New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-26
whips Jack Johnson When II
Comes to Auto Racing.
FAST GOING FOR A MILE
Rig Crowd Turns Out, but Those
Who Went to Shudder
Refuse to Smile.


negro did shoa some skin As driver
houeve-. and Numbered around the track
with the daring horn Of pure fearlessness
and S1rpreroe confidence in himself hut for
she rpo~t mart no was buried in the dust
cloud raised hv the Aging OF his more
experienced and equally daring opponent
oldaeld Who dehod the American Auto
mobile Association for the sake Of picking
III some cas- money in match race
with Johnson won In two straight five
mile heats THO man who holds al kinds ,
of speed records and has projected him
selr through space in his big Bitten Benz
faster than any living thing except a swal-
low refused 10 take any chance Of losing
his prestige or lucrative contract TO tour
the world and ran away from Johnson in
the FIRST heat when he covered the five
miles in minutes q seconds, driving at
better than a mile a minute. and leaving
the negro some half mile behind.
The second heat was a joke. but aroused
moro interest. because il savored OF a con-
rrst. pldneld won. Of course. playing with
his sslf-rroclairled rival like a cat with a
mouse. and covering the five miles in
minutes 1a4-5 seconds. lie waited for his
opponent on the long stretches. and once
The two cars came booming and clstter
inE b,- the Erandsiand hood and hood, but
Oldheld SKINNED around the turns bare
hands breadth from the rail. with wonder
ful skill While Johnson, going wider again
was engulfed IN dust that was binding and
always lost ground. In the last lap Old
field pulled out all stops. and drawing
AWAY Won b. a furlonE Johnson drove a
20 horsepoUe~ Thomas car, while oldfeld
handled C0-hcrsepower Knox machine.
Between heats Barney OIdfeld jumped his
hiE Sem racer over 4 mea slred mile in the
remarkably fast time Of - 3-5 seconds The
worlds record FOR . circular track is O:49:29
made hE Ralph de Palma. which gives some
Idea OF The wonderful speed OF the car
which looks more like a huge torpedo than
racing machine. The time Will not be
accepted as 3 record because or the fact
that the meeting not sanctioned and
oldheld is under suspension by the contest
board Of TIE governing body. but the per
Torrance Was a brilliant one and went far
howard satisfying those who paid their
money 10 see an automobile race. and not
= moving picture hippodrome.
With hvinE start out Of the chute Old
field flashed up the backstretch shot
around the one wide sweeping turn without
1osinE IN inch Of ground and came whirl-
inE down past the grandstsnd with his
motor cracking like a gatling gun. The
crowd hurst into 4 cheer. and il was not
surprising. the skill with which he
guided his huge machine commanded won
Ger and admiration.
Retwoen siN and seven thousand persons.
about half 4 whom, perhaps boosted AZ
fIca as their country. were attracted TO the
course either from pure lust for speed OF
from curiosity 10 what the champion
heay.-Ueigllt pEEiIis; could do in pitting his
skin against the man who holds SO many
automobile records that he has been dubbed
the king II al drivers. The moving picture
N men were there. too. in all force and il
cid not take long Tor the majority Of those
u present 10 realize that they were only part
~ tho show provide films for future use
II was not happy thought. but as usual.
rhe crowd was good natured and only
smiled when some. who do not like 10 be
classed with those "one Of whom is born
minute" expressed their feelings in
scoents loud and deep.
As A matter Of fact. nobody had much
reason 10 complain if laugh was wanted.
but the trouble IS many went down expect
tnE tragedy. and found only burlesque
They went 10 shudder and found only q
chance 20 smile. That was the main rea-
con why complaints Were heard. The first
smile came after paying ten cents for a
sIinnsv programme. which started of like
this:
First eNent-Warnng up of Jack John
ron's racing car. Second event-N arming
tp OF Barney OldAeld's racing car. Won
Even the announcer never found out who
won the first end second events.
After these thrilling fixtures were over
oidfield and Johnson gathered in the centre
IF small crowd in front Of the stand and
waited for the moving picture to start
his machine. Then a pantomime followed
which was worth the price Of admission to
those who had one grain Of humor. Some
hodv tossed a coin For the choice OF posi-
Sions on the track in starting. but Jack
johnson objected strenuously, or at least
his motions implied that and. producing
two crap dice from his pocket. demanded
shat the bones be rolled. OldfeId smilingly
sacquiesced. took 2 fresh grip on his huge
black cigar and rolled the dice on the track
johnson lost-even with his favorite bones
Then came fake start that the
moving picture man would not have 10 walk
20 the other side Of the track, where the
real starting post fixed With that
safely out Of the way the men drove leisure
~ over 20 the line and We're sent off to
standing start not by big Tim" Sullivan.
who failed to put in an appearance but by
Charley Earle which Of course served just
as well.
oIdfeId had the rail lie jumped his
little Knox car away like a scared rabbit.
and johnson was beaten then and there.
The big negro saw little OF nothing in the
first two laps. he was enveloped in
cloud Of dust. the wonder being that those
Who went 70 shudder did not have the
chance. johnson did not go plunging
through the rail however. as so many ex-
f,ected. but showed unusual skill in keep
ing his car on the track Finally Oldfield
drew 50 far away that Johnson was not
bothered by the dust, and the heat was
soon over.
Everybody expected johnson 10 win the
second heat that the programme might
be continued give the onlookers a fair
run for their money. but Oldfeld had his
ideas on the subject and while he al
lowed Johnson TO keep within striking dis
lance. his generosity ended there. and at
no time. barring accident. was there
chance fO- him to be beaten
When the second heat was run the NOV
ing picture men again got busy. Every
small boy in sight fiOcked 10 the track and.
surrounding the car, cheered wildly and
waved spasnodically as the films ground
IN their story Of cheering the winner of
Inc greatest automobile race eHer won"
Tho r,rofyyo - He'd for a ntlFclIsf rare