The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-30
WILL MAKE CHANGE
 IN RAGING RULES
Will Permit Driver to Go Five
 Hours
FORMER LIMIT THREE
Reform May Force Driver to Retire mt End of the Fifth Hour Though This Depends of Physical
 Condition

Indianapolis, Ind, December 29.-With the advent of the 1911 automobile racing season prospective changes in the rules of the contest department of the Amer ican Automobile association. the govern Ing body over that sport are being an- nounced. One of the most important changes which is certain to become ef- fective is that clause which governs the length of time one driver shall remain at the wheel in track and speedway con tests. The rule heretofore has been made with a three-hour limit, but according 10 advices from Chairman S. M. Butler of the contest board drivers will be allowed to remain in a race for five hours con- tinuously after January l, 1911. Another clause will be added to this rule, accord ing to the advices of the official, which will allow the referee of any race to permit a driver to hold the wheel longer than five hours if he appears to be phys ically it.
 One of the chief 1911 events which this new rule will benefit is the 500-mile in- ternational sweepstakes race over the h. dianapolis Motor speedway on Memorial Day, May 30. The speedway manage ment found that the majority of manu- lecturers and drivers were anxious to have one man take one car through the long contest, and took up the condition with the contest board. The result was that Chairman Butler gave the advance statement of the new rule for 1911.
 Physical condition will be taken as a basis for the action by the referee in every event which is run under this new optional rule. If the driver is found to hp nhVSiPqllV unfit a rf ba ably will be told that he will be forced to change at the end of five hours, and should driver who started physically ht shows signs of fatigue. which in the mind of the referee made the race dan gerous for the driver and the other con- testants. he would be forced to relinquish his seat to a teammate at the end of five hours.
 On the other hand the drivers have the right to ask change at the end of five hours. This will be done but little, it is believed, for the pilots are anxious to pull down the rich purses of gold of fered for the victors in the international classic, and do not desire to divide them with another driver The motor car makers also wish to see their cars taken through by one man if possible.
 The prizes for the International Sweep stakes race will total about S40,000 after
  their side offers. This means that the winner probably will be the richer by about S14,000 or sl5,G00-the greatest prize ever offered in motor competition. Nine other cash prizes which are worth from $500 or S700 to s600O or s70o0 are offered for those who push the winner to the checkered flag.
 The race will be started at 10 o'clock in the morning and will take about seven hours In the running, so that the finish will be made about o'clock in the aft ernoon. Already many have asked about the reservations for seats in the stands 10 see this supreme test of men and metal, and the crowd which this indicates will probably be the lart-st ever in at- tendance at an automobile race of any type.
 The entries of the Case car, with Louie Strang nominated to drive: the Simplex, still riderless, and the Inter State with Baldwin up, are certain to be supplemented within the next few days by many others. Drivers have been working hard to see what their special mounts would be and as fast as the initial block test shows the motors to be fit they are being entered
 The elimination trials which will be held to make each car show a speed of 75 miles an hour have set the drivers to work in earnest, for they realize that records are bound to go in the event with such a requirement set as the lowest standard. Some of them have advanced the belief that the S0-mie mark will be reached, and possibly passed, as an aver age for the seven hours of fast riding. This Is four miles an hour faster than the American speedway record, even for the 200-mle distance.