The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-08-09
VANDERBILT CUP
COURSE DETAILS
Average Speed of 70 Miles
an Hour VIII Be Pos
sible.
VERY LITTLE GRADE,
PLENTY OF GUARDS
Eight Sharp Turns on State and
County Roads-New Parkway
Turns All Well Banked.


FOR the William K Vanderbilt, jr.. Cup
race. October 10 and .. as announced
from the Offices OF the American Auto
mobile Association, show that the
course Is by FAR the fastest ever Sc
lecJed in any country for an automobile
Epeed event.
II Will be possible for the winning car
70 sttafn an average speed OF fully sew
enty miles. There are no hills OF any
considerable per cent and mora than
oDe-hAx OF the circuit Is slightly down
grade The other half Is practically 3
dead ievel, including eleven miles of
specially laid cement highway. more
than twenty feet wide at its narrowest
point, banked and dished upon all turns
with easy grades approaching railroad
ana public highway crossings. The rest
OF the circuit Is made up Of State and
county roads, which are IN the trim
OF condition. and over which the racing
cars can travel equally as fast as they
can over the cement parkway.
Skstch Of Course.
The northern boundary OF the course
is tho welI-knOwn Jericho turnpike, on
Long Island, beginning at the old West
bury road about three miles east OF
Krug's Corner, and running ten miles
east 70 the Intersection OF the Wood
bury ana HicksviIle macadam road
The Western boundary OF the course
IS composed Of portion OF the old
WestbuTy road running south from the
Jericho turnpike to the Old Country
road, and along the Old Country road
about an eighth OF a mile 10 Whale
neck avenue, thence south to the be-
ginning OF The Motor parkway.
The southern boundary is composed
entirely OF the new cement parkway be-
ginning at WhalenecK avenue and paral-
leling an abandoned branch OF the Long
Island railroad known as the Hamp-
stead branch for a distance OF nearly
eleven miles to a small settlement called
Bethpage-
The eastern boundary Of the course
begins at the termination OF the cement
parkway at Bethpage and runs north
along Round Swamp road to It's inter-
section with the Plain view road and
along that thOrOughfare 10 its inter
section with the Woodbury. and Hicks
Vile nacadam road. along which II
continues 10 the Jericho turnpike, where
there is a sharp left turn known as the
''ElatirOn." From this turn the course
practically coasts westward on Jericho
turnpike for ten miles back 10 the old
Westbury road and thence south 20 the
beginning OF the parkway.
Eight Sharp Turns.
There are eight sharp turns on the
State and county road portions OF the
course, but the parkway turns are all
Beautifully rounded and banked. The
surface Of the cement is as smooth as
q city concerted street and the pOssbiit-
ties for high speed are quite enough TO
satisfy the ambition Of the most daring
racing drivers IN the world.
1t IS proposed by the Motor Parkway
Corporation to erect a, mammoth steel
gTandstSud on the south side OF the ce-
ment rC adway about four miles from
its beginning. From this stand spec
tators will have a bird's-eye view to
the east and west for the entire eleven
miles. so that II Will be possible to see
the cars as they attain their highest
speed on the beautiful IS" turns and as
they pass over the graded viaducts
crossing the railroad and intersecung
public highways. In extent this grand
stand view Will be about ten times
greater than-a any previous Vanderbilt
race.
No Grade to Speak Of
The new course might aptly be term
sd THE Plateau Racing DFOme." Ilre
first impression Of the visitor is that
he would like to be up in a balloon a
few hundred feet and see the entire cir
cult, and this would be quite possible
because OF the almost mOnOtOnOuS fiat
mess OF that section OF Long Island. Be
ginning at the Jericho turnpike and the
old WeSthurTy road the course sweeps
through the famous Hampstead plane
country. where there is not q vesuge
OF shTubbery OF any wood 20 mar the
vision. All OF the cementway passes
through q country OF the same char
aCter-COthing is in sight save the low
meadow grass and an occasional kind
faced cow grazing upon the same.
After the course leaves the cement
way and comes back to the public high
way at Bethpage. there Is what has
L
but II is such a slight AFFAIR it is hardly
worthy the name. The foliage along
Round Swamp and Plainview roads is
quite thick, and il there is any danger
GUS part or the course II would be in
this section where the turns are quite
frequent and where the view ahead is
generally of short range. For the most
part the racing cars will be tearing
through either a beating sun or rain,
as the day may happen to afford. The
only shade IS along Jericho turnpike,
where the trees are quite tall and IN
some parts extremely beautiful. some
Parkway viii Be Ready.
A. r. Pardington. vice president and
general manager OF the Motor Parkway
CORPORATION, who has active charge OF
the building of the parkway, says the
eleven miles which are to be useO FOR
this event will be completed IN plenty
IN the elimination race. October 10, to
have a few days practice. There are
several contractors engaged upon tho
work and their sections are so short
It wiz be perfectly easy for them to
finish N the time allotted. All Of the
crushed stone and the cement neces-
sary il tbs construction is upon the
ground together with the steel netting.
which forms the foundation for the ce-
ment roadbed. The wire fencing which
IS to run along both edges has Dee.i
contracted for. This fencing is about
five feet and composed OF ten parallel
wires set close together and held in
position by vertical wires about twefvO
inches apart
There are within the eleven miles tRv
OF three cement bridges and one steel
span 10 carry the parkway over in
tersecting highways and low places. The
steel span IS ninety feet In length and
IS located at a place known as Central
Park, near the eastern end OF the park
way.
Three toll lodges VIII be finished in
time for the race. The first entrance
lodge Is located near the famous
Meadow Brook Hunt ciubhouse-foy
many years the rendezvous OF the elite
hunting set OF Long Island.
Complete arrangements have been
made for guarding the entire course and
little or no trouble is anticipated on
this score, because no part Of Il passes
through any settlement where a rarge