New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-04
TIMING BIG AUTO RACE
oifiiclLties Met in Keeping
Track of the Cars.
MIST DEVISE NEW SYSTEM
More than Six Hundred Cars
Passed the Timers in
Six Hours.

$50. II Kucppcr OF the Rainier Motor
ao,v vino acted as assistant timer at
mile automobile race at Indianapolis
-, Memorial Day, said on his return to this
city:
..rbere vas no trouble with the timing
-. enc indianapolis race. and the delay i'm
,onrciug the final results of the race
duo 70 the system of scoring, which
,.foro the race looked good In theory. but
,.asd IN work ont in practice. As arranged
tho indianapolis management. there
.,ven different and distinct men scor-
inS The race
s,,avAd who recorded the cars as they
,.aa the stand These men and their
..htnes were stationed in four different
.,.cos that is 10 say, one Was in the
.sros. stand. one i'm the timers stand, one
.h. rrsss stand and another in the
as.,nd and each of these men had an
,,rt automobiles TO call out each OF the
are as they passed
.,..ond-Tvo dictoeraphs were used and
,.r talked tho numbers into them as
ts cars passed by
Third had a man call tho numbers
- me- in tho timers stand and Neri'ied
ran, myself. and called out the leading
-. tn Charlie Warner. who inserted the
,,mhere on the timing tape.
.srho Numbers were handed 10 shec'
nan and he was supposed to check them
:. 90 2 score sheet. hut these numbers came
- fast that IL was impossible for MIN 10
,.., ,bc cars checked up properly. which
,,,, caused ell tho trouble al the hhlsh
rseul, after the race the officials had
ale tho records made by the adding
machines and the dictographs ana chech
.b.m M with the timing record mace 10y
Mr. Warner and myself.
.ks owe six thousand cars crossed the
u,e during the race. this took time, ana
As oAicials worked continuously from the
.,o,usion of the race until o'clock on
rhu,sdav morning before the final records
we're complete.
.,Ve also made a record Of each car,
IN rs time al the end OF the 10th. 2oth.
then Ne took groups of four or nVe cars
o,d xen, ALL over the records on the tape.
which VAS over mile long. TO see that tle
ears checked m with the proper NUMBER OF
lans While this took tire. we hao az the
conclusion four records of each car, when
N every case checked up properly win the
record and on this record the final awards
we're based. go
wo also made a record Of each car, with
lie lime and at the end of the loth, Ath'
,otN sa,h. s0th. Tooth. l5oth and Hpth zap
and. gave the position of each car al 'iiiS
particular period of the race
In future races would like to suggest
tina, The scoring be done automatically by
4, machine which has been devised by MY
Warner as the Indianapo race mas
nroy ed that il is impossible for the human
owe and hand TO keep these records up 10
date and announce accurately at the con-
ersIon Of the race the position of the cars
without having the whole system re-
eh.ck.d which takes considerable tire.
"rontrary to reports sent from Indian
.pok. the timing machine did not pTeah
dam al all but the mechanical wire across
| tktrack did: hut this in no WaV lhtefie'eu
win the proper timing of the race, as the
rrhjne was operated by hand trap
Vile the repairs were being made. III rs
| 1T surprising that the steel wire across
N. track aid snap. as il was hit something
Ike six thousand times by the force oi
I'm Or more living along at eighty or ninety
niles an hour, and the pressure was SO
great that II cut groove half an inch
thick right through the brick surface OF the
finish line.
Il would suggest tina, in future races
he starting line and timers stand should
b so placed that the ears would nave 10
rass the timers stand or scorers stand
before going TO the pits for supplies or TIRE
rsraIr which would eliminate all possible /
Chance of a car crossing the line anu
lacking up TO the pits and being scored
second time which is a possibility under
tle present system.