Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-10-31
CAR WINS
VANDERBILT
CUP RACE
YESTERDAYS CONTEST
LACKS USUAL THRILLS.
Accidents to Speeding Cars
Numerous But Not Sedousi
Poor Management Almost
Cheats Winner of Victory,

lBy Morning journal Special LEASED WireI
New York Oct, 30.-The firth Van
derblt cup race was won today by
Harry +. Grant. driving sixty-horse
power Alec car, the only siX-cylinder
machine in the race. Time for 27S.0S
miles, 4;25:42, average, g. IS miles an
hour.
Edward H. Parker. driving A.
horse power Fiat. finished second. >
minutes and / 8 seconds behind Grant.
William Knipper driving a 40-horsc
power Chalmers Detroit was third.
Two other cars, the Mercedes, driv-
en- by Wishart. an amateur, and the
Atlas. driven by Knox, were the only
remaining ears among fifteen en-
trants who were still on the course
at the end of the race.
Compared with previous Vanderbilt
cup races, the contest this year, re-
duced to the level of an ordinary stock
car race. was tame. The winners av-
erage speed was "a disappointment to
many.
Although accidents to cars were
numerous and machine after machine
retired. no one suffered any serious
injury. The weather and road con-
ditions were unsurpassed but the race
was scarcely on par with former
Vaderbilt cup races, the most optimis-
tic estimates placing the attendance
at less than 10000.
Poor management and lack of Of
ficial judgment marred the race from
beginning to end. one of the worst
n nafu Of haf
the finish when it was suddenly dis
that the official timers had
omitted to credit Grants Alec with
Its tdentieth lap. When he came
around on his twenty first lap II was
at first recorded as the twentieth. As
ne came in sight for his twcnty-second
and final round the mistaIy was no.
tieod aud the seoro board was hastily
correeteu tsralt : natat wac naoeeu
from third to first place and the start
er rushed out on the track to wave
the checkcred flag which indicated
that the driver had finished the race.
Because of this hitch Grants vic
tory remained cloudcd for several
hours after the conclusion of the con-
test. 1t was not until after stormy
meeting between Mr Vanderbilt and
the officials that Grant was finally
confirmed as winner.
The early part of the race was bad
Iy muddled by the simultaneous rum
ming Of two lesser contests for cars
IF moderate power These ears re-
mained on the course for ten and fiji
zen laps, respectively, passing and
being passed by the big cars and maxi
ng the task Of the timers a puzzing
me.
In the shorter of these two races,
he Massapeque sweepstakes. Joe
driving 25-horse power
'halmers- Detroit. finished first cov-
ring the 1864 miles in 2:o9;52 %.
lis average speed was slightly better
han fifty eight miles an hour
The fifteen-lap race for the Wheat |
ey His cup was won by Il. W. Har-
oun, driving 32-horse power Mar
non, who completed the 1896 miles |
n $40 u 2-5. His average speed |
vas 59S miles an hour.
The two best known drivers entered
II the Vanderbilt cup race, Lewis
'trang, Fiat and Louis Chevrolet,
}uick. were among the first To be put
utof the running by accidents. Strang
anne to grief before completing his
econd lap, smashing his radiator
'hevrolet began we'll rounding the
264 mile circuit in 9:j7. but a broly-
II cylinder forced him to quit IN the
nth lap.