Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-23
SPEEDWAY HERE
NEXT SPRING
TURNS TO BE BANKED AND
STRETCHES REBUILT
Los Angeles to BE In Eight Months
Circuit with Crack Drivers, In
Accordance with Herald's
Suggestion
BY d. w. sEMPLE

Los Angeles Motor Racing associa-
ton is already laying lines along the
suggestion of The Herald frequently
made in these columns as well as per-
sonally, preparatory for making of an
automobile course which will be when
completed fully the equal, If not the
superior of anything in the country.
Plans are being prepared for the work
to begin next spring, as soon after the
closing of the rainy season, for alter
ations and improvements on the Ascot
park track on larger scale which Will
make IL the most popular place of
amusement on the Pacific coast.
The turns on the course are to be
banked ten feet at least, possibly
twelve, to be decided by the engineers,
all of the inner fences are to be re-
moved, the stretches are to be rebuilt
and macadamized with new road
preparation that will make them hard
as flint, dustless and fast, the intention
being to follow as closely as possible
the work pursued at Atlanta, Ga,
where they have one of the fastest and
best speedways in America, the course
being capable OF allowing a car to
make the mile in 80 seconds and main
tain 1t for any distance, according to
the capacity Of the car.
The great success of motor racing
III LOS AHBGltS DldhtS llllo 1hAeA ~ iSS
possible, as numerous motor enthus-
lasts are prepared to back the Los An
geles Motor Racing association to the
limit. 1t is planned to dedicate the
new course with a monster meet, to be
given some time in May. Manager
Walter Hempel is already in corre-
spondence with some Of the best
drivers OF the east, and expects at
least fifteen of the country to be In at
tendance at this eventful meet.
Another suggestion of The Herald
was the fact that sooner or later the
racing contests with automobiles would
come to condition where circuits
would prevail instead of individual
city meets, such as has been the GUS
tom in the west, indeed, all over the
country. And there is a good reason
for this The people are past the horse
racing era. A faster, more sensational
steed has made its appearance. and no
matter what that speed may be de-
veloped In any sort of machine, just
as sure VIII there be competition. If !.
is but four miles an hour or hundred.
This suggestion has been acted upon.
and already the Los Angeles Motor
Racing association is about to join a
circuit to take in number of automo-
bile tracks throughout the south and
southwest, which will make 1t possi-
BILE to have racing events for eight
months in the year, and provide suf-
ficient competition to induce eastern
manufacturers to keep their racing
teams i'm constant training, and this
will result in three or four national
meets in Los Angeles during the sea-
son, when the tourists are here.
Nothing exeites more publicity for
the automobile dealers than the public
appearance of their cars In such events
as those of Ascot. Thousands see those
cars in action, note their durability and
endurance and fully understand that
when car lies down II may not be
the fault of the car at all, as was the
case in the Franklin going through the
fence, or the Cadillac turning over.
The public understands these things
quite as we'll as the technical gentle
men, and are free and ready to condone
such occurrences. Races stimulate the
trade, exhibit the skill of the driver in
operation of his charge, and as much
as anything else demonstrates the value
of careful training in the care and
operation Of tires.
Let us have a speedway of the first
class in Los Angeles.