The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-24
The Auto Driven by Louis
Strang First Under the Wire.
Captured the 259 Mile Contest
Over the Briarcliff Course.
TIME MADE WAS SLOW
were Numerous Minor Mishaps
But No One Seriously Hurt.
Spectators Overflowed Course
Allowing But 5 to Finish.

brlarcnne, N. Y, April 24,]ouis
Strang. In so horse power italian car
won the 259 mile automobile race over
tne br1arcliffe course today Cedrino.
also In an Italian car. was second and
Guy Vaughan in 30 horse power car
OF American make was third. Herbert
Lyle and Paul Sartori, the only other
racers to officially finish the long Jour
hey' nn1shed respectively in fourth and
nrth places. Lytle drove a so horse
power car or American make and Sar-
tori 40 horse power Italian machine
Inree other cars of the % which start
ed, would have been able to complete
the Journey, but the race was officially
declared off. as soon as the fifth car
had crossed the finish line, to avoid
any possible accident to the spectators
who overf1owed the course.
The time made by the racers was
comparatively slow and to this fact is
probably due the absence of serious
accidents
There were numerous minor mishaps
resulting in the withdrawal Of several
cars from the contest, but in no case
was any one seriously hurt. The course
has been recognized as one of the most
dangerous ever selected for a speed
contest between high power machines
and the drivers exercised unusual pre-
cautions.
Strang took the lead early in the race
and at no time wah his position in dan
ger.
The position and time Of the five lead
ing car follow:
Strang first, 5:14:13 1-5.
Cedrino second 5:21:O5 2-5.
Vaughan third, 5:28:29 2-5.
Lytle fourth, 5:29:15 2-5.
Sartori fifth, 5:53:45 3-5.
Story of the Race.
Briarcliff. April 24.-Twenty-two
| automobiles of the finest American and
| foreign types started at dawn today in
a 259 mile race over one of the most
hazardous courses ever chosen Tor g
motor car speed contest. For just 8
/ little over S2 miles the course winds
| through picturesque country in north
| ern West Chester county. About every
| turn Of the course Is a dangerous spo1
| and there had been many predictions
of serious accidents before the race
was run. The danger Of the course
| and the possibility of serious m1shaps
had added tremendously to the inter.
est usual in contests of this kind, anC
! long before the hour cheduled for the
| start, the course was lined with auto
| mobiles filled with spectators. As
early as o'clock this morning it was
estimated that not less than 1,0Ot
| automobiles were packed along the
course. Thousands Of persons crowd
ed the vantage point ana Wnen the
| first racer was sent away he entered g
| course lined with humanity on e1thel
side from end to end.
| Fourteen of the cars are of foreign
make.
The start had been scheduled fol
4:25 o'clock, but it was 40 minute:
later before preparations for the be-
ginning of the race had been com
pIeted. At exactly 5:07 the starters
pistols rang out and car No. 1. with
Sartori at the wheel, shot across th'
line and started away on the Ions
| perilous journey. The other cars FOL
lowed at intervals of one minute
without the slightest untoward Incl
dent to mar the start The veteran
Barney OIdfield. who braved the fat
associated with the No. 13, by DRIVING
a car bearing those figures, was givel
a rousing cheer when he stood at tn
| starting line, waving the signal.
He accepted the greeting with con
fidence and sent a grateful look to tn
shouting thousands as he sped acros
the line. 1t became apparent W1th1
a very few minutes after the star
that despite predictions to the con
trary, tremendously high speed was t
be made over at least some portion
/. of the course. Forty-twO minutes ha
been reported as the best time owe
the 32-mile course in the trials an
kmany believe that no better tim