Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-18
WILL
BE DRIVEN BY OWNER
RUESS ONLY ENTRANT HAND
LING OWN CAR
Was Bicycle Rider of Note and Has
Been Driving Cars from Day
of introduction Of
Automobiles

The Pope-Hartford car which will
be used in the Baldy race tomorrow
IS a 1909 stock car of the roadster
type. 1t is rated at forty horse power
and sold for $29OO The wheels are
34x4 front and 84x41a rear, equipped
with Doolittle rims and Goodyear
tires. Instead of the regular STOCK
body, a special racing body with IN
clined seats has been built. Special
gasoline and oil tanks have been put
on the rear deck. They carry thirty
gallons of gasoline and 10 gallons Oh
cylinder oil. All lamps are removed,
for the race and two extra tires VIII
be carried on the rear. The regular
Pope Hartford carburetor is being
used and the other construction
is exactly as found in all STOCK
cars of this make. The wheel base
is ia inches and the car rides the road
with no swing and takes the corners
Wy fast.
William Reuss will drive and Vic
Machris will act as mechanic. Reuss
is the only entrant to drive his own
car. and whispering BilP' certainly
knows how to drive over a fast road:
He was one Of the best Of the local
bicycle riders in the days of the wheel
and has been driving motor cars since
their first arrival in the west. lie
held the Santa Barbara record for
three years and recently drove a Pope
Hartford touring car from Los Angeles
to Santa Barbara in three hours and
thirty-fiVe minutes. This run was
made at night. He is known as one OF
the most daring drivers in California
and has repeatedly said that he will
drive his car in record time or Will
+,rr,, over. in the attempt.
Reuss returned Friday morning from
his last trip over the course and the
racer went into the shop for its final
inspection. -,
"Of course the Pope-Hartford will
win" said Bill in his characteristic
way. 'I wouldn't be in the race II
didn't think 1 could win. 1 fully
realize that in the White racer ano
the Apperson Jackrabbit I have two
cars worthy of our best efforts, but
believe we will be able to make fully
as fast time on any of the stretches
as either of the other cars. have
been over every foot Of the road ano
know Just how fast my car will go
I predict time close to three hours OF
even better for the trip to the mine
Over the San Fernando the Pope VII
| show 6S without being driven to th'
limit. As a whole this is the limit to
| this road, and at many places a ca
will not be able to make over fifty
miles an hour.
"Through the Soledad canyon there
are many chances for getting cal
in trouble A car is forced to fight
through creeks and sand beds will
slight dips and sudden bends.
lover the desert from Palmdale tc
Shoemakers the road has been badly
cut up, and while the cars will be able
to make fast time there will be nu-
merous places where it will be neces'
sary to slow UP.
"Ending as it does with a nfne-mile
climb to the top of North Badly, the
race becomes one of the hardest ano
most difficult ever attempted by motor
cars. 1t is different from a road race
for which the course has been made
smooth and level. There are all kinds
of the most difficult going to be found
in California. With level stretches
heavy grades and deep sand a car
could not be put to a severer test
May the best car win"