Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-07
SPEED EVENTS
ONE WEEK OFF
MOTORCYCLE FANS ARE ON
ANXIOUS SEAT
GREAT CROWD EXPECTED ON
THE OPENING DAY
New style Of Speed Contests Is Ex-
pected. to Revolutionize Present
Order of Things in Mind
of Public

Motorcycle fans have but one more
week to wait in which to vent their
enthusiasm.
Next Sunday afternoon the world
greatest saucer track, designed esPe-
ciallv for record breaking motorcyclllls,
will be formally opened to the puphc
with the inauguration of a race meet
which will last three months, Wnlcn
will attract the greatest motorcycle
drivers of this country to this city ana
during which every world record nov
standing ON the books, from one mile
up, will unquestionably tumble.
A week ago the track was sealed up
SO that the speedy drivers of this state
and others might become Thoroughly
acquainted with the dangers ana the
speed wrinkles peculiar to the course.
since which time the other work OIL
leveIinr nm the arena and erecting the
immense grand stand has been pushed
by large force of men. This work. TO
all intents and purposes, will be COM
pleted by next Saturday night, ana
when the crowds throng to the course
next Sunday they will marvel at the
immense amount of work that has been
done in so incredibly short a tins.
It is expected that the races will be-
gin with record crowds from the very
outset as untold interest has already
been awakened on the part of motor
cycle enthusiasts and this interest Is
0e10R SpfedQ IHEOuSn INC pohy PciihAN
at a rapid rate. The races, the stars
that will participate, the terrific speed
which is expected on the part of re
spective machines, the rivalry between
one crack and another, the technical
differences which are expected TO de-
eide the various events-all these
things are beginning to be the texts
for street corner gossip and arguments
in certain quarters. especially along
''notorcycle row." and the lay pedes-
trian is often checked in his progress
by little bunch of men who are hav-
ing much to say on some one of these
subjects and not infrequently is he edi-
fled with the use of large sums of
conversation" money on the part of
the more enthusiastic or more bellig-
erent devotees of the game.
With the approach of the coming
race event and in the light of the talk
generated by it it is becoming appar-
ent that motorcycle racing is to become
one of the most favored pastimes of
the pleasure seeking public. The in
ordinate speed of which a motorcycle
is capable, especially when tuned for
racing on board saucer track, so far
exceeds the speed capacity of any other
device ever built that it is a moral
certainty that the public will require
go motorcycle crazy.
Even with the slower speed of a BIZ
cycle, when that vehicle was the speed
lest machine made, it will be remem-
bered that larger crowds would turn
out to see competitions between the
crack riders than would go to any other
kind of racing, not excepting horse
racing. With the coming of the auto
mobile and with the wearing off of the
keen edge of bicycling. the public grad
ually fell away from the latter, and yet
has shown ready willingness to go to
any length to see a fast speed contest
between automobiles. Horse racing has
always been able to hold it's crowds.
but these crowds have invariably been
made up of a class of people who
wanted to bet their money rather than
TO witness the races for tests of speed
and endurance of the racing animal.
Inc entire world has been going speed
crazy, and that event in which the
greatest element of danger laid was al