Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-18
LEAWTT SETS
TALK AT REST
WILL RACE STEARNS 500
MILES ANY TIME
WILL LET LATHAM DRIVE THE
LocoMo6lLE
Has Beaten Stearns at Short Distance
and Now Claims Victor's Right
to Have His Distance
Agreed To

Despite the efforts of the Locomobile
and Stearrs agencies to get together
In order to give the Stearns a return
race to wipe out if it can the
defeat of few Sundays ago. the signs
are not propitious for such race IN
the immediate future.
Immediately after the race at Ascot
park was over, r. j. Leavitt, manager
of the Locomohile agency In Southern
California, caused 1t to be publicly an
nounced that he would consent to a
return race for 500 miles If challenged
by the Stearns. This announcement led
to the opinion that there would be lit
tie difficulty in the two cars again
coming together promptly.
Negotiations, however, have been 60
ing on for the past two weeks ana the
match Is further off than ever.
Leavitt stands pat for a 5O0-mile
race, while Sailing. Gordon and Bras
sey for the Stearns, insist on shorter
race, of from 100 to $50 miles. Indeed,
1t is said the latter have gone so far
as to issue a challenge for 100 miles and
for a side bet of $4,000.
To this proposed race Leavitt waves
his hands in a nothing doing" man
ner, and asserts that he will not con-
slider the proposition for Il moment.
This Is where L stand explained
mile race before we ever raced, but /
finally gave them a 150-mile race.
defeated them squarely at their dis
lance and announced that would
grant a return race at my distance IL
they wanted it, They wanted Charles
Soules as driver, and / have consent
ed to him or any one else they want to
put on the car. They said that they
lost the race on account of Bert
Latham's driving. | say that the car
itself lost and so confident am l that
Ii is the car and not the driver that
am perfectly willing to take Bert
Latham and put him on the Locomobile
and race him against any man they
want on the Stearns. If Latham Is no
driver then they can defeat him It 500
miles. If he lost the race for them at
$50 miles.
but as the winner of the previous
match race. l have the right to insist
that they come to my distance, so long
as I came to theirs the first time. They
have never dared to race their car 500
miles. If they want to do it now they
can and they can have $4,000 side bet,
or bet so much larger than this that
/ won't even mention the figures. I'll
have the money up in an hour after
they notify me-"
docs that mean just the Stearns?"
Mr.. Leavitt was asked.
4
wants any of this money they can have
It, in case the Stearns doesn't want it."
"Will you insist that the race be
postponed for sixty days?"
mo, emphatically. I'll race them any
time on reasonable notice. And, say
for me, that there will be no restric-
tions, except stock motors. They can
do anything they want to, can race
anywhere they want to apd at any
time they want to. If they want to
race to the top of Mount Badly, then
I'll race them up there. The only thing
/ shall insist on now is a 500-mile race.
That was my original proposition and
1 have earned the right to make them
come to me on that. If they don't
do it, then they don't want to race very
badly. l beat the Stearns at $50 miles
and was ahead at 100 miles. What
good would another race at this dis
lance be? 1t would prove nothing that
has not already been proved"