Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-14
CAR IS DRIVEN
AT RECORD PACE
REQ BIRD SHOWS ASTONlSH-
ING SPEED
AUTO WILL BE ENTERED IN THE
PHOENIX ROAD RACE
Driver Expects Great Things from the
Machine in This Long Desert
Contest of Nearly 500
Miles

Sixty-seven and one-half miles an
hour is the rate that Bert Latham
drove the REQ Bird yesterday afternoon
on Pasadena boulevard.
The car has been in the sales room
at Leon Shelters garage several
months. and as 1t is to be sent to Phoe-
nix, Ariz., this week, Mr.. Latham tuned
ii up yesterday and took 1t on the
boulevard to see if it was still able
TO run.
1t is the first time that Mr.. Latham
has taken a position behind the wheel
of the fast little car, and on the first
run he made on the road he sent it at
pace less than minute clip
A third of a mile was measured and
| fiagmen posted at each end, while in
the middle of the course timers were
stationed.
After a preliminary trial. which sent
the car at the rate of 631s miles OH
hour, Mr. Latham started once more
but said he did not think he could get
much out of the car, as the clutch was
not tight enough and several rough
places on the course made top speed
impossible.
The start was made toward the east
end of the boulevard, where the road
circles hill the farther side of New
ton.
The car went down the hill at ter
rife pace and rounded the slight turn
without slackening speed. The course.
as measured, Is in front of the Newton
ranch house, within about quarter OF
a mile of the Bairdstown store, and
over that part of the road which is
straight the car fairly flew.
Traffic had been warned so that prac-
tically a clear course was available,
| and when the time was computed 1t
was found the car had made the three
tenths of mile in 16 seconds fiat. This
| is at a rate of 67h miles an hour, or
one mile in SO 3-10.
The record time was made when Roy
Hanshne was driving, and Mr.. Latham
hopes to set a mark as low or lower.
| IL he can, when he gets the car on the
fast track at Phoenix. He will have
the disadvantage of driving on a mile
track, while Mr.. Hanshue had two
mile track.
The car was built specially and con-
sists of little more than four wheels
and four-cylinder motor, held togeth-
er by a light frame.
Only one seat is provided. though in
the tests yesterday mechanician
clung to a narrow board beside Mr..
Latham and held in the high-speed
clutch.
The engine is made of two double
opposed engines of the standard REQ
design. They are set side by side. and
planetary transmission with chain
drive is used. There is no differential
at all, the rear axle being solid.
At present the gear ratio is one and
half to one, and on a good course.
smooth enough to allow OF great speed.
the car ought to go better than 30
second pace.
C. H. Bigelow has just returned to
Los Angeles, after two round trips
made this month to San Francisco and
Stockton.
He has been away from Los Angeles
the greater part of the last three
months, travelling over Nevada in min
ing camps. He has done great deal
of desert work with hhs car, which is
REQ roadster and which he claims is
more suitable for that class of work
than any other car he ever drove
There is some slight probability of
his accompanying Mr.. Latham and Mr..
King on the trip to Phoenix with To-
basco I. His ability to get cars over
bad places would be of immense adj
vantage to the crew, and MIR. Shelter
is very anxious to add him to his crew.
Mr.. Bigelow says there is no other
course 450 miles long starting from Los
Angeles that Is so hard to negotiate as
the road chosen for the Los Angeles
Phoenix race, and as he has travelled
nearly every desert road in the south
west, and on some that no other motor
cars than his own have been over, he
ought to be qualified to Judge.