New-York tribune., 1906-09-23
TRACY SAVES THE DAY.
UINS THE AUTO TRIALS.
American's Daring Driving Beats lie
BlOn-MOnginis Car WreCkFd.

BY Telegraph Tne Trbunel
Mineola. Long Island. Sept. 22-"DaredeviT'
Joe Tracy. driving the SO-horsepOwer LOcOmO-
bile racer with the eye OF hawk and arm
of steel. saved the honor of America to-day
/ the Vanderbilt Cup course when in a spectac-
ular finish he won the elimination trials for
American cars. beating the 115-hOrsepower
Thomas car, which, ably plotted by the French
man, lie Blon. good second after having
held the lead several times in the heartbreaking
30o-mie race. Third. and the only other car 10
finish the contest was the 6O-horsepower
Haynes, not a real racer, but only stripped
touring model which carefully nursed by
Harding. maintained a speed sufficient 70 dis
tanCe of twice the power.
The winner negotiated the ten rounds Of the
course in hours ~ minutes and ~ seconds.
which was at a rate of 32.T45 minutes for each
lap Of 29.T1 miles. or an average speed Of 54is
miles an hour. Tracy's fastest round Of the
course was mad, In % minutes and % 3-J sec
onds on the sixth lap.
Le Blon. who finished second. took : hours II
minutes and - seconds To cover the course.
while HardinC's time was hours - minutes
and 50 seconds. The latter finished at f2;3T39
p. m. and al 1850 p. m. William X. Vanderbilt.
jr who acted as referee. called the race off.
after consultation with the cup commission. as
people were crowding on the course at various
points and "a serious accident seemed likely If
the racers were eIIowed 20 continue.
As only three cars had finished and it
necessary to pick five cars 10 represent Amer
lea in the race for the Vanderbilt Cup on Octo-
ber g. the officials decided to allow the TWO cars
which We're leading when the race was stopped
10 qualify. These were the 120-horsepOwer
Pope-Toledo. driven by Herbert LytIc, and the
lO-horsepower Christie touring car. built and
driven by Walter Christie. These two cars.
therefore with the Locomobile the Thomas and
the Haynes. VIII make up the American team
which will try conclusions with the German.
French and Italian cars two weeks hence
The 11O-horsepower Fraver-E1iller car. driven
by LawwcH. was sixth when the race ended
and a representative of this car made an oral
protest to Mr. Vanderbilt on the ground that
the big Pope-T Toledo racer was running poorly
as It passed the grand~tand to start its last cir
cult of the course and acted as II IL might not
he able to finish the race. Mr. Vanderbilt or
dered the protest 70 be submitted i'm writing
within twenty-fOur hours. but IL seems improb-
able that IL viii be seriously considered unless
better reasons for disqualifyng the Pope-Toleio
are adduced. At the moment the race was de
clarcd off the Pope-ToIedo and the Christie were
FIRST and second, respectively. with good mar
gins To spare. and it seems as If the action OF
the cup officials was eminently just.
ONLY ONE BAD ACCIDENT.
The race was free from fatalities and only one
bad accident marred it. This occurred soon
after the start NonginL i'm the so horsepower
Matheson. had got away from the mark like a
cannon bah. evokiug much applause from the
grandstaud lie made fast time through Jericho
and East Norwich. but while laundering along
the North PeuPstcad Turnpike. IN the village ~
Manhassct twenty miles from the start one Of
slxiddei into a telegraph pole and was badly
wrecked. Mcnsini and hts mechanican were
sent hurtling through the air if shot from
catapult Both were badly bruised. but no bones
were broken Mongni NJ once set about 10 re-
pair his car but II soon found go be hope
less task and the big foreigner had to resign
himself 10 the part ~ a looker-"n, I
Nor was Mongini's car the only TO go out
,f commission on the first round While such
popular choices as Lytle and Tracy and lie Blon
and Christie were making excellent headway
around the course numerous other contestants
were encountering trouble with engine, magnetic.
radiator or tires. Keeler and the oldsmobie.
who started No. / in the race. stopped before
covering fve miles and, though the car was
fraIlv started and the first round eventually
con,pleted the entry was never factor. and
Withdrew for good. with fire in the carburetor.
after taking over two hours 10 make single lap.
Roberts. who drove one ~ the Thomas racers.
was on poorly and soon I'm trouble by the time
he reached his headquarters al krugs Hotel ne
was 50 disguised and disappointed that he ran
Tho car into the shed and burst into tears.
When all chance of victory was gone ne got the
,rgtra to running smoothly. and came out and
made four fast rounds before ne was stopped
Lee Prayer who drove one Of the three
r-raver-N Miller cars. started OF from the grand
Stand as No s. but. like Mongini. he was never
seen a,ain A broken radius rod sent him TO
Continued a eighth page