5 seconds
This beats his own worlds record OF S
and also the record OF minutes second
for middle vel yht cars, held by Joe Tracy
and W. u. Brokaw's 80 horse power he
nault. But what was more to the point
Yesterday. the little Ford flyer beat the
time scored by tie European cars for five
miles in the big misunderstanding Renault,
500 2-5; Sartori's Fiat, ASS and Thery's
Richard Brain, 500 rs, all three high
powered, heavyweight cars.
Leslie lIe sito.l 10 ice given OF the
otnh nd n
football game, crowd of 1000 or more
auto ent husi lists and speed cuIiosi y seeker
saw the match. Though International
rivalry Of cars and drivers seemed to run
high what bet Ing there might have been
Bernin and Oldfeld were deemed to have
far and away the best chances.
A couvle Of preliminary curtain "a ising
time tria Is out Of the way, the draw ing for
the heats took rice. 81 rtori driving ~;
1t had been greed that =" and 81 should
ride in the first heat. q" and q" In the
second and the winners in the final, the
drivers drawing the sma Her numbers
having the pole in the triH Is, and TIE hest
y inner in tie fastest time the outside in
the fnal. The start wns a standing one.
g demi uded b. the drivers Of I'll foreign
cars and greed to by Oldfeld to insure the
match. 1t Hss assumed that 0ldfeld's
CIR, having but two s. eeds. would be ct o
OlS uNHUG re 'S ny Hlbt IiiS HUI slcSo
eoui"'ed opponents.
Sharply at o'clock Sartori and Thery
lined up for the rst heat, with the former
or the pole. 1herys car, r 90 horse power
I.ichnrd Brazier was a Zig ina genta COL
ored, rour d lodicd machine. Sartoi drove
Alfred G. Van derlilt' aluminium bonnetted
Fiat familiar to re cegoers. sartoH wore
a blue jumper and Thery dark coat.
Thery got a tri..e the better Of the start,
but soon lost il, the pLir rounding the fist
turn on even terms. AS soon as they
rea ched the tackstretch. however, Sartod
Logan to pull away, al d led by two lepgt hs
at the halt mile post. The racers roun ded
the far turn In q cloud OF dust, 1hery
gamely sticiing TO the pole and taking 1t
full in the face without swer,ing for relief.
At the mile sarton led by four lengths,
though that meant but fraction over an
even second, such was the rate Of going.
Sartor was doing the best work around
the turns, but they stuck to his stern chase
grimly, both laying close to the pole. The
Wander lit pilot was outdri ing the French
cha NIPPON on the car, es. satori nego-
tiated them clearly as ore Used to them,
while TIL, ry made his turns too abruptly
so that his rear wheels skidded at times
80 badly that tenGerfoot spectators feared
an upset
The Fiat chs uTcur was about twenty OF
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