New-York tribune., 1909-10-24
CUP RACE LOOMS UP
AUTO CLIMAX NEAR.
Speed Records Expected to
Fall on Saturday.

one OF the greatest automobile racing
reasons ever known IN this country Will
be brought to a climax on Saturday with
tho race for the Vanderbilt Gun. the blue
ribbon fixture OF the motor racing world
While the list does not close until to-
morrow. enough entries-dfteen In aIi-hav.
been received TO insure its success. and
unless all signs fan. judging By the char
acter OF the cars entered and the caIfhre
OF their drivers, II should be the best ana
fastest race ever held FOR this historic
trophy.
Unlike its predecessors. this years con-
test, which Is the nth competition for
the cup offered by William K Wander
bilt, tr.. La open only to stock chassis cars
in Glasses and (Class b. as defined by
tbs rules OF the American Automobile
Association. instead Of for specially built,
powerful racers. as was the custom IN
previous years. In other words, this year 3
contest In open TO cars OF from 45I to Sc
cubic inches piston displacement, with a
minimum weight OF 100 pounds, and for
cars OF sm 10 $50 cubic inches piston dis
placement, with a minimum weight of
2,1oe pounds While these two classes OF
cars will racs jointly for the Vanderbilt
Cup, they will also compete In their own
classes for special trophies given by Mr..
Vanderbilt.
In addition to the above. prizes ara also
offered In two other clssses-Class J. FOR
the Wheatley Hills Sweepstakes, for cars
OF II 10 300 cubic inches, with q minimum
weight OF 1.s0o pounds. and Glass 4 ror
the Massapequa Sweepstakes. for cars Of
Isl to 30 cubic inches piston displacement.
with q minimum weight of Zoo pounds. II
is also provided under the conditions OF
the contest that In the Vanderbilt Cup
race the cars are TO cover q laps Of the
17s4 mile circuit. or Za.os miles; IN tbs
Wheatley Hills event. Is laps, or i2s. 50
miles. and In the MassapsQuL event. 10
laps. or Izs.+o miles.
Judging simply by their piston displace-
ment. the cars entered IN this years race
are by no means a. powerful as the cars
entered In previous races. but as a mat
ter OF fact, despite their smaller piston
displacement, they are probably the fast
est held OF cars ever entered in a road
race. Even the smallest cars havs shown
a speed Of over sixty miles an hour. while
the larger machines may we'll make seventy
to ninety miles an hour.
The speed OF the cars, combined with the
fact that this years raoe will be hsld over
a S-4S4N NA$A@N A1oSA-NcAJ AAoo AAOLA A4A4ASs
lends color 70 the statements OF the drivers
who have been over the course that the
winning car this year will not only smash
all previous Vanderbilt Cup records. but
will probably average between sixty-nve
and seventy miles an hour for the entire
distance.
Another innovation in connection with this
years race which will be appreciated by
those who object to staying up all night
will be the fact that 1t will be started at
o'clock IN the morning, instead OF at day
light This will, OF course. detract from
the picturesque procession OF motor cars
with their flashing headlights and sleepy
passengers on the night before the race.
but IL will contribute considerably to the
comfort Of the spectators and diminish the
chance OF accidents.
Among those who have bought seats and
boxes are Mrs. Sidney Dillon Ripley. Al
fred G. Vanderbilt. clifford v. Brokaw. L.
NJ Bowker. c. A Fowler. Carl Berger. ].
NJ Murdock. William Mitchell Lewis. L
NJ GLIB, Charles D. Cooke. John c. King,
g. II. Weeks. H. H. Fleischman. r Percy
Thompson, z. D. Morgan, Charles Steele,
Mortimer Schifr, r. G. Curtiss, ". II. T.
Huhn, DR.. Allen T. Haight. z. ". c. Ar
mold, Sidney J. Smith. J. F. O'ROurke.
Joseph NJ. Gilbert. Charles G. Gates. George
Bennett, Windsor T. White, Inslis n. VI