The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-16
BUBBLE RACING
GROWS IN FAVOR

Starting the motor driven car on a
career. of popularity, then neglected. to
a degree for time because the manu-
facturers considered the returns not IN
keeping with 'the expense, autom 5bile
racing has come again into it's own,
The year just ended was filled with
the excitement OF contest, with all the
phases represented, from, the -peri1ous
sprints on half-mile tracks to long dis
lance struggles on the public roads
The nature of contests, however, ha
changed, and to this is due the revival
in popularity of racing. Where d few
years ago the special racer was, ali con
quering,. today he is practically obsor
lete. It's infrequent appearance Simply
draws attention to the maker. It's place
as a speed creation has been taken By
the highly ,irnprov I'd stock car, capable
of being tuned@up Ito excessive speed.
but identical lin its construction with
the machines that the public is asked
to purchase. These are now the Idols
of the speed enthusiasts
In the season Just app-oa hing the
probabilities are that contests in ,this
country will be more frequent than ever
before, and that they will be more d.
Versifieds Speedway~and track-centests
1t would appear, are to be more numer-
ousr than other forms, but the highly
popular road race will hold its own.
Whatever the forgngof contest the man )
ufaoturers realize that racing with
stock cars is q valuable business prop
osition. Even the performances that
fails of victory can be turned to az :
count as demonstration of steadiness
and reliability if the car stands up and
the average stock car generally man
ages to do at least that
Automobile racing, 1t must .be-admit-
ted, has not the same element Of sport
about 1t that is associated, with base
ball, foot1bafleanC1 similar pastirnes,<ow ,
ing to. the mechanical factor which
must be part of the contest. Yet
lit cannot be denied that automobile
speed contests bring with Them an aex :
element and pleasure that can hardly
be surpassed. Those whose good for
tune il has been to witness the great
races of the past cannot have lacked a
thrill as they beheld the cars fash into
view, running at almost incredible
speed. $500 49,,
Those, who have taken the pains to
study the grim determination on. the
faces of the drivers as they, exerted
their best energies to get the utmost
out Of their machines cannot but have
been struck with the earnestness with
which they went about their work, and
also by the skill with which they ac-
complisfed 1t. From an ethical point OF
view the spectacle OF a man urging a
mechanical construction may not be
truly sporting one. IA e i
There can be no doubt, however
that racing sot closely approximates
sport and is productive of so much
public interest and excitement that for
all intents, and purposes it may proper
Iy be included in the category. h..%
Students of automobile progress are
we'll aware 4of the immense dement's
which have resulted from racing. in the
past. In the early days prejudice
against the most modern and most fas
cinating means of road locofnotion wal
almost UNIVERSAL; Sthe automobile was
the object OF, derision and abuse on ali
sides Its advent to the masses was
by no means a welcome one and lit
was not until the wonderful possibiii-
ties that lay ahead, Of it came to be
more generally realized that nlapufac-
turers found the newAindustry which
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