Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31
TOURIST CAR WINS
THE HERALD CUP
GEORGE KUSSMAN DRIVES TO
VICTORY
CROWDS CHEER FINISH OF
GREAT RACE
Demonstration Proves High Class,
as Car Is Able to Keep Up
Pace Set at the
Start
BY L. GEORGE THOMPSON

When Ralph Hamlin sent his long,
slim-hooded Franklin six across the
line at the finish of the 5O-mile race
Saturday afternoon he took several
seconds off the record for stock touring
cars on an oval track for that distance,
and came within less than minute Oh
the record for roadsters.
He made the remarkable time OF o.
minutes and As seconds, and negotlateu
the entire distance without the least
trouble. His set of Fisk tires stood the
terrific strain put on them and hnisheo
in fine shape.
At the start he opened his throttle,
and almost before the rest had gotten
well under way he was fighting with
Danny Kuhl in the Stearns for the po-
sition of pace maker.
Down the back stretch the cars hew'
with the Franklin gaining slightly uh-
til at last 1t drew In ahead, and from
that time until more than twenty miles
had been reeled off it set the pace.
Round after round the Frankling set
the pace, while Hamlin kept up the
same hot rate of speed. varying only
few seconds between the various miles,
Minute succeeded minute, and each one
found the thread of rapid speed drawn
tighter and tighter about the record,
until finally II was bound close in the
meshes of the Franklin speed and a
good bit of time left over to spare.
When the nVe miles nau Deen run 'ie
time was given out as 5;5o.
In the meantime there was more or
less rivalry on the part of those who
took miron parts in the show. For
some time the cars held to the same
position, but Frank Seifert In his Stod-
dard- Dayton soon began to contest Win
George Barnes and his Haynes lof
fourth place, and after lively race
between the two Seifert took the leao
away from Barnes.
Lester Patee kept up his steady, con-
sistent rate of speed with the Cadllia'
so well that he soon got up TO nfth po'
sition, where he stayed until In the
seventeenth the Hayes was disabled OF
account of a gasoline pipe coming loose
AS the pipe was wound around th'
cardan shaft Ii was useless, and M
other pipe being available, the car wal
down and out.
Has Good Chance
lin to the time 1t stopped it had
good "A chance of finishing first as any
as it's speed was good both on the turn
and on the stretches, and seemed Z
have always a little in reserve for pass
ing another car.
with the Haynes out. the race mar
rowed down within the first twent.
miles to the Franklin, the Stoddard
Dayton, the Stearns and the little Cad
lilac roadster. Patee in the Cadllia
picked out certain distance III III
rear of the Stearns and hung there witt
the tenacity of a bulldog.
They kept the same relative position
almost the entire distance.
once when Patee had good chanc
To get past Danny would not let MIN
and for 1t he was severely criticized b,
many who saw his jockeying, as l
Patee had once passed 1t would haV
eventually meant second place for him
Frenk Seiferts squirt with the Stod
dard-Dayton kept him in the lead TO
few miles. but finally when the dus
became unbearable Hamlin stepped o
the accelerator and kept his foot dow
until he was once more in the leat
when he steadied down to the sam
pace as before.
Takes Higher Speed
So well did his car act that finall
he set 1t going at little higher rat
and while the pace was at its hotties
the Stoddard-Dayton drew up ono
more and took the lead, but the spul
was fatal, as 1t was not long befor
it was out of the running and stoppe
on the back stretch with tire trouble.
In the thirty-ninth mile the Frankli