New-York tribune., 1908-03-19
AUTOS IN FAST RACES
LYTLE WINS THE FIRST.
Thomas Car Runs Mile a Minute
OTer Savannah Course
fRv Telegraph TO The Tribune. J

INV Telegraph o The Tribune
saranrsh March 1e-Herbert Lytie OF Wander
,jl- Gun race fame. the 1SOrnlle ROAD race ioi
-.,,aho,,ts over the Savannah course here to-day
in a 24-horsepower Apperson car IN no'rs %
minutes and IL seconds. The second race lot sldu
"a <,oct chassis went to George Salzman. who
drove w J. Kiser's 1ohorsepower Thomas car' IN
: hours minutes am % seconds An average
speed of fifty miles hour was made In the nrs'
race while the larger machine, In the secono c0h
test. averaged ffty-nine miles an hour
The races to-day were preliminary 10 the ooo
mile race for the Savannah Challenge Cup, which
will be run tomorrow. The tournament rs unoer
the auspices OF the Savannah Automobhe Iluo aho
the American Automobile Association. and was eN-
ceptionaIly well handled to-day. Hardly han 'he
winning crossed the mark in the hrs' race 'hdi
the second was started. The first race began al
20 O'clock in the morning and the second at :
O'Clock in the afternoon
The course was policed by three hundred soldiers
eixtr policemen and fifty fagnlen. LHte. after
winning the race praised the and said that
he never one better guarded III tne
Vanderbilt Cup race is not held on Long islaho
this fall is the opinion Of the many prominent
sutoroobiiists gathered here that they need so no
further for course.
Never. perhaps in any city in the world mas
, greater enthusiasm been shown over an affair OF
tts kind The Mayor present. with other CITY
oficial. A monster crowd lined the entire course
and tho ,erendstaud which will seat five thousand
: rersons was fun to ozerhowins. The stand was
/ Handsomely decorated with American hags and
bunting.
; -rhe ,udses. stand. on the opposite side OF the
track was covered with flags Of different nations
! while club flags and the emblem OF the American
Automobile Association conspicuous Inc
eoldiers paraded in groups through the streets on
their way TO the course. and every KIND or convey
enoe seemed headed that way
/ Tie srandstand placed about twenty-five
ward. back from the road along the course for
! q half mile each way wire screen fence
brass band kept the crowd in humor when the cars
were out OF sight
! Only ,hre. Of the four cars scheduled for the
fepening contest started. The +o-horsepower Thom-
tee-r,etroit. entered by r, j. May, was withdrawn
lowing the blowing out OF a piston head Inc
ietarters were the Apperson car the 4o-horsepoVer
.rhorae- Detroit driven by J. B. Lorr1mer, which
FINISHED second. twenty miles behind the Apperson
,end the 5ohorsepoUer Pennsylvania, driven by
IL. J. Zengle which made the fastest lap in the
Trace OF minutes seconds, bur was put out Of
the running the second circuit due 20 the break
ling Of a axle.
z H. Inman's se-horsepower stearns car. with
If w Leland as pilot. the only other starter in
the second race. and after making the first lap in
lie minutes IS seconds came grief owing 10 the
ib-eaking Of d connecting rod
| In spite Of the fact that there few
.sries il was surprising how few persons left the
stand before the finish Of the contests Announce
.nnent made the stand the passed
different points the course There was the wild
est enthusiasm when the cars went laundering by
the stand better than mile a minute.
The breaking down OF the Pennsylvania in the
early after having lead of ! minute 81
sonds the Apperson the driver of the
Halter clear sailing for the remainder of the
The consistent driving of Lytle one
Of the chief features. He drove seven of the ten
laps in little twenty minutes each. His
time varied slightly in the three other laps owing
his stopping to change spark plugs and to take
saeolene. The ill fortune Of the game seemed
follow I>orrinler in the Thomas Detroit The
ripping off Of tire caused the loss Of many
precious minutes. and later he had to stop again
owing TO carburetor trouble
Increasing his lead each lap I.ytle succeeded
in gaining fun lap before the race was over.
ce2a az. 3oen 1882 SO. 2o2 2o9a 2f:o4 2o:56
end N:1e.
Lor-irner's time for nine laps follows:
e3,3 e4:e1. 1896, 2s:s5, g3:57 ooac a 81 $50 and
s2l.
The sent away az two minutes in
serrsls in both races. The Thomas first
SWAY in -he second contest but finish o
fhe first lap the timing showed that the Stearns
had a lead Of 81 seconds. There intense
eycifelneDf when il was announced that the latter
had broken down the Rack stretch. IT
save the Thomas car walkover. SalZman drove
consistent race and the car worked well
circuit OF the ls-nile Salzrnan
better than a mile minute. the time being 1851.
The time Of the hy laps follows: 17:35 1702.
as5 1870. q :s5, i 53. 17;s7 1923 1888
The Savannah course is a and is laid
IN the sparsely settled suburbs southeast o
che city The width of the roads vary 30 10
- fee1 and the paved portions from Is ~ feet.
prevent clouds of dust interfering with the