The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-31
DARK HORSE TAKES
VANDERBILT
TROPHY
FIFTH RUNNING or CLASSIC MO-
TOR RACE PROVES VERY
UNSATISFACTORY

New York. Oct 30-The fifth
Vanderbilt cup race was won today by
Harry r. Grant, driving a 60-horse-
power Alec car, the only six cylinder
machine in the race. His time for
the 2Ts.0s miles was 4:25:42. an
average speed of s2.s miles an hour.
Edward H. Harker. driving a Az
horsepower Fiat, finished second, five
minutes and Is seconds behind Grant
William Knipper. driving 40-horse-
power Chalmers Detroit, finished third.
Tame Affair.
The other ears. the Mercedes, driven
by Wishart, an amateur. and the Atlas.
driven by Knox, We're the only re-
manning machines among Is entrants
for the Vanderbilt cup which were
still on the course at the end of the
race. Compared with previous Van
derbilt cup races, the contest this
year, reduced to the level of an ordi-
nary stock car event was tame and
spiritless. Although accidents to cars
were numerous and machine after
machine was retired, no one suffered
any serious injury. The weather and
road conditions were unsurpassed.
The most optimistic estimates place
the crowd at not less than 100000.
Poor management and lack of of
fetal Judgment marred the race from
beginning to end. One of the worst
instances of this occurred just before
the finish. when it was suddenly dis
covered that the official timers had
omitted to credit Grants Alec with
it's twentieth lap. When he came
round on his twenty-first lap 1t was
at first recorded as the twentieth. As
he came in sight for his twenty sec
ond and final round the mistake was
noticed and the score board was
hastily corrected. Grants name was
moved UP from third place to first
ard the starter rushed out on tho
track to wave the checkered flag which
indicated that the driver had finished
the race. Because OF this hitch. Grants
victory remained clouded for several
hours after the conclusion of the con-
test 1t was not until after stormy
meeting between MIR. Vanderbilt and
the officials that Grant was finally
confirmed as the winner.
Race Badly MuddIed.
The early part of the race was bad
ly muddled by the simultaneous run
ming of two lesser contests for cars
of moderate power. These smaller
cars remained on the course for 10
and Is laps. respectively, passing and
being passed by the big cars and max
ing the task of the timers a puzzling
one In the shorter of these two races.
the Massapequa sweepstakes, Joe
Matson, driving a 25- horsepower Chal-
mers- Detroit. finished first covering
the 1864 miles i'm two hours, nine
minutes, 80 a-5 seconds. His average
speed was slightly better than IS miles
an hour The 15-lap race for the
wheatley Hills cup was won by r. w.
Harroun driving a 32-horsepower Mar
mon. who completed the 1895 miles In
s.1a:21 rs. His average speed was
59.S miles an hour.
The two best known drivers entered
in the Vanderbilt Gun race-Lewis
Strang plotting Fiat, and Louis
Chevrolet, driving n Buick, were among
the first to be put ort of the running.
by accidents to their cars. Strang
came to grief before completing his
second lap. smashing his radiator.
Chevrolet began well. rounding the
Ias4-mi,e circuit In nine minutes. 81
seconds but a broken cylinder forced
him to quit the race in the fifth lap.