The Washington times., 1911-11-19
SPEED CARNIVAL
Is BUT WEEK OFF
Some of Worlds Greatest Automobile Drivers Pleased
With Savannah Course and Great Battle
Is Expected
BY HARRY WARD.

One week from tomorrow there will be
inaugurated at Savannah, Ga, the great
est speed carnival for motoring fans the
world has ever known. In addition to
two light car races, there will be staged
the greatest OF automobile road-racing
events, the Vanderbilt Cup race on No
vember q, and the Grand Prize race, on
Thanksgiving Day. These two events,
together with the light car races on
the opening day, will bring racing fans
from all parts of the country, and in
the great congregation of enthusiasts
Washington Will have q big representa-
tion.
Many Noted Drivers.
To those who know anything at all
about automobiles or the racing game,
and Washington has hundreds who are
interested In the sport. there is a world
OF significance in the names of the big
drivers who are scheduled to handle
some of the cars Among the drives
are Wagner. Grant, DePalma, Hemery.
Bruce Brown, Dawson. Mulford. Mat
son, Knipper, Hearne, Roberts, Dis
brow, Harroun, Cobe. Hughes, Wishart.
Patschke. Parker, Bragg, Cohen, witt.
Basle. McNay, Mitchell. Hartman, Ev-
ans. Limberg. And there are others of
prominence yet to be selected.
Wagner won the first international
Grand Prize race at Savannah in 1908,
defeating Hemerv and Navarro by but
minute in 4o0-mile race; Grant has
twice won the Vanderbilt Cup race:
Burman was the hero of the Indiana p
oils race meet; Bruce-Brown won the
Grand Prize last year; DePalma, Hem
cry, Dawson, Mulford-but It would take
columns of space to give the records
OF all these drivers, for each Of them
has long string of marvellous achieve
ments to his credit, and never before
has there been such a classy bunch OF
drivers from both sides Of the water
gotten together for any racing carnival
Pilots Enthusiastic.
The drivers are enthusiastic about the
course, and most Of them pronounce Il
the best and fastest racing circuit In the
world. Some of the big space eaters
have circled the course at a rate of 12t
miles an hour. but neither the car, the
tires. the driver, nor the course could
stand up under such a terrific strair
for very long. That was wild Bob
Burman's trouble in the Grand Prize
race last year. He fairly burned the
tires off his car, and while his actua
running time was far less than the win
ners he had to stop at the end of al.
most every round to replenish his tires
There is no question of the fact that
the course has been made vastly faster
The average time made in the Crane
Prize race at Savannah last year wa,
seventy-one miles an hour. Whether
the improved condition of the course viii
make 1t possible to average seventy-f Ave
miles an hour this year is matter tt
be settled The experienced drivers sa!
that nothing less than seventy-five mile.
an hour will win a place in the Crane
Prize or the Vanderbilt. Another pow
erful argument in favor of the BELIEF
that all previous records will be broker
Is that the cars this year are faster
This has been proven In practice
though the drivers are all playing foxy
in this regard and no one seems tt
know just what the other fellow can do
More than $25, 900 has been hung up al