The San Francisco call., 1909-07-26
BIG MEN DISCUSS
AUTO CONTEST
Heads of the Manufacturers
Contest Committee Speak
OF Coming Events
By R. R. rHOMMEDIEU

H. E. Coffin. vice president of the
Chalmers-Detroit motor car company,
who is chairman of the rules commit
tee of the Manufacturers contest as
sociation, has written to the Pioneer
company concerning the policy of
that committee in regard to giving
sanctions for important automobile
contests the coming season. After
reviewing the big contests of the last
year Coffin says:
Il am giving you this outline merely
that you may see the drift of matters
eastward. 1t has occurred to me that
the coast should put on one or two
events which will be of sufficient i'm
portance TO draw the crack drivers
and crack cars of the east to the coast
for entry in such events. If the coast
were to decide to put on, say. two
classic events, one TO be held every
year in California and one every year
possibly in Oregon, and if the date of
such event or events could be deter
mined by September 1 of this year. it
would be possible to arrange the
sanctions of the big eastern affairs in
such a way as to enable the manu-
facturers to send their cars and driy-
ers west without interfering with
eastern dates. 1t Is the intention of
the rules committee of the Manufac-
turers' contest association to settle
definitely not later than September 1
all rules which shall govern contests
for 1910. and it is intended that dur
ing the month of September the dates
of all events which shall be run in
1910 shall be decided and announced.
at least approximately. All this. of
course, in order to prevent the con-
fict of sanctions upon affairs of ma
tional Importance during 1910. Con-
sequently you see the Importance of
an early decision as to whether or not
the far west will be represented in the
really big national affairs
Benjamin Briscoe, president of the
Manufacturers contest association,
says concerning automobile competi-
tion of the last season: Each local
event has been under more strict reg
ulations than its predecessors. which
goes to prove that each seasons prod
uct is better than the last, or else the
cars could not make the wonderful
showing which they have made. 1t
seems to be the desire of the public
TO see all competing cars killed of,
or. in other words, have the rules so
r1RlQ IlaI none can Il0lSn with q per
feet score. This not only means more
for the cars themselves, if given
high percentage, but it encourages
competition, inasmuch as no discredit
falls on the maker of a car If he fails
on a perfect score. Misery always
hikes company, and If there are not
any perfect scores, or few high per-
centages, those with lower scores do
not regret entering, as would be the
case If the rules were SO lenient that
several finished with no demerit
marks.
"While thousands flock to race
tracks to watch short distance racing,
1t is because of the fascination of see
ing the racing cars whirl around the
track at a great burst of speed L
doubt. however. if there are many pur-
chases made on the strength of the
speed developed in track races There
is no question that the sales are made
through the result of fuel and reli-
ability contests, as car which can
stand up under the mechanical eXami-
nations, both before and after the
contest, demonstrates to the public
that if they can endure under the
rigid regulations of the contest they
will answer every purpose Tor touring
under general conditions.