New-York tribune., 1910-08-19
TUNE UP RACING AUTOS
Biz Drivers Ready for twenty
four-HoUr Grind.
PREPARE FOR LARGE CROWD
William Loeb, Jr., Appointed
Honorary Starter of Brighton
Beach Contest.

All day yesterday the Brighton Beach
track was alive with entrants in the
twenty -four-hour automobile race. which
starts there al O'Clock tonight. The rain
of the last few days has improved the oval
by packing the dirt sections and making
them almost hard as the cement turns
The drivers are unanimous in predicting
q lowered mark for the time. Ralph Null
ford made 1,lss miles two years ago at
Brighton in Lozier. and there have been
various efforts since then 10 lower this
mark. There is a better chance for such
thing at this contest than almost any Of
the others have offered
The average twenty-four-hOur race driver
devotes very little time to raining, as
the term is commonly understood In con-
rection with other sports. His training Is
more matter OF learning the turns Of the
track, its peculiarities of surface at every
point and that sort of thing than II IS get
ting himself into first class physical condi-
ton.
The last race Of this distance. in May.
was severe strain on the drivers, and one
car which had an excellent show 10 win
carly in the day lost one driver after an
other through the inability Of the men TO
grasp the wheels But the bad condition OF
the track was largely responsible for this,
and that element will not enter into it to
such an extent now The camps for the
contesting teams have been set up and the
hospital is in readiness
There will be a ten-minute service Of ex-
press trains to the track from the Brooklyn
Bridge. and the arrangements for parking
automobiles have been rearranged so that
great crowd can be handled with ease.
The Matheson company has secured the
services Of two conservative and resource
full drivers in Charles L. Basic and Cor
nelius C'Neil'O Whalen. who will be at the
wheel Of the Matheson Silent Six.
Basle has been prominent in American
track and road racing since coming from
France in 1904. In the Flying Dutchman,
H. L. Bowdens Mercedes, he proved his
mettle for fast work on innumerable oc-
casionS, and his calibre for the grinding
trial Of twenty-four-hour racing has been
demonstrated with his victories in two
events of the kind at Brighton Beach
last August, winning at the wheel of the
Renault, and in May taking first honors
with Al Poole driving a Simplex.
Neil Whalen has been more closely
sociated with endurance runs and road
tours than track work. and his success,
since. making Ihe record run from New
York to Atlanta in the spring-l,063 miles
in u hours 15 minutes-with q Matheson
has been phenomenal. Successive victories
In hill climbs and road runs under all
manner of conditions have hardened him
to the exacting and furnishing demands Of
twenty-four-hour racing, although he has
figured prornisingly in this kind Of contest
in the past.
William Loeb, ir., Collector of the Port
of New York, has been chosen honorary
starter of the race. Just as soon as
''Wag' gets the cars lined up at the tape
and all in readiness, Collector Loeb will
snap the trigger, which will send the fast
cars and famous drivers on their long sem
sational grind He will be escorte9 TO the
track by C F. Wyckoff. president OF the
Motor Racing Association