Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-09-09
ROBERTSON CUTS
STRAhG'S RECORD
Speed of $40 Miles per Hour
Is Maintained by Daring
Driver at Lowell.
POOLE IN SECOND PLACE
Are Numerous Accidents But No Fa-
talitics-Big Crowd Witnesses
Thrilling Events.


same daring GOODNESS and judgment
which have marked his exploits on
ether motor tracks. George II. Robert
son drove his Simplex car SIS miles
to victory over the Merrimack valley
circuit and left trailing behind or out
of commission 16 other aspirants for
the Lowell trophy in the second ma
tional stock chassis race.
Robertson maintained speed in the
u hours - minutes / % seconds oi
54,2 miles an hour, which was six
tenths better than the average mad
by Levi; Strang, the winner of last
years race.
More than 20 minutes after Robert
son had crossed the finish line, ii
Poole driving the Italian Isotta-Fras
chini, flashed under the wire in second
place, having jumped into that position
on the last lap. f. II. Parker, in =
Fiat, captured third money. and Robert
Burman, in a Buick, fourth. Charles
Basic. in Renault, finished fifth.
100000 Persons See Race
|
son and Herbert Lyle fight it out for
the lead in the first II laps of the 1915
mile circuit. Then Robertson dashed
to the fore and kept the lead until
30 of the so laps had been covered,
when a stop of several minutes was g
quircd to stoke and oil up. Harry
Grant, in an Alec, and Ralph De Pal
ma. in IA Fiat. began cutting down
Rohertson's lead, but before III ~
caught him the sturdy Simplex driver
was up and away.
Robertson's stop seemed to have
robbed him of speed for with less than
40 miles to so Grant caught him ana
took the lead. Later however. as the
Alec car was racing up the backstretch
it capsized. broke It's chain, and Rob
ertson again took the lead and never
was headed
Sixteen cars taken from the reGua.
warcrooms of II manufacturers start
ed. Lewis Strang (Buick) met with
an accident on his way TO the course
He started with the leaders nearly 4,
miles ahead of him. After having trav
eled 40 miles he gave up the attempt
OF repeating his victory of last year
Chc,roIe. in Accident.
The Buick, driven by Louis Che
rolet, broke a frame on the third Ia;
and Withdrew, ana the Knox. driver
by Fred Belcher, fell out through en-
CINE defects In the 18th round Der
Shaw's Stoddard Dayton broke ~
axle. Hughes. III an Allen Kingston
followed by smashing into tree
Robertson, Poole. Parker, Burman ant
Basic had so far outstripped the other,
that the race was stopped in order .
had already begun TO cross the cours
for home.
At the outset Chevrolet set The speet
and before his accident succeeded il
making Two rounds, PIP miles, il
2l:lI, or better chan mile minute
When the Buick car fell out Robertsoi
took up tie gantlet with Lyle, Blu.
man and Grant chasing him hard
Round and round they tore, wit
Lyle gradually oycrhauling the leade
until the difference between them a
= they flashed past the grandstand wa
lonly - seconds. This margin wa
maintained for three laps until tn
> eighth. when Lyle pulled ont aheaC
:. During Robertsons pause of minute
in the 20th lap. Grant pulled up unit
' the difference between thcm was
!, minute and ] second
i Robertson iGnin Leads.
q Robertson pulled out all the stop
turned on every speed lever, aud tor
off like a dear before the huntin
e pack. On the 18th lap he was cor
IS PEELED to slow down for minor enSn
:. defects, and Grant reared out ahea
% and secured lead of nearly four mi
a lutes. The journey was ending and
o seemed impossible for the Bostonia
q to lose, but the hand of Fortune tipp5
II Grant into n ditch and after that Ro
~ tertson was never challenged
Re In the race the winner gathered
IL 81 geo. while $500 went to Poole, So
"a to Parker, and $200 to Burman.