Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-18
PRACTICING FOR THE
GREAT AUTO RACE

MINEOLA. Long Island. September 49,
The sixty-horsepower Matheson racer. with
Ralph Mongini at the wheel and Tom Coop
er occupying the mechanician seat, made
its first appearance on the Vanderbilt cup
course yesterday. A leaking gasoline tank
caused Mongini to take the car back to
It's garage nudef its own power. after max
ing part Of q round.
The Oldsmobile machine, driven by Keel
err was on the course for the first time
since Wednesday, when 1t was put out Of
commission by running into a tree. Weak
batteries. however. prevented Keller from
making a complete circuit of the course.
Other drivers and cars out included Her
bert Lyle and Bert Dingley in the Pope
Toledo; Joe Tracy and Alfred Poole in the
Ldcomobile. and Lee Prayer and e. H.
BeIden, each in a Prayer Miller racer.
Ran Into Flock Of Chickens.
On his third round Lyle ran into a
flock of chickens a short distance from his
quarters at Bulls Head. One of the chick
ems was thrown In the air and struck Lyle
with considerable force in the face. Hts
goggles were broken. his face scratched
and he was stunned for moment. but was
able to bring his machine to a stop. Lyle
used great care on the turns, but let the
car out on the straight stretches and made
the Journey from Bulr's Head to Lakeville
distance
in nine minutes. against fourteen minutes
q few days ago. He took the Manhasset
Hill at an average speed of seventy-two
miles an hour.
and tighten 1t on the first round, and sew
eral minutes were lost in the operation.
but In spite of this he covered the lap in
forty-one minutes.
Head after practice. Lyle said that he
was going to let the car out this morning.
He said that If he had had the wind shield
on his car, which he has invented and
it would have prevented the chicken from
hitting him. He said he would carry a
one-p pound powder fire extinguisher on his
car today.
Joe Tracy's Best Time.
Joe Tracy made the best time Sunday in
his Locomobile. He covered one round in
BIZ minutes and another in 81 minutes.
Belden in the Frayer-Miller car, went two
rounds in Az and 43 minutes respectively.
Lee Prayer. in the other Prayer Miller car.
came to grief on the first round by a pune
tured tire.
The Apperson car, which has made the
best time over the course, was kept indoors.
In practice on Sunday. weak spring al
lowed the shock absorber to puncture the
gasoline tank. Although repairs were
made, the car was not taken out
Only four days more are left for practice,
and five of the fifteen cars entered in the
trials have not been over the course.
Weighing the Cars.
The weighing in of the cars will be held
Friday. and 1t is likely that many of the
drivers will remain of the course on this
day in order to get their racers in readiness.
The hours to weigh In will be between 10
am. and pm.
The dispatch received from France that
Wagner will drive the Darracn cor IN, a.
race on October was discussed ON the
course. Hemery, in a Darracq car, won
the race last year, and Wagner was here
as his team mate His car was disabled.
The substitution of Wagner for Hemery
is said to have been made because of a
more brilliant showing In the foreign road
contests this year.
A. L. Riker, designer of the Locomo-