Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-14
MANY RACES FOR
COMING SEASON
LOCAL DEALERS PREPARE TO
DEFEND CARS
SAN DIEGO RECORD WILL BE A
BONE OF CONTENTION
Franklin, Stearns, LocomobiIe and
Rambler May All Be Looked to
to Start Something of Ex-
citing Nature

Ine coming season promises, II all
signs materialize, to be one of the most
prolific in speed and endurance con
tests yet witnessed in Southern Califor-
MIA. Hardly,a dealer of prominence has
not at least one lead" up his sleeve by
which he hopes to prove the superiority
of his car, and there are a number
who have a still larger program which
time alone will unfold.
Even the accessory dealers are be-
stirring themselves in this direction,
and if the tire agencies may be prop
erly mentioned in this connection these
plans may be said to be of more than
ordinary interest. Just what all these
plans are. specifically named, it would
be impossible to state, because of the
reluctance of individual firms or man
ayers to discuss their plans so far in
advance, and if they were stated space
would doubtless enjoin the publication
of a full list in detail.
Said broadly, it would look as if the
time had arrived when any number of
dealers in both motor cars and access
sories had arrived at the point when
they conscientiously feel that their par
ticular article was really the "best'
on the market, and instead of repeat
ing this hackneyed truth in so manv
lines of display advertising have de-
termined that they will, by some rea-
sonable and satisfying test, convince
the public that their views are correct.
These plans contemplate everything
from the most modest of tests to far
reaching ones embracing what they be-
lieve any one will accept as a last
ditch" argument.
After San Diego Record
One of the records which promises to
be the hardest to be fought for will
likely prove to be the San Diego and
return continuous run, which at pres
ent is held by l.. B. Harvey, Pacific
coast representative Of the Thomas b.
Jeffrey & Co. branch of San Francisco,
7 who, as the winner of the Chanselor &
Lyon trophy cup while driving a Ram
bier car, established a mark which
more than one local dealer is anxious
to wrest from him. Mr.. Harvey in a
"a horsepower roadster of the make
mentioned, covered the distance be-
tween Los Angeles and San Diego and
| return in 10 hours and 80 minutes, in
cidentally wrestling the record from
the Franklin car, owned by Ralph Q.
Hamlin. the local agent of that car,
and reducing the time by 45 minutes,
the distance covered being $50 miles.
HamIin in the Pits
Not to be outdone by the Rambler,
Mr.. Hamlin. who is the popular treas
urer of the Dealers association and its
secretary pro tenn, has placed an order
for a new 'tgreyhounr" of the Franklin
stock car type, and this car will arrive
! in Los Angeles next week to cast its
gauntlet against the Rambler record
and to recover the Chanslor &, Lyon
fro in, oI0 eic
form and the body will be added after
its arrival here. 1t will be entered in
the Altadena hill climb as a tuning up
event. and it is predicted of this car
that it will either tie a few scalps to
it's belt before the season is over or
cause more than one worlds record to
fall. The car will be used by Mr.. Ham
lin as his private machine, but will be
stock in every way. The car is re-
ported as having passed Kansas City,
and should arrive in ample time for the
event of next week. In addition, Mr.
Eamlin announces that it will be en-
tered in practically every event of its
class during the coming season, and
this announcement only fulf1lls the
prophecy that big plans ore on tapis
by the dealers to establish new coast
records for their particular goods, be
they cars or accessories.
F. Q. Nelson, who is just back from
San Francisco after an extended bust
ness trip, intimates that something will
be stirring in connection with practical
tests of Diamond tires before many
weeks have gone BY and something n
bit out of the ordinary may reasonably
be expected from this quarter which
will lend to the gayety of AUTOMOBILE
ing.
Stearns Itches for Contest
With the announcement from the
Franklin camp that the San Diego rec
ord above mentioned will again be con-
tested for by the new Hamlin "grey-
hound" comes the equally defiant an
nouncement from the Stearns camp
that whatever consolation Mr.. Hamlin
may secure from a lowering record
will be only short-lived, as it is the
intention of the local agency of the
Stearns company to likewise go for the
San Diego record with the positive ex-
pectation of winning the Chanslor &
Lyon trophy, and also the further an
nouncement that the Santa Barbara
and other records are also included in
the program Of record hunting planned
by the Stearns.
Bert Latham, the we'll known driver
in speed contests of this portion of
the coast, has been secured by the
Stearns Motor Car company to drive
this car in all the racing events of the
season, and in this fact alone would
seem to lie a reasonable justification
for the optimistic hopes held by this
company of winding up the racing sea-
son with new laurels.