New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-20
THE LONG ISLAND DERBY
CARS ON COURSE TODAY
The MeR Who Will DriUe-Lonp
Race at Brighton Begins Fndau

Practice will begin this morning on the River
head-Mattituck course in Suffolk County an
which the Long Island automobile derby win Ia
held on Wednesday OF next week The big o.
horsepower Mercedes that was formerly ouvnsa ~,
William r. Vanderbilt. ir and finished third a,
last years Vanderbilt Cup race now belongs ~
George W. Loft. and he has entered 1t IA IN.
Long Island Derby. Armstrong who served =.
mechanician to Luttgen in the Vanderbilt Csla
race. will drive the car. He has already taken
quarters at JamesDOrt and will begin his praetic.
spins this morning.
L. A DsbrOw. who finished second in the LAST
Neutrality-suspicious. automobile races at the BRIGHTON
Beach track. has taken quarters at RfverbeaI tb.
starting place of the race for his Rainier car Tfa
has been over the course many times already, In
the car and is so impressed with the good zoinx
that he expects stock car record TO be n,ads
in the contest. He is another who will have his
car out this morning. A second Rainier car has
been entered In the Derby. as vet its driver s.
not been announced
William H. Sharpe. who will drive the Sbar,.
Arrow car. is expected 10 take up his quarters ar
Mattituck On Thursday. This is the car IN which
Sharpe won in the sweepstakes on the Long Island
Parkway last year 1t has been entered bv Frank
j. Griffin a lawyer Of this city, who is president
Of the Automobile Association and the owner OF
several fast cars. The three Maxwell cars viii
begin practice work this week. as we'll as the Atlas
and the Overland.
The drivers in the contest will be allowed To
practise on the course between the hours OF q ana
O'Clock in the morning until the day OF the race
A Tribune reporter made a trip over the course
yesterday and was impressed with the great care
that the Motor Contest Association. the president
of which is W. j. Morgan the promoter Of the
race, is taking to prevent accidents Notices have
been posted along the route announcing the prac-
tice hours and asking that the course be kept
clear during that time The work OF building a
grandstand at Riverhead is being pushed actively
The farmers Of Suffolk County are deeply inter-
ested. they believe that the holding OF the con-
! test VIII bring many dodgers to Long Island and
consequently hope to reap rich harvest Many
Of them have already received letters from per-
sons seeking accommodation the eve OF the race
which seems 20 indicate that big crowd Will
watch the contest Other residents on the course
are building small grandstands.
For the third time within three months the Brigh-
ton Beach MotordTome has been reconstructed. In
preparation for the international twenty-four-
automobile race starting Friday evening next
the mile speedway has been resurfaced and pound
ed and rolled until II is not only faster and
safer than ever before. but the Motor Racing Asso-
citation declares IT be the safest auto
mobile in the world The last OF five oilins
applications was used on the Saturday. and
yesterday the gates thrown open for practice
Among the entered in the big race that were
driven over the track were OF the six-cylinder
LOziers: the Palmer s Singer with Frank Iescault
at the wheel; the Flat Cyclone. handled BY Ralph
De Palma: the winning Renault OF the last race,
with Charles Basic driving. and the Rainier which
finished second in the last two races. with Louis
DtsbrOw pilot All the drivers said that the
motordrome the speediest course that they had
ever driven on, and the opinion unanimously
voiced that II any accidents occurred IN the big
contest they would be due entirely to the careless
Of drivers
In order that the course NAV be made fast
er. II possible open invitation extended 20 all
owners OF automobiles TO try out the track to-day
OF tomorrow. This invitation is made for the pur-
pose OF pounding down and smoothing out the
course mostly followed by competing cars close 20
the pole The work OF moving the tnfetd fences
and bridging over the trenches the inside OK the
track IS now in progress, that should any car
leave the course during the race there eill be no
danger Of collision with any obstacle on the pole
side The work OF building the white city for the
twentyfour residence OF contestants and COM
petng crews Will be begun today also viii
that of the installation OF the electric lighting