The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-12
IMPORTERS WANT
TRACK RACING
Believe Sport Under Restriction
Weuld Be Good fer Auto
Trade.

NEW YORK, Oct. H.-The Importers
Automobile Salon has formally declared 1t
self in favor of n continuation Of tract
racing under certain restrictions having I,
do with measures of safety. The salon Il
the first of the trade associations appealed
10 by the A. A. A. for suggestions and al
expression of opinion to make a formal re
ply. The representative of the salon ha'
been instructed rs follows:
That the sentiments of the members Of
the importers Automobile Salon, as ex.
pressed through its trade and contests
committee. in regard to the granting Of
the sanctions for the holding Of race meets
on circular tracks, or those originally in
tended for horse racing, are that the salon
while not believing in track contests or in
the promotion of some, are of the opinion
that in the absence of road contests track
races may be held where the proper pre-
cautions are observed.
when such track is not Of a less Cir
conference than one mile.
when such track shall have been rea-
sonably banked at turns, and have been
oiled sufficiently to insure the vision of the
drivers not being INSTRUCTED by dust.
When the entrants have been limited to
a safe number for the track and events,
and
where proper precautions are taken for
the protection of spectators and drivers"
The position taken by the importers
voices the sentiment Of the trade in gem
eral. With so undoubted a demand by the
makers, dealers and public for racing COM
petition, the American Automobile Asso-
citation will nave a hard task before it in
putting a stop to track contests until the
time when specially built race courses, or
the Long Island Parkway itself, shall be
available. The trend Of opinion Is in
favor of the A. A. A. making restrictions
and suggestions that will insure track rae
ing under safer conditions than the present
ones.
The suggestions Of the importers in this
direction are all excellent. In the matter
of the limitation Of the number of COM
peting cars 1t might be well to consider
the width OF the tracks and conine the
starters to a single line across the course,
with twenty feet of starting space to each
In races of ten miles and under, fifteen feet
In races over ten miles and up to 100 miles,
and ten feet in races over 100 miles. The
width Of horse tracks run from 100 to $50
feet.
Let there be no barriers whatever on the
turns on either side, that there be a double
line of fence along the home stretch, and
that training camps be pitched only on
the straighta ways. Going still further and
taking up the needed restrictions in the
horse power of competing cars, there might
be a limitation of track racing machines
and stock cars to a certain cylinder vol
ume.
The makers, the dealers and the public
all want racing. Let the American Auto
mobile Association confine itself to the
formulation of safety restrictions. If it
attempts to go further and prohibit track
racing, it will fail and only throw the
game wide open, to be run without any
restrictions whatever,
The salon suggests classification on the
basis of horsepower and that the formula
of the Royal Automobile Club of Great
Britain, already adopted by the A. L. A.
NJ, be followed. That seems reasonable.
The salon asks for a representative on the
racing board. Whatever representation be
accorded the other trade associations
should be given also to the salon, which
is supporting the racing game in this coun-
try with so much hberality and enthusi
asm.