Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-24
Winners of Former Races:

MOTOR PARKWAY, L. l.. October "a.
George Robertson. in a 120-horsepower
Locomobile. an American-made machine,
won the fourth Vanderbilt automobile cup
| race on the new Motor Parkway on Long
Island today.
| At the same time he created a new
Americai record for long distance auto
| mobile contests.
Herbert Lytle. driving an Italian Isotta,
of fifty horsepower. was second less than
two minutes behind the winner.
! These two were the only cars to Of.
| ficially finish the race.
| The great crowd of not less than a
quarter Of a million persons. who had
filled the grandstand and almost every
point of vantage around the entire course.
crowded on the track after the first two
cars had dashed across the finish line. To
avoid the possibility of serious accidents
it became necessary for the track officials
to declare the race off after the second
car had finished
At the time of the finish the 11O-horse.
power German Mercedes. owned by w. X.
Vanderbilt. jr., driven by w. c. Luttgen.
was running third with a safe lead. II
must be accorded third place. although II
was not permitted to finish.
Boys Leg Is Broken.
The overrunning of the course at the
end of the race not only brought the con-
test to a sudden and unseemly end. IT re-
suited in a casualty-the running down
of one of the spectators by the No. Lo-
comobile, driven by James Florida.
Florida had not been warned that the
race had been called off, He came full
tilt upon the crowd. Realizing that hs
could not pass. he applied the brake.
1t was too late. THE big racing ma.
chine hit the crowd squarely. When they
fell back David S. Schulz, a boy of eigh-
| teen. lay in the road with fractured leg.
While todays race lacked some of the
elements of interest found in former Van
derbilt cup contests. when many famous
foreign drivers piloted machines from
their own lands. it nevertheless was re-
plete with excitement and suspense.
The hopes of thousands, who had pinned
their faith to Lewis StranS in his French
Renault, were dashed when Strang was
delayed half an hour at the start by
trivial accident to his machinery and
then was forced to withdraw altogether
at the end of the third lap. The chief In.
ertson.
They were fighting hard every minute.
After the seventh lap it was duel TO
the end. with Robertson showing the way
by the closest margin.
Both whizzed past. covering rounds In
less than twenty-one minutes; some.
times, for short stretches, shooting
through space at the rate of 100 feet
second and electrifying the crowds BY
their daring.
Duel to the Finish.
The battle was fought all the way. the
other cars passing by unnoticed almost.
At the conclusion of the last lap but one
a minute and a few seconds only sep
arated the two. Robertson was in the
lead
The hearts of the ten thousand assem-.
bled in and around the granustand stood
still when it was announced that the
American car had jumped the road and
landed in the middle OF field at Plain
view Onward thundered the Italian car.
every precious second cutting down the
lead of his rival.
one minute. two minutes. three min.
utes passed and no word came or how
badly Robertson had Jared. The four
minutes of margin which the American
driver had over his rival passed. and
still There came no word. IL seemed a.
If the Isetta must win.
Just then the announcer put up his
megaphone and a hush fell over the null
titude. Robertson. the announcer crieo
out had only been delayed two minutes
by his mishap, and was once more on
the road.
A few minutes later with fine burst
of speed Robertson burst into view. With
a roar his big machine dashed across
the finish line.
The Vanderbilt cup race was over and
an American car had won.
Three Contestants Fighting Hard.
At the end of the sixth lap. with the
race for the Vanderbilt cup little more
than half finished Haupt. No. 4. in his
Chadwick; Robertson. No. is. in a Loco.
mobile, and Herbert Lytle, No. q, Isotta.
were making desperate fight for leader.
ship. Haupt had the honor at that point
But Haupt flashed across the line
Robertson was pounding along only u
seconds behind him. pushing his big cas
to the limit of its speed. He went past