Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-20
BY ID " sEAIPIE


WITH a snap and a vim and in tho
w presence of not fewer than 2Ge0
" people the best motorcycle races
seen in this city for years wore given
at Ascot park yesterday, each event
being of the topnotch order. The aud
Ience was kept on the high key during
all of the almost four hours of racing.
There was ono bad accident, when
De Roster and Dcrktm made separate
spills coming into the home stretch on
the last lap i'm the iive-mile professional
race both tearing il out at a aJ-Secord
clip. but with the customary good luck
which appears to hang to accidents At
Ascot park neither of the contestants
were seriously injured. DE Roster was
but slightly scratched and Derkum WAS
rendered unconscious for but tow mo-
mcnts with a slight cut on the helh.
He also complained that he had bocn
injured internally. but nothing serious,
/ it is thought, will come from his spill
The results as givcn above tell briefly
tho outcome of each event but each
was so full of excellent gencralship and
speed that details are necessary to tell
lust how each was carried out.
Promptly at o'clock-and for the
first time i'm the history of local motor
cycle events-thc lineup was at the
tape for the first number on the pro-
gram Walter Hcmpel of the Los An
geles Motor Racing association, mega
phone i'm hand. hustled the youngsters
into line As the hands OF tho watches
of tho scorers and timckeepcrs pointed
to the pistol rang, and i've machlneS
we're splutterng their smoke aroun
the track i'm tho two-mile race between
private owners in tho novice class,
George Graham carried off the trophy
in 2:37, with J. T.. Bergman second
and Clarence Briggs third.
The second event was an exciting on,
with eight entries for the three mii,S
for strictly stock machines, fully
equipped. 301a cubic inches. The rider
kent we'll punched on the track, al
though no particularly fast time Wi
made, T. Knappec being tho winner IN
3:44 %, with Nioderhauser second an
Frank Montgomery third.
The third number on the program
came into tho fast rank it being the
fivc-mile frec-for-all from a standing
ctart with four entries, Nj. J. GravoS
carried off this number in sos As,
Urhand second and Bake third.
Graves Wins Again
There were six machines at the lineup
for the five miles for the f, A, n.
1909, and it was in this race that the
championship of America for the year
fast time began, for Graves again Wol
with the score at 4:44, followed closely
by Frank Loge and A. l.. Ward. 1t is
now generally conceded that Graves
had his racing suit ON yesterday, and
his machine was working like the M
nards of a Howard test watch His
Judgment was excellent on the turns
which he took wide open. He hung t.
the inner fence like death, cutting off
every corner he could clip and demon
strating the fact that he is in the
motorcycle racing game to be heard o.
every time he appears. Graves made
the fastest mile of the day in any
event-54 2-5 seconds-beating the best
professional mile by three-tfths of q
second.
The five miles for club members only
was won by Graves-time, GIL, with
Clarence Briggs second and Nieder-
hauser third
At this point all attention came from
the grandstand. People began to sit
up and take better vantage points to
witness the sixth number on the pro
gram. 1t was the ten-mile profes-
sional race, with four of the best mo-
torcycle racing men in the country al
the tape, each with a national reputa-
tion, and each with record for ter
rifle speed and daredevil riding. These
were H. Whittier of Salt Lake, Arthur
Mitchell. Paul Derllum and Jake De
Roster.
AS each of the daring riders came 10
the starter they received volleys of ap-
plause from their adherents in the
grandstand and its inclosure. Der
KUN, who is considered the king of the
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