New-York tribune., 1910-11-27
NOW IN LICENSED FOLDIDE PALMA ONLY LAUGHED
Famous Driver Tells How It
Feels to Lose Big Race.
CONDEMNS "CRAZY" DRIVING
Was Not at All Tired After Fin
ishing the Grand Prize Con-
test at Savannah.

p.,,b DE Palma. the famous driver os
-..sr,e, cars. who led in the Grand Prize
race at Savannah for three laps and who
1ost the race only because Of an accident 70
b,s car. has written a description OF bis
eansations while driving big race. He
says:
..esince the Grand Prize race about every
one have met after making few re-
marks. facetious or otherwise. about tho
u,,v secured the lead in the last third OF
the big race-something I shall never for
oet-onIy to break down just before the
finish has inquired as 70 how much OF
strain the contest was upon me physically
While some people may not believe II, that
long race was the most enjoyable have
ever experienced on any course For me
it was Joy ride in the true sense OF ths
word.
"At the finish I do not think was thu
least bit tired If I did not feel fine II was
because I was disappointed in losing b.
cause of a breakdown so near the finish.
nartfcuIariy when I had experienced abso-
Iutely no tire trouble. II was really re-
narkable that the Flats MichelIn tires
gave me no difficulty, running for nearly
4oo miles at seventy-one miles an hour
average II amused me a good deal just to
watch how they stood UP lap after lap.
Why. while I was in the running I was
having a great deal Of fun waving TO my
friend Bruce Brown TO stay back and nos
drive so fast We were kidding each
other frequently
''On the other hand. take the case OF Ray
Harroun, who when the race was a little
more than half over had TO quit because
he was exhausted and in bad shape. This
zlAF.-
on Harroun's ability, for he is one OF the
best. 1t merely shows that drivers cannot
always keep in form for long periods Under
high speed conditions. That was demon
strated in twenty-fourho race at
Brighton last summer. when my arms be-
came paraIyzed early in the grind. and
Parker, Hawley and other seasoned men in
the same race had the same trouble
This thing has occurred on other courses
| "a driver starting out in apparently perfect
physical condition, and then having some
part Of his system go wrong-nausea or
numbness perhaps attacking him. Some
times this is caused by a rough course or
perhaps little nervousness developed dur
ing the race, for while near-accidents or
bad skids have no after effect on the minds
OF some pilots myself included), they have
/ a decided e1eCI on OtnerS-
| II think a drivers temperament has a
great deal to do with his actual physical
condition while in a race Take the French
| type of driver: as class they are inclined
/ to be excitabIe or ny into mad rage II
something goes wrong while In the contest
Some OF these nave been known TO start
out after a slight delay and apparently
/ lose their heads, driving really crazy
race taking corners not only with reckless
ness. but with bad, nOvicelike judgment as
we'll. In fact. few years ago the wilder
and crazier a speed merchant was tbs
/ bigger his reputatio There is certain
well known road driver who IS always cool
and perfectly calm while driving at phe-
nomenal speed. but il anything irregular
occurs to make him lose time he becomes
! highly nervous.
/ For some reason or other. when I ses
| that I am hopeIessly out of a race, as ar
| Savannah. I burst out with a regular
schoolboy laugh-not that / think it a joke
to lose race and fat purse. and not that
| 1 do it Intentionally. II is merely my sub
stitute for hair tearing and running up and
down like a chicken with its head off And.
! by the way. losing six or seven thousand
dollars when It is just about under your
| nose is not a thing 10 bring a big smile 10
/ any one in view Of the high cost Of living
But they say I snfckered at Savannah when
l examined the car and saw all hope was
gone.
/ 1T has always struck me that most for
! eign drivers do not try 10 develop head
work. as they might, and head work in rae
/ ing is something I have always paid lor
| OF attention 10. / learned IL in the bicycle
racing game. Judging distance. speed. and
| especially gauging and keeping tabs on the
| other fellows. counts. II is Just as neces-
sary TO retain your composure and avoid
personal fatigue as il Is 10 save the car.
! In fact what is known as head work keepl
You from losing your head"
/ 1T strikes me that the driver who can re-
main cool and not get fused when things
go wrong during a contest is better able
70 stand the physical strain when he gets
! back in the running. and invariably stands
a better chance of catching up