Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-26
LANCIA WINS LIGHT CAR RACE
Italian Auto Driven by an American
Comes in First.
BUICK NO. 8 MACHINE Is SECOND
Aversse for Is6 Miles Is at Rate OF
vase Miles an HOur-Buick
Car. NO. "a Meets with
Accident.

SAVANNAH, Ca. Nov. 25.-A little red
italian car with four cylinders that
hummed like a giant tumble bee and
with an American driver at the wheel
today won the first international light
car race ever held in this country. In
doing so the car and driver set a high
record OF 52.56 miles an hour for the
196-mile journey over a part Of the cir
cult which tomorrow will be used by the
grand prize racers. William NJ. billiard
Of Boston, in a Lancia car, named after
the famous Italian driver, proved the
winning combination. The elapsed time
was 3:43;33.
Robert Burman. driving Buick car No.
s, finished second, more than six minutes
behind the winner.
l.. b. Lorimer, seated at the throttle Of
the Chalmers Detroit No. 10, fought his
way into third position.
The race was run under sapphire skies
and in the warmth of a summer sun,
which made overcoats uncomfortable. A
crowd of many thousands filled the
grandstands at the finish line and other
thousands lined the rectangular course
on all four of it's regular sides. But
the crowd remained at a respectful dis
lance. for 600 militiamen we're thrown
about the racing circuit and they kept
the pathway of the cars absolutely free
from tresspass.
One Serious Accident.
While there we're many minor mishaps
to the cars, the only one serious wreck
came at the very close of the days
racing. Easter, driving Buick No. II, had
been in trouble early in the day and was
driving along pell-mell on his fourteenth
lap when he lost the road and went
| crashing into a ditch. The mechanician,
Frank Thompson. was hurled from the
car and rendered unconscious. 1t was at
first thought he had been killed, but
later he regained Consciousness and 1t
was said tonight he would surely recover.
Car No. 49,, a Chalmers, driven by w.
r. Burns, went crashing into a tree on the
very first round of the course and the
chauffeur lost four of his front teeth.
Burns did not draw No. 10 originally, but
exchanged with a more tlmid driver, who
was fearful lest the fated number should
bring him i'll luck.
The race was a duel between the cars
that finished first and second from the
very start. Burman, in his Buick. held the
lead for the entire first half Of the race.
Then he stopped to replace a lost nut and
Hilliard drove the Lancia into a lead which
he never relinquished. Only once did the
little red car come to a standst1ll. Then
It was only for a second to allow the me
chanicIan to take on board two small cans
Of lubricating oil, which later he pumped
by hand into the throbbing motor.
Burman fought valisntly to regain his
lost advantage, but to no avail. The
Lancia kept humming away over the ground
with engines muffled, while Burman in
his Buick and Lorimer in a Chalmers kept
swapping and barking with open exhaust
at his heels. Once Lorimer got by Bur
man and held the honor of second position
during the fourteenth, fifteenth and six
teenth of the twenty laps in the race, but
Burman, known as one of the most daring
drivers at the course, kept crowding his
engines and urging his car forward until
he was again in second place. Hilliard, in
the Lancia meantime had gained nearly a
lap on his struggling rivals. Early in the
race 1t was seen that the Lancia was run
ming more smoothly and holding the road
better than ony of the other cars and was
hailed as a winner by the knowing ones
as early as the third lap.
billiard Wins Easily.
Hilliard seemed to be driving with the
case and nonchalance of a man out for q
pleasure trip and he did not seem to be
using the maximum of his power at any
stage of the contest. The little Lancia Il
only rated at lZ-lb horsepower, put j
fairly swept the heavier baby racers Of
their wheels.
The fifteen cars starting in the race
twelve of American, two of Italian and on
of French make-were sent away at half
minute intervals and kept in clusters
throughout. At times there were as higt
as four of the little racers in the nom,
stretch in view of the stands and the sharp
ness Of the struggles between them kept tn
, great crowds continuously on their feet.
The official time in hours, minutes AM
seconds of the seven cars allowed to finisl
was:
= Lancia, 3:43:33.
I Buick No. s, 3:49:45.
Chalmers No. 10, S:53:55