Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-13
4l5.2 MILES IN 5.53.5.35,
OR 7O.58 MILES AN HOUR
Frenchman, Victor Hemery, Second,
Only 1.42 Seconds Behind.
wild Bob BURMAN IS THIRD
Drives Domestic Machine in Race
Two Imported Racers in
Blue Ribbon Event.

SAVANNAH Ga. November 12.-The
New York boy who four years ago ran
away frcm home to become a driver or
racing automobiles today saved the repu-
tatfon OF American drivers from oblitera-
ton at the hands Of foreigners in the
Grand Prize race, the blue ribbon event
OF automobile contests.
Speeding faster and faster than man
ever went before in an automobile road
race, this young man. David Bruce
Brown. won the Grand Prize ~ barely
more than a second at the end of 41o2
miles-heart- breaking miles. tie flashed
across the electric timing wire l.42 sec
onds ahead of Victor Hemery, the
Frenchman.
Bruce-Browns time was hours 53
minutes 5.3J seconds, setting new Amer
lean road record of 7O,5s miles an hour
Foreign Cars Triumph.
Both he and Hemery drove Benz cars,
10 that the foi eign machines triumphed
over the American-made racers.
The consolation in having an American
Mt the wheel of the winner was increased
by the feat of wild Bob Burman, driv-
ing the maddest race of his career In an
American car the Marquette-Bu1ck,
which finished third, getting not only
third money, but an additional Sl,Coo Ior
the first American driver to finish In an
American car.
BEFORE the race IL was said that the
American team planned to SET a pace ln
the early stages which would burn the
tires off the big foreign machines, there
bv securing an advantage over them Ap-
psrently the Americans tried this trick.
IL nearly succeeded. Most of the for.
e;eners were either stalled or wrecked
on the track before the finish. But the
foreigners were too numerous TWO OF
their cars the winning Benz machines.
still remained on the track at the END
OF the race. All the other finishers were
American cars.
Accidents Defeat Foreigners.
Behind Burman were the derelict cars
Of some of the worlds most famous driv'
ers, who had failed To make their speed
machines last through the terrific strair
OF twenty-four laps of curving roadways
These foreigners went to defeat fighting
samely, and in some instances reckiessly
OF the grittiest. His daring nearly cost
his life and that of his mechanician
Louis Ferro.
on the backstretch. while coming dowr
a small hill at top speed, Wagner lost
control of his car for the fraction. of a
second. one of his front wheels struck
q stone culvert crushing the wheel and
throwing the car on its side for slide
of fifty feet into the trees bordering tho
speedway.
Ferro was literally shot into the toI
branches of a twenty-foot willow. Thi
caught him and broke his fall
lie ran to the car. beside which Wag
ner was lying with machine oil pouring
about him from a broken tank.
The great driver got up, with tine ale
of his mechanician. and walked to the
German club near by. Later he wa:
taxen to hospital, where it was re-
ported he had two ribs broken.
Haupt Plunges Into Forest.
Willie Haupt, one Of the Benz drivers
skidded off the road at the end of 6
long straightaway. side-swiped gian
live oak and then plunged, with his ca
and mechanicisn. into clump OF bushes
SO thick and so tall that they apparentl!
swallowed him up. hiding him from tn
view of the breathless spectators.
He and III. w. Feyhle his mechanician
emerged from the woods with reassurinl
expedition. though somewhat bruised ant
scratched.
Fifteen Cars in Race.
Fifteen cars started the race. Inside o
awenty-f1ye miles the three Flats, drivel
by Wagner. De Palma and Nazzaro. an
tho three Benz cars. steered by Hemery
Bruce-Brown and Haupt, had left tn
Americans well behind.
Hemery took the lead at about thirt
mites and held II until the one hundre
and fortieth mile. Then a change Of tire
n r,Stc al ~
foreign cars to rush past him.
Meanwhile Nazzaro. holder of TN
worlds road record OF about seventy-hv
miles an hour, was doing the fastest lap
of the day In an effort To catch Hemers
Nazzaro's best time for single lap wa
V:13 :32 which was at the rate OF seventy
six and one-tenth miles an hour.
For over 100 miles he clung to thi
clip until tire trouble gave him TEN
porary setback Wagner then took IN
filling his oil and gasoline tanks at tn
pits
When the 20O-mile mark was well
Ihe rear and the race more than ha
over, these big cars were still bunche
and doing some OF the most thrillin
driving In the annals OF automobile ras
ing They seemed more like creature
OF desh and blood than mere machines
Wheels on the Track.
They shifted position as II in bitti
personal rivalry for the vantage of but
few hundred yards. The drivers caugl
the infection and opened their spec
levers wider and the flying wheels
last refused to stay on the track at Il
turns.
Will Haupt was the first to go cras
ing from the course Sixty miles IA
ther Wagner, too, sent his car rollir
into the ditch.
Then Nazzaro, reputed TO be Il
worlds most careful driver bent his re-
axle irreparably and was out of it,
For the next seventy-fve miles the
was battle royal between De Palma
Flat which had taken the lead al
Bruce-Brown and Hemery, in the Bel
racers. Bruce-Brown running secon
with De Palma a few yards behind him
but two and half minutes ahead
actual running tiIle--tried to shake
the Brooklyn Italian.
De Palma retaliated with reckless G
forts to pass Bruce-Brown. once near
overturniDg his ear at the grandstaI