New-York tribune., 1910-11-12
DAWSON A SPEED KING
Drives Marmon Car to Victory IN
Thrilling Auto Race.
MAYORS CUP TO KNIPPER
Curtain Raisers to Grand Prize
Race at Savannah Delight
Big Crowd.
TBy Telegraph to The Tribune ]

Savannah Ca, Nov. u-Joe Da"O
.-o t,s nsarnon car g7ss miles in 265
r,,nr,,es 90 seconds to-day and won 'He
uo,-srrah .ronllv. offered for cars between
221 and 800 cubic inches piston dlspiaee-
rnent here to-day Incidentally ne "o"
500. and his average time for the en''e
distance was at the speed Of 622S miles an
,- r7,s performance was the more re-
r,,a-kable in thai he never once stopped Ior
adjustment Of any kind, and study OF MS
fine for the sixteen laps shows unnsuaIIy
consistent running.
-rba s,or. was in the nature OF a curtain
raiser for the great Grand Prize race TO-
morrow. and a contest et 1908 miles for
cars having piston displacement OF from
Is1 10 go cubic inches, for the Mayor Tiede-
man trophy. was run of at the same time
Billy Knipper. IN a Lancta car, won this
race. covering the distance IN 195 minutes
% seconds. He also won 1000 La cash be-
sddes the biz cup offered by the Mayor or
Savannah.
Dawaon's fastest lap was the third, made
in Is minutes IS seconds. The distance Of
the lap was 17-S miles, that his time for
this lap was at the rate OF sixty-six miles
an hour. KnippeT's fastest lap was in Il
minutes % seconds, at a rate OF approx
rnately a mile g minute. Dawson's average
time for the entire course was al the rate
Of 622S miles an hour. and Knipper. in his
little Lancia, did the rather remarkable
performance for q car Of that type OF an
average Of 5S44 miles an hour
The best time made two years ago. when
this race was run over a course almost
rectangular and much shorter, was at the
rate Of 5Zs5 miles an hour. As to-day, a
Isancia car made that record, and William
Hilliard made Fl.
The day was Ane. but with a strong wind
blowing ont OF the west This DID not in
terfere with the drivers to any great ex-
tent, as most Of the cJsTse is protected be-
hind a heavy growth OF timber.
About eight thousand persons turned out
TO see the Tight car" races, which rather
surprised the Savannahans. as they hardly
expected such support OF the preliminary
features
There is not seat TO be bought tonight
III the city for the Grand Prize race to-
morrow. II is as hard TO set one as it is
To get a ticket for the Harvard Yale foot
ball game.
The cars in the two classes were sent
wait between the two classes. Fred Wag-
ner started them. adding another notch
10 his record as premier race official.
Il was evident almost from the first that
the real interest of the days sport would
centre IN the fight between Dawson's Mar
mon and the Mercer, driven by Roebling,
a gentleman driver Of the famous Roebling
family Of Trenton, N. J., who built the
Mercer. On the first lap Dawson gave no.
tice OF his intent TO make the battle a
6eroe one by reeling OF the 1z3 miles in
IS minutes 20 seconds.
His next lap was not so good but the
third was his fastest lap, which he turned
IN 10 minutes 45 seconds.
ROebling, at the end Of the first lap, was
eoUTth, but al the end Of the third lap he
had c-ept Up TO second. which he kept to
the end of the race. Dawson was never
headed from the start Til he crossed the
tape a winner. His method Of riding the
race was most interesting.
He started one minute behind the Roeb-
Ling entry. He passed II on the stretch to
show that he could do so, and then fell
back. riding perhaps 600 feet behind II all
the way. and never once extending himself
throughout the ride
RoeDling worked and schened. and fought
every mile OF the race to shake off Dawson.
But Dawson hung like a terrier to a RATS
neck II Roebling opened up ii was only
10 hear from his back-looking mechanic
that the annoying Marmon, with Dawson
a. the big wheel. was there in his shadow
In t-Is relative order they rolled round
the beautiful course Till. in the eighth lap
WITH the race half over, Roebling skidded
up TO his pit took on oil, gas and water
and was off, having lost l minute and %
seconds in the process. He never bettered
that lost time nor caught up with Dawson
IN aHy "as, constantly losing ground and
being held on his last lap with mornentary
engine trouble. His finishing time was q
Ettle over Il minutes slower than Day-
sons
Hughes, in an F. A. I. car. drove an in
teTest-ng race for third place. He started
oEt with the last place TO his credit. At
the second lap he mace il q fifth. and this
position DE L=ll till the tenth lap, when
he moved Up ~ third and held that posi-
zion 10 The finish
The Pullman entry was withdrawn. Gel
nav. driving an r A. L, Of whom much
Was expected, dropped out at th. ninth
lap, with engine trouble. He had alter
mated between second and third almost
the entire distance. Pierce, in the other
=. a ~. dropped out AT the ninth also. with
broken axle 80 one was hurt Fourth
was Lir favor.-e place.
The race FOR the lighter cars was a run
away for the Lancia car, with Knipper up
Corning after his disappointment in the
lEut car class il the Vanderbilt when he
piled the machine up against z telegram
pole ~ the Massapequa turn. he was the
recipient Of many CONGRATULATIONS for his
win Of to-day
The peculiar. even pUTTing Of the engine
Has noticeable, and he said after the raca
was over that he had had 10y ride" and
had never once opened up his engine.
He was first from the beginning. hoIdi,f,
the place for the entire eleven laps. and
was never once threatened. The same is
true Of Wits +. NJ. 7, which finished
second There was q difference Of eleven
minutes aud twelve seconds between first
and second in THIS class.
The other +. VI. F. driven by Cohen
went two laps and had to stop Oh account
of engine trouble
Costello stole a sensational third for his
Maxwell beating his team mate, Wright
for the place by only four seconds
Tie Maxwell team showed most consist
ent running throughout Doorley, the third
member Of the team, got fifth in this class
The rWO Coles, driven by BIZ Endlcott
ana knight were out OF the race earlv
Endicotts machine covered only one lap
and Knights only two. one cracked q cyl-