New-York tribune., 1911-12-03
FUTURE Of AUTO RACES
Grand Prize and Vanderbilt
Fixtures To Be Continued.
ATLANTA MAY BE BID0EF
Bruce Brown Fine Physique G
Factor in Winning of Inter
national Race.

With the classic rscea az Savannah nat
ters for the automobile historian. the cues
ton of their renew al is "A topic Of genera
interest; I'm some quarters tho assertion u
made faty that the Southern city VII
not again be a bidder ror the honor Of con
ducting the contests: s. others that no de
cision will be reached until IN" excitement
OF the past week Gies down. ard the mcm
bers OF the Savannah Automobile Ciut
have had an opportunity 90 sound public
opinion.
Even II Savannah fai's 20 bid for th'
races again S. is improbable that they WI
Be abandoned while Savannah has hsr
tic experience and can furnish the bes
course in America. there arc other point
ia the South that have looked ieslously or
the advertising given that city Dy th'
holding OF tho races Atlanta is one oi
these Among the thousands Of strangers
who ;isted the course last Monday anc
Thursday were many men prominent in AT
lanta affairs when the rumor got around
that the Grand Prize might 20 begging ir
1912 hall a dozen OF them began 10 asl
about the possibility OF Atlanta furnish
ing the circuit for next years race.
The inquiries, OF course, do not necessa'
rily Indicate that Atlanta will ask for the
rae :. but TO surprise would be occaslpneo
II such a course was adopted. While
liking for the sport has been the princi'
pal motive in Savannahs conduct OK auto
mobile racing, the possibility OF attracting
investors has not been overlooked. Tbs
races have been successful in showing out
siders tho attrsctiveness OF the town. al
we'll as its growing Importance in o'ni'
ness sense.
Atlanta is also desiTous OF attracting at
tention IL is a good roads centre, ana ar
automobile racing circuit could prooaolJ
be found there without trouble. II Is noi
unlikely, therefore that Atlanta VIII trJ
for the races II the rival city abandons
them. And the one thing necessary to In
sure the con,inuance Of racing az savan
nah is activity on the part OF Atlantis
The most important thing TO BE- conad'
cred in connection with future renewals Of
the Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup races
is not that of obtaining course. but oi
there being enough entries 10 make tn'
races worth while. Some we'll informed
persons believe that racing Is losing iu
hold and that It Mn be difficult twelve
months from now 10 bring together neldi
Of cars large enough 10 insure good sport
WHY there should be difficulty the rroph'
cts do not say. The Benz Company has
announced that 1t will cease racing. oui
It's cars will remain in America z. X
Hollander,s OF the Fiat Company. said be-
fore the Grand Prize race that his com
pany would continue to race for the gold
cup as long az II Is offered in competition
Certsinly there are several American man
ufacturers preparing for the 0omile race
on the Speedway next Memorial Day
All this would seem 10 indicate that the
honors to be gained by winning one oi
the classics will not be overlooked.
The suggestion has been made that IL
case a canvass Of manufacturers fails tf
reveal a desire for a renewal Of the two
big races in 1912, the conditions can o'
changed to make them invitstio ahalr
for private owners who use high powered
cars. There are dozens Of men In New
York owning ears capable or running
seventy or eighty miles an hour IheJ
have not been prominent in speed contests
hecause Of A conviction that specially buiii
cars would De certain 10 carry on the
prizes,
Looking over the Grand Prize races Of
1910 and 1911 il is hard TO believe that tn'
car is more important than the driver
Both we're won by Bruce Brown. uniouot
edlv tho strongest man physically In either
race. Last year Hemery, also an unusual
" strong man. finished second.
Last Thursdays race showed mat th'
strain of handling a car at 20 or 10 miles
an hour is too big job for driver no.
gifted with size and great muscular De
velopment. Both Hearne. on the Benz ano
Bragg. on the Fiat that finished fourth
showed evidences of exhaustion long De
fore the race finished. Sons OF ths spec
tators ventured the assertion that Bruce
Brown could have won with Hearnes car
M course IL was cold, bitterly cold al
sneed of a mile and a quarter minute
hut Rruce- Brown had the strength to with
stand H.
The most aggrieved man in savannah
on Thursday night was Louis pisorow
whose pope Hummer was the frst Amer'
can cas 20 cross the finish lins Disoro"
entered the race believing that the driver
~ the first American car 10 finish wouid
win a prize Of 1900. as Bob Burnlan did
a wear ago. He did not learn until ne
enisbed that the prize depended on az
American car finishing actually IN rom
OF the field.