New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-12-06
RACING AND THE AUTO
END CAME At SAVANNAH.
Leading DIUers Opposed to the
Motor Park1Cay Course.

Interest in the automobile sporting world. as dr.
ferentiated from the commercial side Of the indus
try will lie dormant for some months now, until
the season Of 1903 gets under way with the stock
car race which will probably be renewed at Savan-
nah next March. Strang. in IsOtta car. won this
race last March. and whatever else was left uncer-
tain after the Automobile Clubs races IN Thanks
giving week it easy to see that the Savannah
Automobile Club. under the able leadership OF Mr..
Battey its president would make sure OF a stock
car contest In the spring.
AutomobilinK is primarily an outdoor sport. OF
course and such II must always remain That
really entails period OF Information. for the day
OF speed tests at a mile q kiIometre Is passing
and with that day must pass the races that Ore"
thousands to the beaches OF Florida and CUBA
Road races. testing endurance as well as speed
are In order, and IN the International races
conducted and to DO conducted here and abroad
Under the rules promulgated by the Association OK
Recognized Automobile Clubs the constant ZEN
dency Is. and for time has been. toward hni-
tation Of cylinder bore. 1t IS only a question OK
time before the racing will have TO %
stripped touring chassis. with racing body ana
the evolution Of the racing IS tuStifying now
by approximation to stock models. all the racing
that has been going
The American racer that the Vanderbilt Cup
this year barred. under cylinder nIalIauon
rules from competition with the specially oulit
racers of Europe, and few disposed TO question:
the merits Of the rules now that the Grand Prize
race has passed. The freedom from structural os-
fects revealed In that contest shows the adVancS
the manufacturers have made toward PeIASCe4OIA'
and the speed attained on a course mucn haIueE "
negotiate than the specially planned EandcroiIs
circuit must reveal much TO any thoughtfui student
Of conditions the coordinate sections OF the
automobile world. the sporting and the coInmeFciA
sides.
Next year the cylinder bore OF the cars that VIII
race for the Grand Prize will be smaller than thiS
year. In all probability. and the ideal OF racing
engine that can be used in different CODY IOr
touring purposes seems be near realization me
Fe to daITeI car
I'D to any sort Of usage and the road race serves
a valuabls purpose in this connection. IN proving
the ability OF run at high speed over or1i-
nary roads for distance OF several hundred miles,
It may be taken certain that the Autonomous
Club Of America will conduct another race for the
Grand Prize next year. Il may be taken as equally
certain that foreign cars will be entered II the
prospective entrants can obtain their accustomed
drivers men like Wagner, Hemery, Nazzare, Han
riot Erie Fournier, Strang, Heath, Robertson, Oe
Palma and all the rest These say they viii
never drive the Long Island course again 1ney
say IL never be properly guarded, ana tIAS
II would be ridiculous to hold race on the MOTOR
Parkway, or any other stretch OF roads in Long
Island where there is grave danger, at least, OF a
repetition Of the scenes OF October "A last, Wnen.
on the private concrete stretches OF the parkway
fenced and guarded they were. thousands tres
passed the course. and made avoidance OF a ca
tastrophe simply matter OF luck
There was danger to any spectator at savah-
nah There might have been, because, as was said
in The Tribune the day after the race, the con-
centration Of the crowd around the grandstano
was as bad IN Georgia as Long Island But
there was a different method of handling tbs crowd
That was the secret. Crowds are about the same
the world over, and possibly the great number or
negroes at Savannah made that crowd rather less
intelligent in the aggregate than the one thas
was allowed to become uncOntroilabls mob at
the Motor Parkway.
A man who will have a good deal 70 say about
where the next Grand Prize race Is held put the
matter sIccinctIy Thanksgiving Day he said
that no one could hold automobile race without
cars and drivers, and that. If the men who owned
the cars and the who were TO drive them
wanted to go to Savannah. to Savannah they "ouIo
he called.