Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-29

at was one of the closest and most
markable races ever run by two automobiles.
You have never seen two cars run so close
together without varying II perceptible inch,
mile after mile, as the Locomobile and
stesrns ran today have congratulated
Latham on his driving. He did splendid
work."-Statement of Murray Page after the
race.
81 never was able to get the speed out Of
my car after we stopped for oil and gaso-
line that 1 got out of 1t before that period
of the The gasoline was undoubtedly
at fault to n considerable extent after that
point. My wheel frame became 1oosened,
as you see, and It made 1t doubly difficult
to hold the car steady, especially in taking
tho turns. But 1 have no excuses to offer.
The LOcomobile beat us fairly and squarely
and only hope that the crowd was satisfied
that the stearns gave its competitor the
fight Of its life. Page drove a swell race"
Statement of Bert Latham after the race.
81 will accept challenge from the Stearns
for a return race with no restrictions ms to
drivers, providing 1t is for 800 miles. The
Herald knows that 1 was not satisfied with
n 150-mile race, because its representative
has been in touch with the negotiations from
tho day that told them to print my orig
inal challenge for 50O-miIe race until the
day he drew up the memoranda of agree
ment between myself and Mr. Gordon of the
Stearns, but 1 consented to shorter dis
lance against my most earnest wish for .
longer race. The Locomobile has proven
that she Is, grand old boat, and want to
show the public what she can do in a 500
mile against the Stearns. They can
have SoIles or any other driver they want.
VIII Oldfield drive the Locomobile IL we race
500 miles? Huh, Murray Page looks awfuly
good to me."--Statement Of A. j. Leavitt,
Southern California representative of the
Locomobile.
1--WE proved one thing--that the Stearns
can go $50 miles and make the Locomobile
open up all the way. 1t was unfortunate
that we had to stop for oil and gasoline, be-
cause otherwise would have given the
crowd a great deal closer finish. We know
where lost our time and we know that
we didn't have to lose 1t because of any fault
of the car. The Stearns proved herself and
that was what 1 wanted. I have not an
excuse to offer. Latham did noble work and
has my gratitude for life. We never
said that he was world-beater, but he is
one Of the best drivers in this part of the
country."--Statement Of Huntly Gordon,
Southern California representative Of the
Stearns.
Running the last twenty miles of
the most famous 150-mile match race
ever driven by any automobile, with
no lubricating oil in her tank and with
only such oil remaining in her engine
as had worked itself through it's NECK
anism, the Locomobile yesterday after
noon at Ascot park, before an audience
of 10000 wildly excited and cheering
spectators, crossed the finish tape a
winner over her sturdy opponent, the
Stearns, in worlds record time, nego-
tiating the distance in Q hours, AZ min
utes and 1 3-5 seconds-minutes faster
than any records ever before made on
an oval track in actual competition
between two automobiles.
+ Two minutes and sixteen seconds
later the Stearns crossed the finish
line, it, too, succeeding in establishing