The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-09-09
OLDFIELD'S RECORD
IS NOT ALLOWED
Driver Fails to Comply With
Regulations of Contest
Board.
By HARRY WARD.

Barney OIddeld's world record OF
q - seconds on a mile circular track,
made at Brighton Beach mOIordrome
Labor Day. viii not be allowed by the
American Automobile Association. This
information reached Washington this
morning and is the chief topic Of con
veTsati0n among motorists.
Although several split second watches
caught OldfeId's time at - 40 seconds. ,
the contest board of the three AS viii
not allow the record because It Is the
rule that automobile contests Of one
mile and under and UP 10 five miles
must be timed by an automatic electric
OF mechanical timing device
The contest board has issued a state
ment calling attention TO the rules OF the
association regarding records, which
provides that the contest board shall
pass upon all records and may decline {
10 accept any claim which, IN its Opin-
ion. would not promote the interests Of
the sport. Neither viii a record be re-
cuSulzed unless claim for same Is made
within ten days OF its accomplishment /
unless the contest board considers that
the circumstance warrant a delay.
1T should be clearly understood that (
no performances IF one mile and I'D 10
i've miles which are ti-.Ied b. stop
watches only viii be accepted by the
contest board or recognized as lsug
existing records for such distances
says Chairman Butler of the contest
UOard- 1t is a well recognized fact"
he continued, that in the timing OF cars
at high speed the personal equation OF
the individual waJCh-holder is too Varl-
able a one 10 permit of the results so
obtained being made the -saSis Of award
OF speed supremacy when the dividing
line between existing and new records Is
narrowed down 10 q few hfths Of a sec
ond--'
In taking the stand IL has in this mat
s As p
has gone a long way in advancing the
sport Of automobile racing There have
been entirely too many SO-called world s
records broken this season where the
time was taken by stop watches Using
an electrical timing device there can be
no question about the eXaCtness Of the
time made While il is a hard blow 10
OIdfieid 10 have a record he sought Tor
d year not recognized, the sport viii be
the gamer With OIddeld's record
thrown out, Ralph DePalma, his great
est rival, has the honor Of holding the
worlds record for g mile circular track
He made It in 80 - seconds on Septem-
Der H. 1909, at Minneap polls, driving a
foreign car
BY another week the entrants in the
Vanderbilt and Grand Prize auto races
will commence to locate their camps
That section Of Long Island viii assume
a new atmosphere-with the approach OF
the practice trials, which crowds VIII
turn out to see
Most Of the entrants viii be at the
course getting their cars tuned up ten
days OF 50 prior TO the regular practice. B
which begins September % Burnan
and Chevrolet, the MarGuette-Bulck
pilots, are busy getting their powerful .
cars in shape for the Grand Prize event, .
October Is, and are 6ev8sing new sig
nal code system by which theV may be :
accurately informed from the pits as 10
their positions IL the race 1t viii be re-
called that in last years Vanderbilt race
Chevrolet, mlstaklng signal from MS
pit and thinking he was falling behind,
when he was not, put or nurst OF
speed which scored for him the fastest
lap, but resulted in an accident TO his
car.
Commenting on the Munsey Historic
Tour, a writer in one OF the automo- /
bile papers says:
characterized the driving Of all the
cars Not that il was reckless OF fool Z
hardy. but each driver seemed to have
resolved upon setting out that ne WOULD /
take his car through without penalty If /
pOssible-but he would take her through /
Speaking Of the drivers of the con- 4
testing cars, the following incident was
amusing and ilIuminative- When the 4
ears drew into Bethlehem, y. H. and /
tive tired drivers a1G crews allghted 4
and were being assigned to rooms in !
tie hotel a New York butter and egg
and said.
90 Z see a dozen fellows among those 4
drivers who have exceptional faces 4
clean-cCt brOws and firm chins- They 4
show 10 their appearance that they /
have the possibilities Of taking and 4
holding much higher positions than the i
mere driving Of automobiles I should /
say that al of those men there (indi-
eating q group of the drivers might I!
become first-rate butter and egg sales
men if they showed a willingness to /
work hard
The men included in the group pointed \
out by the butter and egg man were 4
A c. Carter, president OF the Carter /
Motor Car Corporation, who had three /
machines in the tour; Leo Schaab, presi-
dent Of the L H Shas:I Auto Company j
Of Baltimore; /. W. Dill, of the Inter /
State Automobile Company of Harris /
burg; W s Mercer. = director of the /
Great Western Automobile Company OF 4
Peru, Ind. and Charles z. Miller, of /
Charles E Miller & Bro
Each OF the gentlemen mentioned /
probably could school himself to sell 4
butter and eggs successfully If he found i
that selling and making of automobiles /
was not so profitable as the other line 1
of industry All OF which shows that
keen observation and the ability TO pick
out real successful men is not lacking
among the summer visitors.