Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-09
OLDFIELD WILL
TRY FOR MANY
TRACK RECORDS
SPECTACULAR DRIVING TO BE
SEEN AT ASCOT
ONE MILE DISTANCE is HIS GREAT
AMBITION
During the Program Barney Expects
to Go After All the Leading
Records Up to Twenty
five Miles

With the track at Ascot park made
good by the best track maker in the
eountry-William H. Pickens, with
Barney Oldfield as supervisor in per-
son, there is to be tried this afternoon
the breaking of the greatest records
ever made on an automobile racing
track To attain the proud distinction
of making the one-mile record has
been the dream, the wish and ambi
tion of every automobile racing driver.
Man after man has sat at the table
alone or in company and discussed
the possibilities OF this car or that ma
chine-the track, the power the condi-
tions that would bring to them the
glory for which they have striven time
and again, taken chances with death,
courted injuries and disagreement
all to have in their possession the glory
of having taken from some other good
fellow the one-mile record.
No one has dreamed those dreams
with more lingering desire than the
king of track drivers, Barney Old
field. When Oldfield was here two
weeks ago and made such a splendid
display of his superior skill as a circu
lar track driver, when he lowered De
Palma's record for the fifteen mile run
by fifteen seconds, he looked askance
at the condition of the turns Of the
track at Ascot park, and after the
races were concluded said to Manager
Hempel: eff that track is fixed as I
want it done I will return to Los An
geles and go against the one-mile, the
five, twenty and twenty-five-m rec
ords of the world
True to his word Barney is in the
city, and has been a diligent worker
with scrapers and a gang of men re-
moving the humps in the turns which
had been really dangerous, and under
the supervision of Bill Pickens, who
is one of the best track experts in the
country, set about making it right for
the time which Barney would have TO
clip down the standing records Of the
crack drivers of the east.
If Oldield could get the four-flfths
of a second which is attached to the
fifty seconds, 1t is a sure thing that
his cup of joy would be filled to over
flowing. This afternoon the prince
of circular track operators is to try for
that four-flfths with the monster Benz.
which has done all the work called
upon it by Oldfeld. Barney wants to
lower that record of SO As seconds to
the so mark or below it and the
chances are he will place it beneath
the half century score. The five,
twenty and twenty-five-mile records
seem to Barney easy, for the time isl
not so swift as the one mile, and hav-
ing made the one mile his mission in
Los Angeles has been accomplished.
Honor for Los Angeles
Ben Kerscher, his reliable mechanic,
has thoroughly overhauled the big
faithfuI Benz for the Boss and when
she takes to the track today the
crowd will see some of the fastest au-
tomobile driving ever seen on any cir
eular track in the world. The very
winning of the race will bring fame
.. IL Ill
for should Oldfeld pull down these rec
ords for which he is struggling all of
the year, this evening there will be
flashed by the Associated Press to-
every morning paper of any conse- |
quence in the world: "Oldfeld took the
mile record on Ascot park track this
afternoon"
Kerscher. the king of mechanics, is |
filed with joy, too, over the condition
in which his perambulator-the OAR
Tacq-is at the present time. The
Dutchman has been potterin' over her
all week and when she appears this
afternoon she will be prepared to do
some even faster going than when seen !
here at the time of OIdfelds last ex-
hibition.
1t is to he regretted that Colonel
Fenner, who arrived back in the city
only yesterday, could not permit the
Isotta to go against Oldfield's stock
car, the big siX-cylinder Knox. Rya1
had hopes until the last moment that
Fenner might return to sanction the
use Of the big italian, but weather con-
ditions blocking the railways it was
found too late to permit Ryall to goI
over the car before putting her on the
track, but the amateur champion last
night said that whatever time Oldfeld
makes with the Knox this afternoon
he will beat with a stock car on the
same track before a week has passed.
Ryall also stated that he will be in
the Altadena hill climb, and If there
is anything that Jimmy loves to do it
is to be in a hill climbing contest.
The races will start this afternoon
promptly at 2:30, and as the track isl
in the best condition it has everl
been in since the automobile racing
game was started. and with the de-
termination of Oldheld to take away
the records he has in view, the pub
lie may expect to see some of the most
daring riding ever witnessed on q local
track.
a u z