The Washington times., 1910-09-29
DEMONS OF SPEED
DEPEND ON SIGNALS
Little Things Make or Un-
make Country's Auto
Drivers.
By HARRY WARD.

By HARRY WARD.
While the Vanderbilt Cup race driver.
ana their mechanics are fnduIging IL
Spectacular practice rounds with theil
fast machines. the managers Of the rae
ing camps are working. over "a thousand
and one details which the preparations
for the classic event deand, If chances o1
success are 80 be seriously considered
The motoring public has only tho
slightest conception OF what these
preparations entail The glory of vic
tcTy, 10 the public mind, goes TO the caI
and driver, but II the true secrets Ot
any big race were barred il would be
found that the victory was secured
largely through attention TO small and
apparently trIlliuE details in the pTepGT-
atory stages of the race
Signals Important.
On no one detail upon which success
or failure hinges, Is more Importance
placed than that OF a system Of sig-
mailing the drivers relative 10 the posi-
ton they hold at any time during the
race, Jhe lead they may happen TO hold
OF the time separating them from the
cars ahead
According 10 G. A Emise. who man
ages the racing details Of LCZier cars,
the driver must always know in what
position ne is lie wants to know
" neither ne is within striking distance
of the leader or how far behind ne il
from the leading car said EuiSe-
If in the lead he must know what
advantage he holds on all competitors,
so TlaT ne can use some judgment
whether TO increase his lead and drive
harder OF begin 10 take matters easy
The running Of a race IS usually map
ped out before the cars start. and the
driver knows the schedule decided for
him to run on He Is SiEnaled whether
he IS eE CeedIDE this schedule OF falling
behind it. and he is informed at all
times Of any important happenings IL
the running Of the race
These signals are generally worked
from ti4e repair pits IN front OF the
ErandSCand, and much ingenuity IS
shown in their working Last year Il
VIII be remembered. a mistake in the
Interpretation of a signal caused an ac-
cid mt TO the Buick car that put il out
OF the running Hence great care will
De exercised this year
Percy owen. Eastern sales manager
oT the Chalmers Motor Company. is in
Washington a few days. visiting r @
SibDald, manager Of the ZeU Motor
Car COMPANY Mr. owen is a firm be
lever IN the future of the automobile
and takes an optimistic view OF the
me wild stories about curtaiIinE
the automobile production all over
the country are not founded on fact
S=id owen
1T Is true there viii be some cur
taiIueur Of production in 1911 - he
continued but the talk Of a slump
and all that sort OF thing is a fairy
tale It Is a fact that the Chalmers
Company shipped twice as many cars
50 far this season as IL did at the
same date last summer
George Robertson-s multitude Of ad-
uirerS viii be keenlE Sappoiuted TO
learn that he VIII not be able TO pilo1
one OF the Benz entries in the Wander
bilt race Saturday
This daring driver was severely in
iured last Friday during the practice
hour on the course when his car turn
81 turtle Until today Robertson SLeaG d.
fastiy refused 10 give UP his place in
the car and then only after the plead
luES OF his bride Of q few months and
his own desire 10 participate IN future
contests RObertSOu's muscles are so
bruised as a result Of his accident that
his physicians assert the strain Of driv-
ing "A -7S-mile race on Saturday would
probably 1ncapacltate him for life For
this reason he has agreed 10 allow
Franz Helm. q German driver Of note.
10 replace him.
Miller Bros Automobile and supply
Company mas TaNen the agency for
the owen car. and the demonSfratOg
Is expected to arrive here during the
week The owen is made in Detroit
cars sd IllS country With the owen
TeIig- and Ford Miller Bros have q
strong line Of cars. and they are plan
Ming to handle many sales during the
season
Lester u. Moore. ir-- viii leave this
evening FOR New York. where he viii
witness the running OF the Wander
bit Cup race Saturday morning Other
WASHINGTON motorists who viii see
This race are r Browning Spence
John h Nolan. p e CdTeTIy. and A
Stanley Zcll
L Y HySOn. Of the Studeba Eer Com
Tany- is in LesbuTg looking after the
Interests Of StudebakeT owners in
that section He made the tr5D in a
Studebaker "40' touring car.
r 9 Smith, president Of the over
land Washington Motor Company. left
Yesterday for a trip over terrific ~
controlled by hts company, embracing
Virginia and West Virginia He viii be
away about a week