The Washington times., 1911-01-08
INTEREST REY|VES
IN RACING CIRCUIT
Question Is Urgently Push
ed Forward at New York
Automobile Show.
By HARRY WARD.

The presence in New York at this
time of many leading lights in the au-
tomobile world-manufaCturers racing
drivers, contest managers-attendingt the
automobile shows, has revived interest
in the project to establish an automo-
bile racing circuit.
The necessity for the formation of
such a circuit is at hand, and the Am
erican Automobile Association, the gov
ernIng body in automobile sports in this
country, should by all means start work
upon a scheme, for makers and drivers
will be able TO save small fortunes in
expenses. As it stands now. the meets
are so scattered that expenses amount
to volumes of money. The drivers are
compelled to make long jumps, and
transportation of men and cars and en-
tire racing camps eats money rapidly.
The saving would be enormous by a
closely arranged bunch of meets, as
cars and many of the men would travel
by road instead of train. the number
of meets would be much greater, while
race promoters could then secure en-
tries far in advance and thus gain the
advantage of long advertising, not only
in the promoting city, but all the sur
rounding country.
The most ambitious event in the auto
mobile show line which Washington has
ever attempted will be the coming eX-
hibition at Convention Hall during the
week of February IL. 1t will be known
as the National Automobile Show, and
will be given under the auspices of the
Washington dealers. Aside from the
fine collection of automobiles and sup
plies Of every character, one of the fea-
lures of the exhibition will be the con-
cerG to be given every afternoon apd
evening by Haley's Orchestra. Plans
for the show are rapidly maturing un-
der the direction of the show committee,
of which w. c. Long is chairman.
Taking advantage of the presence of
a large number of prominent automobile
people in New York at this time, the
American Automobile Association has
arranged to hold a series of meetings
during the week. The first of these ses-
sions will take place on Wednesday,
when Charles T. Terry, chairman of
the legislative board, will preside, and
there will be a discussion of legislative
matters. At the afternoon session,
Chairman Howard Longstreth, of the
touring information board, will occupy
the chair, and members will be asked 10
make suggestions regarding the ampli-
portant department of the national or
ganization. Thursday morning will
come the monthly meeting of the ex-
ecutive committee, at which President
Robert P. Hooper will preside, and a
large attendance Is certain of the thirty
directors comprising this committee. In
the afternoon there will be a good roads
meeting, and Chairman George c. Diehl,
of the good roads board, will direct the
proceedings. The fact that the good
roads subject is one which must occupy
the attention of motorists in general is
now recognized, and the officers of the
A. A. A intend that its good roads
board shall be a leader in highway i'm
provement matters throughout the
country.
A number of good sales were con-
summated> during the week by the
Commercial Automobile and Supply
Company, the latest being a Studebaker
electric coupe, which was sold to Henry
Z. Kondrup.
The appointment of board of officers
to make a special study of automobiles
with a view to designing machine
adapted to army purposes, has beenrec-
commended to the War Department by
Lieut. Col. /. w. Littell, chief quarter
master of the Department of the East.
For some time past he has been investi-
eating the question