Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-23
FAST MILES
ANNIHHA7E
ALL RECORDS
MOTORCYCLlSTS BEAT EVERY
PREVIOUS SCORE
pERkuM GOES TEN MILES IN
1902
Makes Worlds Record in Exhibition
and Then Breaks His Own
Record by One
Second

sfIQ Dulleu OIL i1lllt q IllHdtC ieANNP 49,
.erday afternoon at Agricultural park
Paul Derkum was the feature of the
day with his record breaking rides. In
the ninth event he broke the worlds
record for five miles in the time OF
ass AS, and then broke that record all
TO smash in the exhibition ten miles
by running the first five miles In
4:47 AS, or one second less than his
first attempt. The ten miles he made
ir 1902, or 10 seconds better than the
best previous record for ten miles on
a circular dirt track. The five-mile
record was neld till yesterday by w.
G.. Collins, who made the time Of $40
He lowered this yesterday in an exhi-
b.tion five miles in 300 1-5. There were
times when it seemed that the fast
wheels could not hold the turns, so
lar did they lean over. but not sim
gle accident marred the days sport
The track was fast, though not quite
Sc smooth as it would have been had
it not rained. but the almost entire
absence of dust was a great help in
the making of the fast time of the
day, as a number of riders dispensed
with goggles entirely.
All of the events were interesting,
but the most interest was in the events
III which the two-cylinder machines
contested.
Boy Is Surprise
The first race of three miles was for
boys on stock machines, and was won
easily by C. Bake on Reading Stand
ard in 4:06. Balke's riding was a sur
prise to the crowd, as he is a mere
lad, but rode like an old hand at the
game. In the second race e. w. Hoag,
on an II. & H., which he designed and
built himself, Won first. Ham was Sec
end, with Earhart and Bake in the
fext two places. The time for the
three miles was 1925 AS, and was made
on stripped stock machines.
The results of the other races were
as follows:
Third race, five miles, stock singles
lee Richardson with a Harley David
son, first; j. F. Derkum on Thor,
second; Fl. Seymour on a r. S., third
Time, 6:27.
Fourth race, for club cup, five miles.
multiple cylinders-W. G. Collins, first;
Gust Fink, second: c. w. Risden. third.
Time, 5:35 3-5. In this race Earhart
was substituted for Risden. as Risden
was suffering from a badly injured
finger. which he hurt by running into
the handle bar of another machine
while speeding on the track. Earhart
however was protested, as he was not
the owner of the wheel. and Risdon
pluckily got on the machine himself
and, despite the pain. won third place.
Fifth race, for club cup, limited to
members only, five miles-E. w. Hoag,
first; ]. H. Shafer, second; c. w. Ris-
den, third; time $40 1-5. In this race
Hoag ran away from the field and led
all the way, coming down the stretch
all alone and finishing before the Sec
ond man came in sight around the
turn. He seemed to be at least half
mile in advance of all of the others.
Hoag's performance in this race was
considered the best exhibition of a
single cylinder motorcycle that has ever
been given on the coast. The fastest
mile that he made was in 1904 and was
said to be the fastest mile ever made on
circular unbanked dirt track with a
single cylinder machine.
Obstacle Race
Sixth race, for two miles, obstacle
In this race the contestants had to
pump up their tires after the gun was
fired, replace the pump on the wheel
and ride the two miles. E. Knappe,
first; G. F. Durham, second, G. q. john
son. third. Time, $40 %.
Seventh race, Australian pursuit with
limit of ten miles-P. J. Derkum, first;
G.. Blalock, second; ]. II. Shafer, third.
Time, 1915. Derkum led all the way
leaving first, the others starting at in
tervals of a few seconds apart. Col
Inns got away slow and was passed on
the back stretch and had to drop out.
Shafer passed several and put them out
of the running and was finally passed
by Derkum near the end of the race,
but held his place long enough to
qualify for third.
Eighth race, Australian PURSUIT for
singles, ten-miie limit-E. w. Hoag,
firsst; Raymond Seymour, second.
Time, ITO Hoag passed everybody in
this race that was left on the track.
Ninth race. five miles, free for all up
to five-horsepower, multiple cylinder,
for the Risden cup-P. J. Derkum. first;
w. G Collins. second; G. Blaylock,
third. Time. 45S 49, In this race
Derkum and Collins passed and re-
passed each other during the first two
or three miles, until finally Derkum got
his machine up to better form or else
quit fooling and led the rest of the way
One mile in this event was made by
Derkum in IS seconds.
Give Exhibitions
The eleventh event was scratched on
account OF a lack of time.
Following the contested events Der
KUN and then Collins gave their ex-
hibitions of ten and five miles. They
were the most interesting events of the
day, and when Derkum reeled off the
first six. miles each of them in less
than a minute, the crowd went Wild
and cheered the lucky rider every time
he came around. Collins lowered his
best previous time but did not quite
fulfill the expectations of the crowd.
The final race was for messenger boys
on bicycles, and quite a bunch of them
pedaled their high gears around the
oval In good time. but by then the
crowd was not satisfied with anything
less than q mile minute.
Between two of the events a Stanley
steamer was put on the track and
driven a mile by Billy Reuss against
the record for stock cars and made the
circuit in 1903 1-5, which is 4-5 better