Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-27
GOLD CUP CAPTURED
BY WAGNER'S FIAT
Hemery, Driving a Benz, Sec
ond in Grand Prize Auto
Race.

SAVANNAH, Ga, November 21.-With
his nearest rival only IS seconds behind
him and after a grueling contest which
had taxed his skill and courage to the ut
most, Louis Wagner, driving g. 12O~horse-
power Fiat car, won the first Grand Prize
race here yesterday in the fast time OF
6 hours 10 minutes and 81 seconds. con-
stituting new American record for aver
age speed Of 65.1 miles an hour. Behind
him came Victor Hemery, who had gone
the 400 miles in his Benz car in 8 hours
II minutes and q seconds.
Like Wagner, Hemery is a former Van
derbilt cup winner and the rivalry be-
tween the two drivers throughout the race
kept the spectators in a fever of excite
ment Third to cross the finish line was
Felice Navarro, winner of nearly all the
big races abroad this season. and holder
of the worlds record of 74.3 miles an hour
average, made in the Florio cup. He, too,
drove a. Fiat car. His time was 8 hours
18 minutes and Al seconds, while behind
him came Rene Hanriot in another Benz
in hours 26 minutes and ~ seconds.
For 400 miles nine powerful motor rae
ing machines out of twenty original COM
petitors had battled for supremacy in the
International Grand Prize race of the
Automobile Club of America, and not I'M
til the finish line was crossed by the dar-
ing drivers OF both Italy and Germany
was the result out of doubt.
The Fiat and Benz Struggle.
The struggle between the Fiat and Benz
teams became so intense that 10000 spec
tators. surrounding the beautiful Savan-
nah course, remained on the ground long
after the winner had actually been de-
cided, until officially notified that the
Flat had conquered and that Italy had
won over Germany by matter of sec
onds. Throughout the entire race the
Benz and Fiat drivers had alternated In
lead, and at the end Of each lap were sep
arated by seconds only.
Toward the close the struggle was keen
est between Hemery. greatest Of the Benz
pilots, and Navarro and Wagner. the
stars Of the Italian aggregation. Navarro,
worlds record holder in long-distance
races, entered the last lap with a lead OF
less than two minutes over Hemery. who
in turn had the scant advantage of only
two seconds over Wagner.
While 1900 spectators in the grand
stand were craning necks and straining
eyes to see Navarro come into sight along
the home stretch, they were startled by
the news from the official announcer that
the Italian had had tire trouble near the
turn at Montgomery and had been passed
there by Hemery. The latter had made
fast time to that point, and as he dashed
into the grandstand stretch with a round
of 22.25 he was widely acclaimed the Win
ner. The result. however. depended upon
the speed of Wagner, and the tension OF
officials and spectators was great until
the latter came around in the faster round
of 22.55 he was widely acclaimed the win
gold cup of the Automobile Club Of Amer
lea to the Fiat and Italy.
From the outset of the contest the lead
had never gone from either of these two
teams. Ralph De Palma of the Fiat trio
was the leader in the first round. in the
second making the fastest lap of the race
in 21.36, a speed of better than seventy
miles an hour. Then Hanriot. in Benz,
made the pace for five laps. when Wagner
showed in front for a round, giving away
for two rounds to Hemery, and then re-
Stunning leadership for a lap. Navarro
was the leader from the twelfth to the
fifteenth lap.
Wagner Stopped for Wine.