Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-11

4 achieved fame on the racine
| coast. Realizing that the sixth cup race
will eclipse all former struggles. the
| western drivers have made great effort
to come east and participate in the great
event October 1. The latest to enter
the list Is Harris M. Hanshue OF Los
Angeles. Cal.
| william X. Vanderbilt, jr.. president OF
the Motor Cups Holding Company, has
just announced the entry of Harris Han
shue.
| Others from the western slope of the
Rockies who will fight things out with
Hanshue are Al Livingstone, winner of
the Illinois trophy; Bert Dingley and
Jack Fleming who made big names for
| themselves on the coast; Bilr' Endi-
cott who has won SO many light car
races. while there is a possibility that
James B. Ryall and Harry Michenor,
who are now on the Pacific coast, may
come east to drive i'm the Long Island
classic. The middle west will also have
large representation i'm Edward A.
| Hearne, Robert Burman, Ray Harroun.
Joe Dawson, Jack Aitken and others,
| who expect to show the eastern stars q
| thing or two. Hence the race is more
| truly national I'm scope than ever before.
| In Hanshue the entrants have driver
Il
numerous experts picked this chap as
one of the four leading drivers of Amer
lea In 1909 he drove the Apperson in
seven western races. winning five firsts
| Including the Santa Monica road race
| and one second. In the Vanderbilt he
| will guide a stock model.
-
| In 1904 William X Vanderbilt, jr..
Americas pioneer motor enthusiast,
prompted by a desire to give America a
new form of sport and incidentally to
give manufactures an opportunity to
| improve the breed OF cars, offered a
trophy. to be contested for in a race OF
from 80 to 800 miles on a road course.
1t was to be competed for by teams OF
cars from all or any clubs recognized or
affiliated with the American Automobile
| Association, or similarly recognized Dy
the Automobile Club CT France, COM
peting as teams and not as individuals.
| The conditions also specified that in the
years 1904 and 1905 the race must be
run on American soil, while later 1t
was provided that the contest might De
run in the country whose club held the
ltrophy-making 1t optional.
1 Since it's inception there have been
FIVE great speed battles for the handsome
silver trophy. and this prize has played
an important part In automoDlle poHtlcs
on one or two occasions. Twice the
/
to make it meet up-to-date requirements,
| and in 1905 the custody of the trophy was
4 turned over to the Motor Cups Holding
company, together with the grand prize
/ cup of the Automobile Club of America,
and the Motor Cups Holding Company
i has since promoted the cup races.
/ To A. X. Pardington, as well as Mr..
| Vanderbilt, Fred j. Wagner and others,
/ the industry and the public are largely
/ Indebted for the success or the last five
4 ctrn connection with ALI or
| these races Mr.. Pardington has worked
/ energetically and untiringly, sometimes
| against real handicaps. 10 make the con-
/ tests what they were. Prior to the IN
l ception OF and his connection with the
4 Parkway, he had much TO do with the cup
race preparations, and IL should be re-
/ marked here that the launching OF the
i initial contest, seven years ago. was In
the face of much adverse pubic opinion,
hostile local interests and various Legal
distractions.
/ AS many motor enthusiasts will recall,
the first contest took place October 5,
1904, on circuit in Nassau county, with
4 sixteen contestants starting. These were
| composed of teams representing the
| United States, France, Germany and
i Italy. IL was won by George Heath.
/ driving a ninetyhorsepower car. Heath
/ was an American amateur. driving as a
i member Of the French team, and he COW
| cred PSI miles at an average speed OF
| fifty-two miles an hour. Tart. however,
| did several laps at much raster rate
| skirting one at speed OF SeSents-ohe
miles an hour-sensationai, indeed, foi
| those days America showed third at the
| finish with Herbert Lyle. The initial
/ contest was a success in every way, and
4 certainly acted as a stimulus Tor makers
to improve the manufacture OF cars on
4 this side of the Atlantic. The race was
| spectacular and the public went WHO
over IL.
| When the second Vanderbilt was run.
1 the next autumn. an elimination race was
necessary in order to select an Amerl-
can team, Bert Dingley being the winner
| Of the trial. When the final was reeled
| of five cars each represented America,
/ France and Italy, while Germany had
| but four. second triumph was scored
i for France by Hemery, when he drove III
| a winner at an average speed OF 61h
miles an hour, materially better than
the time of Heath the year before. In
this contest Heath was second and Tracy
third. Upon this occasion, Lancia, the
i famous Italian driver, piloted one of the
greatest races in history prior TO his
unfortunate smash-up with Christie.
France scored its third triumph in the
/ Vanderbilt race in 1905. October 10
an American team of five cars picked
after an elimination trial in which Tracy
i was firsD one OF the best of the cup
/ races took place. The exciting finish. with
i its battle between Lancia and Wagner.
will never be forgotten by the thousands
i who witnessed II. Those two drivers, to-
| gether with Duray and Jenatzy. had been
| going with but few seconds difference
| In their elasped times for some laps.
/ In the tenth and last Wagner took the
| lead, only TO meet with tire troubles a
couple OF minutes later. There was a
frenzy of excitement, the crowds tore
/ down the wire fences and swarmed over
| the course, and it seemed as if they
could not avoid being moved down by
/ came Lancia, snorting across the tape.
| the first to finish the distance. Wagner,
| however. was going again. and as he had
| started several minutes behind Lancia
| still had chance to win in elapsed time.
Every one wondered II he would cross
| the tape before Ii was too late. He did
| in a whirlwind finish. too! Wagner S
| speed was about 63 miles an hour for the
297 miles. Joe Tracy scored the fastest
| lap OF the event.
| There was no cup race in 1907, the
| fourth taking place October "a, 1908,
| with drivers competing as individuals
and not as teams. The big memorable
feature Of this contest was that for the
first time the famous trophy was
| brought back to America, and II was
George Robertson, in the ninety-horse-
power car, who turned the trick.
Robertson's duel with Lyle toward the
finish was thriller" Robertson 6
average speed was 64.3 miles an hour,
the fastest ever made in a cup race.
|
Last October's cup race was in the
form of a sweepstakes. the Wheatley
l Nos