The San Francisco call., 1908-11-26
ITALIAN MACHINE IS
LIGHT RACE
WINNER
American Driver i'm Little Ma
chine Makes $3.50 Miles an
Hour for I96 Miles

Cdn Q11Acl- dl lflN NilSNi lOQdy NOH Lie
first international light car race ever
held in this country. In doing so the
car and driver set high record of
$3.50 miles an hour for 1o6 mile jour
ney over a part of the circuit which
tomorrow will be used by the grand
prize racers.
William NJ Hilliard of Boston in
Lancia car, named after the famous
Italian driver, was the winner. The
elapsed time was 3 hours IS minutes
and 3S seconds
Robert Burman, driving Buick car
No. s, finished second, more than six
minutes behind the winner L. b. Lor-
rimer. seated at the throttle Of the
Chalmers Detroit No. 10, fought his
way into third position; E. H. Hearne,
Buick No II. was fourth, and Al Poole's
Italian Isotta was fifth. Then came a
whole flock of two cylinder Maxwells,
Arthur See in No. 3 finishing sixth, and
Carl Kelsey in No. Il finishing seventh.
Costello's Maxwell No. u and Mum
weiler's No. 15 were in eighth and
ninth places, respectively, when the
race was called off.
FRENCH CAR FAILS
The only other car running at this
time was the French car Spo which
had been especially rebuilt for the
race but which was continuously in
trouble. succeeding finally in making
only FIVE circuits or the 9.S mile course.
The race was run under sapphire
cl- nd m Ia f7f q en- or.
sun which made overcoats uncomfort-
able. a crowd of many thousands filled
the grandstand at the finish line, and
many thousands lined the course on all
sides. But the crowd remained at a
respectful distance, for 500 militiamen
were thrown about the circuit and
they kept the pathway of the cars alb
solutely free from trespass-
While there were many minor mis-
haps TO the cars, the only serious
wreck came at the very close of the
racing. Easterinan. driving Buick No.
Il, had been in trouble early in the
day and was driving pell NELL on his
fourteenth lap, when he lost the road
and went crashing into the ditch.
The mechanieian, Frank Thompson,
was hurled from the car and rendered
unconscious. 1t was at first thought
he had been killed, but later he re-
gained consciousness and il was said
tonight he would recover.
UNLUcKy No. IS
Car NO. -, lnalmefS, driven Dy
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. Is originally, but exchanged with
more timid driver, who was fearful
lest the fated number should bring him
i'll luck.
The race was duel from the very
start between the cars that finished
first and second. Burman in his Buick
held the lead for the entire first half
OF the race. Then he stopped to re-
place a lost nut and Hilliard drove the
Lancia into a lead which he never re-
linquished. 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 he later
fed by hand into the throbbing motor.
Burrnan fought valiantly to regain
his lost advantage, but to no avail.
The Lancia kept humming away over
the ground with engines muffied, while
Burman in his Buick and Lorimer in
Chalmers kept tapping and barking
with open exhaust at his heels.
Once Lorimer got by Burman and
held the honor OF second position dur
ing the fourteenth, fifteenth and six
teenth of the twenty lap race, but
Burman, known as one of the most
daring drivers al the course, kept
crowding his engines and urging his
car forward until he was again in sec
ond place.
HILLIARD GAINS LAP
Hilliard, in the Lancia, meantime had
gained nearly a lap on his rivals. Early
IN the race it was seen that the Lancia
was running more smoothly and hold
ing its own better than any of the
other cars and it was hailed as winner
by the knowing ones as early as the
third lap Hilliard seemed to be driv-
ing with ease and nonchalance as
though out for pleasure trip, and he
did not seem TO be using the maximum
of his power at any stage of the con-
1915 horsepower, but it fairly swept
the heavier baby racers" off their feet
Buick car No. IL, driven by Hearne,
was in q contending position through
out and held third place for a long
while, fighting over every inch of the
roadway with the Chalmers No. /.
The Is cars starting in the race-12
French manufacture-were sent away
at half-ninute intervals and kept in
clusters throughout. At times there
were as high as four of the little
racers in the home stretch in view of
the grandstands. and the sharpness of
great crowds continuously on their
feet The official time in hours, min
utes and seconds OF the seven cars
allowed to finish were:
Lancia, 3:43:33, Buick No. s. 3:49:45;
Chalmers No. 10. 3.53:55; Buick No. II.
4:1S:3s Maxwell No. II, 4:20:44.
GRAND PRIZE CONTEST
SAVANNAH, Ga, Not 25.--Interest
tonight turned upon the grand prize
contest tomorrow. when 20 of the
heaviest and most powerful cars ever