Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-12
SPEED DEMONS CUT
TIME INTO ATOMS
Thousands Wildly Cheer Plunging
Cars That Sweep ia Dizzy
Pace in Meteor Like
Movements.

Atlanta's speedway has found itself.
Full $4,000 enthusiastic spectators wit
messed the baptism of lightning speed
that proved beyond all dispute that the
great race course is the fastest track
that man has yet devised to test the
power of the flying automobiles.
There is Joy today in the hearts Of all
true supporters of this hair-raising game
and a profound sense of grateful salts
faction. The expectations. of the world
have been realized; the promise of the
promoters of the vast enterprise full
filled in a manner that leaves nothing
to be desired.
Never before I'm the history of the rae
ing motor car have such ideal conditions
prevailed, and the reckless. danger-de-
spising men who held the steering wheels
of the huge racers proved to the public
that they possessed the will and the
nerve to take advantage of this fact.
IDEAL CONDITIONS.
Nothing could have been more perfect
than the conduct of the speedway trials
on the opening day. There was nothing
to mar or to detract from the thorough
enjoyment of the occasion. Had the
gentlemen who control the destinies of
the track conspired with nature to pro-
vide ideal weather conditions, the tickle
dame could not have pleased the people
more. In the early morning there was
a heavy, cold mist enshrounding the race
course, but 1t was soon dispelled by the
warm rays of the bright sun that shone
throughout the entire, day. Smiling skies
overhead, and a balmy breeze that
breathed fresh and sweet from the near
by meadows. lent their aid to the occa-
sion.
The speedway itself was the first thing
that impressed the spectator. Stretching
past the grand stand like a broad, smooth
ribbon of brown velvet, it seemed to fore
tell new and wonderful possibilities for
the fastest mechanism that mankind has
yet devised.
WORLDS RECORDS SMASHED.
Nor was this promise in vain. Worlds
records went down before the giant rae
ing autos, driven by men whose names
are a watchword in countries where an
English word would fall meaningless on
uncomprehending ears.
Hurting around the track. at a speed
that seemed beyond belief, Louis Strang
the youngster who has sent thrill of fear
to many a veterans heart for the safety
of laurels hardly won, set the pace by
shattering the worlds one-mie record,
driving his Fiat, the distance in 37.1 sec
OIdfield had held the record, his mark
being All seconds. The "Only" Barney
himself beat his fastest time, circling the
course in his Benz In 40.13 seconds.
The second worlds record which was
clipped down Tuesday was that for 10
miles. Sturdy Jack Aitken, in a perform
ance that set the spectators wild. drove
his National 40 the distance in S:02.41,
thus eclipsing the performance of Bar
ney Oldfield at Indianapolis. when he set
for the figure for the world at S:15.9.16.
MARVELLOUS 9OO-MILE DASH.
Nor were the speed-mad men who were
making history satisfied with these two
records, for they Immediately set out to
create new figures for the 2O0-mile event.
In this race Louis Chevrolet-he of Buick
fame and glory-demonstrated that he has
lost nothing of his cunning, nothing of his
indomitable nerve and grit, for he drove
his Buick 80 the entire course with only
one stop, and demolished all previous rec
ords for the distance.
Never was a race more spectacular than
this event. The Buick, the two Chalmers
Detroits and the Marmon fought valiant
ly for the supremacy, and up to the time
that the Marmon came to grief there
seemed to be a strong chance that Chew
rolet might still lose his laurels. He fin
ished first. however, the time being :
hours IS minutes 1913 seconds, cutting
down the worlds record OF hours "a min
utes and IA seconds by a margin never
hoped for by the most ardent admirers of
this daring driver.
BEDLAMS OF ENTHUSIASM.
Did tire people enjoy it? If daring dashes
at lightning sped, IL brilliant bursts, stir
ring spurts. clever jockeying, and intrepid,
cool handling of the fastest things that
To-, ~ oil oil
the sport enjoyable, the people did enjoy
It. IF thunderous, enthusiastic cheers, IL
wild hand-clapping are an indication. the
thousands who saw the races enjoyed
them If hair-raIsing, heart-brealIing fin
Ishes can make life worth living to the
spectacular then the people had the time
of their lives. For all these things were
there. repeated over and over again, I'M
til the mind was bewildered and the
senses benumbed by the concourse of
great events, following so closely upon
each other.
HUGE, GOGGLING EYES.
To one who has never seen the speeding
racer in action, the conception of the i'm
p~essiveness of the spectacle is impossible.
The starter waves his hand. and with
gentle whirr the giant, rakish machine
crawls slowly to the starting line. The
occupants seem scarcely to be men. They
are queer, misshapen creatures, with
huge goggling eyes that glare without
expreesio over the course.
Suddenly the starter waves his hand.
There is a cloud of white smoke, the roar
of stacatto reports from heated exhaust
pipes and the huge machine leaps for
ward like a living thing.
"Ah-h-h-h-," says the crowd in one long
sigh as the myriads of eyes follow the
fier around the first turn. Down the
back stretch swims the racer, Ike a
swallow along the margin of the lake.
Suddenly the crowd fixes its gaze on the
turn into the stretch. There is another