The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-11-12
SAVANNAH AUTO RACE
Fine Condition Of Course For Gold
Trophy Contest.
CORNERS AND TURNS BANKED
Southern Circuit. From Point Of Speed
and Absence Of Danger, Said 70
Equal, II Not to Exceed, Long Island
Meter Parkway.

tuual, Nos 70 Eseseo' loh8 'hs"o
Meter Parkway.
The Long Island motor parkway and
the state aud county roads which com.
plete the course over which the Van
derhllt cup race Of 1908 was run IL
thought by many 10 comprise about
the fastest BIT Of racing ground for
automobiles that was ever constructed.
Georgia folk. however. from Governor
Hoke Smith down TO the little black
lad whose favorlte dainty Is water.
melon, make a similar claim for the
twenty six mile circuit Of prepared
roadway over which almost score Of
the swifiest automobiles In the world
viii race In and near Savannah on
Thanksgiving day I'm competition for
the 5000 gold trophy and attending
cash prizes offered by the Automobile
Club of America. Not alone do the In
habitants Of the Empire State Of the
South say that the southern raceway
Is far faster than the one on Long
Island. Those OF the most sklllfu and
daring motor car drivers III the his
tory Of automobile racing who have
put their machines about the circuit In
the southland say that from point Of
speed and absence Of danger there Is
no auto racing ground anywhere, at
home or abroad, that compares with
the one at Savannah.
Consequently lovers OF the game Of
auto ear racing are looking forward 10
the smashing OF records when the
grand prize race Of Nov. 20 Is run.
says The New York Evening Sun
Since the Savannah race OF March
last, when Lewis Strang drove an 1sot-
Ia distance OF $40 miles In o hours
q minutes 20 seconds as the winning
car competing for the $1,000 cup offer
ed by the Savannah Automobile club
the distance about the course has been
extended fraction over nine miles.
so that now the total distance through
the city Of Savannah and through the
outlying country In Chatham county
Is exactly 2673 miles. A lap during
the race In March amounted to III
miles. the best time for this race be
Ing made by Al Poole IN an lsotta In
40 minutes 40 seconds, or an average
Of mile In little more than fifty
eight seconds, George Robertson In
the Vanderbilt race on Oct. "a covered
lap Of 23.46 miles In 20 minutes II
seconds, or an average OF mile In
fifty-one plus seconds These figures
would seem to uphold the contention
Of the Vanderbilt cup commission that
the Long Island course is the faster.
However. construction work In the
way OF grading. banking curves, oillng,
scraping, and 80 on. has been carried
on almost continuously since the event
Ia March, SO that now the Savannah
course IL said 10 be far faster than II
was when Strang and Poole drove their
machines about earlier I'm the year
The sharp turns OF the original race
way have been banked so that cars
NAV take bends at almost straight
away speed with little danger to the
motorists. The stretches have been
widened. so that at certain points
number u machines may speed
abreast The surface has been rolled
aud rerolled and scraped until 1t is In
perfect condition for racing.
The roadbed has been constructed
with a view 10 minimizing the wear
and tear Of tires. The concrete con
strnction Of the motor parkway por'
zion OF the Long Island course was the
object OF much complaint In this re-
spect on the part OF drivers, who
claimed that the back stretch. known
as the Jericho turnpike. generally was
far faster than the concrete section.
The roalbed Of the southern circuit
Il said to h. similar to but In far bet
ter condition than the Jericho road,
and for this reason the Savannah cir
rutt Is ex,ected 10 be more satisfac-
tory for the drivers.
The start Of the Thanksgiving day
race Will be made In front OF the
grand stand. structure seating s,oo
persons. erected on Estill avenue, In
the southern part OF Savannah. For
something more than mile the course
extends through Savannah streets u
White BlufY road, where II takes
right angle turn into the longest stretch
~ the entire course, a distance Of
% so feet. or more than three miles
without turn In the road. Al the
Montgomery crossroad another right
angle IN met, followed by stretch OF
something under mile. when another
ninety degree turn Ii met al Waters
rad Alternating stretches less than
mile In length aud right angle turns
bring the course 10 Whitefeld avenue
an Irregular road more than two miles
long
swamps and small river inclose
foot shared circuit Of three miles or 40
and an almost straight stretch Of thres
miles. followed by a hairpin turn
brings the road 10 the Isle Of Hope
said 10 be the most dangerous point OF
the circuit. The cut turn here Is mol
especially sharp, yet extreme care
must d. exercised by the driver The
only accident In the history OF the
/ course occurred here last March, whei
wheelman lest control Of bis car aud
shot with n up over the banking onl,
20 .and nninjured In soft mud ON tbs
other side.
An irregular winding road Of sesera
miles Is next encountered. followed by
/ two roads mile In length, Joined VIII
I'VE vide turus. bringing the autolst q
the home stretch. leading hack TO fhs
grand sIno. ms stretch, along Dial
avenue, II il,2s0 feet. or more thai
+ two miles. in length II IL a straight
away. slightly w grade. 10 that ID
Spectator IN the grand stand may loo
down on tie eying macillnes as The
Z come sy~~ding up the course, Th
roadway here IL wide enough for VI
machines 10 run abreast 30 that