The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-13
ROBERTSON WINS
FIFTY-M|LE RACE
Slrang's Big Machine Leses
Tire Early In Contest
A SPECTACULAR ACCIDENT
Pope Toledo Car Is Wrecked Durinu
Practice and Driver Fitzpatrick and
His Mechanician Have Narrow
Escape From Death.

Atlanta, November 12.--Today's automo-
bile races reached their climax when
George H. Robertson, driving 60-horse-
power Fiat, lowered the American track
record for 30 miles by :0407 The previous
record was held by John Aiken who
made the distance at indianapolis in
;44:212. Aiken, who drove a National
in today's race, finishing second, and Still
man. who came in third in a Marmon,
both bettered the Indianapolis mark.
Aiken made the distance in 4s:11.A and
stillman in. :4S:3O.56.
Eight cars started in the contest and
five of them finished despite the record
breaking pace which was set.
Lewis Strang. plotting his 200 horsepower
Flat, set terrific pace in the first IT
miles, but In the eighteenth as he was
passing the judges stand the tire of his
rear right wheel exploded with a re-
port like artillery. This compelled his
withdrawal as it was impossible with
this special design of car to make a quick
replacement of the tire and Strang with
drew. His time for the first ten miles
was :07:1S.S2.
seconds a mile faster than Robertson,
on which basis it is figured that had he
been able to remain in the race to the
end he would have gone the 80 miles
in four minutes under the time made by
Robertson.
Asked after the race if he would make
another attempt at this distance tomor-
row, Strang declared that the explosion
of his tire showed the wisdom of wait
ing until colder weather before starting
after a new record.
Hugh Harding, driver of the Apperson
Jack Rabbit, had a hard time OF 1t try
ing to keep out of the pocket made for
him by the two Chalmers Detroit drivers,
Lorimer and Dingley. While on the
twenty-seventh mile with Lorimer to the
left of him slightly in advance. and Ding
ley close behind on the right, Hard
ing made an attempt to escape from the
pocket. Lorimer blew a tire, running
against the fence and losing a wheel.
Harding was about six feet behind when
he also blew a tire. but managed to
avoid running into his crippled rival.
From the grandstand 1t looked as If there
had been a collision and the ambulance
was promptly rushed to the scene, where
1t was found that neither driver was in
jured.
A more serious accident occurred dur
ing the practice hour when a specially
designed and high-powered Pope Toledo,
valued at $4,000, was wrecked. Fl. J.
Kirkpatrick the driver, and R. Church.
his mechanician, were thrown $50 feet
from their seats, but fell In a bedding
of underbrush and escaped with slight in
/ juries. The car was a total loss.
The blowing up of Strang's tire gave
/ Robertson the lead at the end of the
twentieth mile. He was followed by
Aiken, Harding, Lorimer. Stillman, Ding
ley and Disbrow. the last named in a
Rainier. After the accident to Hard
/ ing and Lorimer, Stillman occupied third
+ place where he finished.
On the forty-second mile Aiken was
! compelled to replace tire and the spec
tators were treated to a swift exhibition
i by the men in the repair pit The change
| was made in a minute and a half, and
/ the star driver OF the National team was
/ able to resume without losing his position
as second in the race.
! The weather today was warm and in
vitinR and the largest crowd of the meet
| ing witnessed the event.