The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-26
billiard WINS
LIGHT CAR RACE
High Record Of 1886 Miles
An Hour
OFFICIAL TIME WAS 3:43:33
One Serious Accident, When Machini-
clan Frank Thompson Is Hurled
From Buick NO. 4-He Will
Recover, However.
OFFICIAL TIME WAS 3:43;33


Racet Course, Savannah, Ca. November
"a little ned Italian car, with four
cylinders that ,hummtd like atgiant bum
BILE bee and with an american driver at
the wheel today won the first information
al light ear race everF held in this coun-
try. In doing so he car and driver
set high record for 50. Sc miles per hour
for 1876 miles journey over a part of the
circuit which tomorr ow will be used by
the grand prize race'ss
William NJ Hilliard of Boston in a
Laneia car named after the famous Ital-
ian driver. proved the winning combi-
nation. The elapsed time was three hours,
AZ minutes and SO seconds.
Roberz Burman, driving Buick car No.
s. finished second. none than six minutes
behindethe winner; L. B. Lorimer, seated
at theS throttle of the Chalmers-Detroit
No. JON fought his way into third posi-
ton EaE. A. Hearnes' Buick No. II was
fourthA and Al Pooles' Italian Isotta was
1ifth. Ahen came a whole flock of two
eylindert Maxwells, Arthur See in No. 9,
finishing sixth. and Carl Kelsey in No.
il finishing seventh; costello's Maxwell
No. Il and1 AIunweilerts No. Is were rum
ming eigh8h and ninth position respective
" whenNha race was called off. The only
other carl r11nning at rnis time was the
French S. u, O., which had been especial
" rebuilt for the race, but which was
continuouslyi4In trouble, succeeding final
" In makingAonly five circuits of the 9S
mile course.
While thereaWe many minor mishaps
TO the cars the only serious wreck came
at the very close of the days racing.
Easter, driving Buick No. 4. had been in
trouble early in the race and was driv
ing along pell. nell on his fourteenth lap
when he loststhe 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
lie regained consciousness, and it was
said Atonight he would surely recover.
Car No. 49,. a Chalmers, driven by w.
r. Burns went crashing into a tree on
the very irss round Of the course and
the chauffeur lost four of his front teeth.
Burns did, not draw Nos13 originally but
exchanged, withsa more timid driver, who
was fearful Jest the fate in the 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 lost nut and
Hil1iard drove the Lancia into a lead
which he never relinquished. Only once
did the little red car come to a standstill
Then it was only for a second to allow
the mechanician to take on board two
small cans of lubricating oil. which later
he pumped by hand into the throbbing
motor. Burman fought valiantly to regain
his lost advantage, but to no avail. The
Lancia kept hlimming away over the
ground with engines muffled, while. Bur
man in his Buick and Lorimer in a Chal-
mers kept swapping and barking with
open exhausts at his heels. Once Lorimer
got by Burman and held the honor of
second position during the fourteenth,
fifteenth and sixteenth of the 20 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 Sec
ond place. billiard, in the Lancia mean
time had gained nearly a lap on his strug-
Cling rivals. Early in the race it was
seen that the Lancia was running more
smoothly and holding the road better than
any of the other cars and was hailed as
winner by the knowing ones as early as
the third or fourth lap. Hilliard seemed
to be driving with the ease and nonchal-
ance of a man out for a pleasure rtip,
and he did not seem to be using the maxi
mum of his power at any stage of the
contest. The little Lanca is only rated
at 12-16i horse power, but it fairly swept
the heavier of the baby racers off their
wheels
The Buick car No. H. driven by Hearne,
was in contending position throughout
and held third place for a long while,
fighting over every inch of the oiled road
way with the Chalmers, No. 10. The Is
cars starting in the race-12 of American,
two of Italian and one of French manu-
faeture-were sent away at half minute
intervals and kept in clusters throughout.
At times there were as high as four little
racers in the home stretch in view of the
stands and the sharpness of the struggles
between them kept the great crowds con-
tinuously their feet. The official time
in hours, minutes and seconds of the
seven cars allowed to finish were:
Lancia, 3:43:33.
Buick, No. g. 349:45.
Chalmers, No. TO- 1885.
Buick No. Il, 3:5S:O4
Isotta, 4:11:22.
Maxwell, No. g. 4:183S
Maxwell, No. II, 4:20:44.