The Washington herald., 1906-12-10
WANTS TO RACE HERE
Miss Levitt, of London, After
Worlds Championship.
DASHING AND EERVY AUT01ST
Has Beaten Every Woman Compes-
itOr In Europe, and Is Looking
Fearless In "a Motor Car, She Would
Scream at Sight of Mouse.

Correspondence Of The washington Herald
London. Dec. L--If there is any wO-
man in the United States who thinks
she can equal OF better the record of
nearly 100 miles an hour in an automo-i
bile she will now have a chance to Win
the title of worlds champion woman
automobiles. Miss Dorothy Levitt, Of
London, at present claims the title and
has many prizes won in various races
both in cars on land and in motor boats
on sea. Only the other day she eclipsed
all wOmen's records al Blackpool by
twice doing the flying hlometer in ex-
actly the same time-24 2-5 seconds,
which nearly approaches one hundred
miles an hour
Il want to arrange a match for the
worlds championship with an Ameri
can woman automobiles" she said 20
me. PLEASE issue a challenge 10 Amer
lea through your paper I am willing
to race either here or at Ormond Beach,
Florida or elsewhere in the United States
The conditions need be Of the simplest.
I am wild to race an American woman
for the worlds championship. ] must
look 10 America for race. There is
no one left IN Europe with whom 10
compete. 1 have beaten them all. and
badly too. Nine du Cast. the French
motorist. does not drive q high-power
machine There are only two real rae
ing ears over here Mine gees 10 Brazil
in n few days. But If my challenge is
accepted in America. I will 20 10 work
and build new racer Il Will be
ninety horsepower. for l think ! handle
that the best"
To read Dorothy Levtt's own words
or to look at her records one would at
once picture an Amazon. But she is far
from that. She Is a very wOmanly wo-
man-fairly tall, with a will0wy figure;
large and velvety brown eyes; bronze
colored hair: well-shapcd features. with
large but laughter-It mouth Her
muscles are like steel. She is the pic
ture of health, and a perfect example Of
/ the well-groomed fashionable English
woman.
Romantic History.
Miss Levitt's is a romantic history. In
five years she has reached the top Of the
tree In her unique profession and makes
an income Of S1Q000 a year. While Shis
girl OF twenty-five is the most daring
and nerviest OF woman automobile drivers
in the world. outside Of her car she
would scream at a mouse. and is nervous
and afraid when trundling around town
in a hanson cab.
The Levitts are an old London family.
Dorothy was born here Her father. who
was In the government service. has re-
tired on a pension TO his country house.
When Dorothy was twenty, "a marriage
was arranged for her. The man was
nearly three times her age, but unlike
the novelist's usual story. be was neither
titled nor wealthy. Dorothy quarreled
with her parents, and then on the eve of
the distasteful marriage ran away from
home. She went 10 a married relative In
another part OF London, who kept her
secret well
II was this friend who introduced her
10 : F. Edge. the motoT-bOat racer and
automobilist Mr. Edge was told the lit
tie tale Of woe. and suggested she carve
out a career for herself So he arranged
her apprenticeship TO a firm Of French
automobile makers on the outskirts OF
Paris. and there Dorothy Levitt went for
six months.
While her parents searched everywhere
for her. although they knew she was well
and happy. Dorothy was learning the
automobile business. She began az the
bottom. as a wiper or cleaner. and finish
took an interest in her work. and daily
wore her blue overalls. and worked along
side the others at the factory
Taught the Royal Family.
Then she returned to England and i'm
mediately began learning the ins and
outs of London traffic. Mr.. Edge was as
tonished at her quickly gathered prof
cheney and at her nerve She was soon
earning a good salary teaching women
how TO handle a car. She taught a host
OF people. from the Queen and royal
pTfncesses down through duchesses and
countesses 10 plain, everyday American
visitors.
There happened about this time to be a
reliability run from Edinburgh to London.
Miss Levitt was one OF the 80 competi-
tors. She reached London thirteenth and
won her first prize and medal thereby. She
did all her own repairs -On the road and
was not a bit dismayed at the hoodoo
number
Thirteen is my lucky number, and Fri
day my lucky day" she told me.
Once IN the public eye, Miss Levitt went
up with rush. She was a competitor IN
the mOtOr-bOat race at COwes, Isle Of
Wight. the first contest OF the kind held
exciting race, and was afterwsrd taken
on board the royal yacht and presented
20 King Edward, who congratulated her
on her pluck and skill A few days later
she raced again at Trouville against all
the worlds cracks and won the five-miie
worlds championship of the sea and the
s1,550 cup.
She tried racing on land after that, and
in cars of increasing power won trophy
after trophy. Her biggest race was last
July in the Brighton Handicap. Nine.
du Cast had very big allowance, but
Miss Levitt wore down all her opponents.
the cracks of Europe. and by her superb
nerve won by a block.
She has cups and shields and medals
galore, and has received dozens of prize
checks for hill-climbing. endurance. and
reliability trials. Only the other day she
won a small car trial at Hereford with
her pet machine, a baby eight-hOrsepOwer
which she built herself in Paris.
This is one of the daintiest cars in
London. It has most graceful curves and
lines. such as are seldom seen on auto
mobiles. The coloring is white, picked
out with green
Miss Levitt has had plenty of narrow
escapes. At BlackpOol, for instance, dur
ing the speed trials two dogs, three chill
dren. and, finally three more dogs came
out on the track and tried TO cross over.
Miss Levitt spoiled her trials. bur man.
aged with splendid work to save the chill