Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-24
CHRISTIE Is ANGRY,
Says Agreement Was Not kspt
Issues a Challenge.

Walter Christie. the nervy au4A
driver. who represented America In ~
recent Grand Prix auto race q
Paris. is smarting under the critl0
levied at him for his failure %
that great event.
Il have this to say to those mar
facturers in America who dispute ~
right to represent Wineries in Il
Grand Prix," said Mr.. Christie. sTt
race was manufacturers race, anti
any manufacturer who wished to tall52
part in it had a perfect right to do n
/ spent my time and my money; ~
in all my experience and science
the building of a car which thouetls
and which I still think. could reas9
resent America with credit. l spent
long months over it, and took IA
abroad myself, and drove it. and
l think that the American man
ufaCturers who sat comfortably
this side talking about mythical cal
for a purely visionary Vanderbilt ra
and doing absolutely nothing. sh
very poor taste in belittling my effort
1 at least did something. n
II want to say this: will take. M
car, this same car which my cd4nS
of America declared was not Mt
ure as standard by which thetf
could be judged. and pit II n sll6t
car on this side, and I'll. FACE II fued
distance and for any amount Of ~
and at any time. on any road or
anywhere. Now If diey have cart
ter. qualified to rApresen3 Ia
than mine was. let them c6d3 Fsn
and take up this schaIle e 40.
then the least said about my mlsf1 y
sorting them the betterse n
Mr.. Christie was also very bitters4
his denunciation of the responsible
heads of his own company. who les1e
clared, had abandoned him to fi1 =
resource on the other side. and faid
to live up to their agreement to stipi
him with helpers and mechanics.
II got to Dieppe," said he. "andl
found that no arrangements whatever
had been made for my coming I was
to have had all the help 1 needed. as
that had been so agreed before l left
At various points around the circuit
the tire people were to have tire men
stationed already to change tires. etc
Instead Of all that there was not one
solitary mortal to give us a hand at
anything. Strang and I had actually
to take up paint and brush ourselves
and paint the car red and white. the
colors allotted to us by the committee.
When the day of the race came I
had only had one mornings run over
the course Two miles after the start
my rear right-hand tire blew off the
rim as we were shooting down steep
NIL at 6O-mile clip. 1 neglected to
dlsengage my clutch. and, of course.
could only use the one brake on "a
left wheel. That was the beginnings
found that the valve stem fitted tgd
tight. We had had that same trouble
the day before in practice, but, f
course. with only Strang and myself 10
do 1t, we couldn't take the engine apsft
then and file down the valve sternS:
there was no time. So we had to let
1t go and trust to luck; but luck was
against u.s. .
After I. had fixed the valve troubDe
we started Off again, and I want to tell
you that when my car was in motion
nobody ever passed me; we passed
them all. On the fourth lap. and until
heated journal put US out for good,
we We're going at clip that would
rave cut down the record SO minutes
TOR the round. One mile this side OF
Flu, our time for 80 miles was % min
utes; then the exhaust valve stuck,
leaving the rocker arm up and putting
the plnnger out Of position. I got OUT
to fix that and found the Journal rea
hot. That finished us. We had never
had the throttle more than half open
and our tank showed that we coua
have, gone IA laps with the 2sf liters
OF gasoline which the automobile cruz
allowed for the ten laps"