The Washington times., 1911-11-29
T, Hosv 7hev Start
By HARRY WARD.

II the speed developed by Ralph Null
ford In the Vanderbilt Cup race Monday
is any criterion. the Grand Prize race
at Savannah tomorrow should deveiop
one Of the greatest automobile races
ever run. The course IL everything that
could be devised by master road build.
ers. which 10 indicated by the fact that
Mulford hung up . new worlds road
record.
1t is conceded that the Grand Prize
race will be q battle royal between the
Benz and Fiat teams. Each Of these
has won one of the contests and the
will likely make Thanksgiving Day his
toric in the annals of automobile racing.
The rivalry between the two great
Italian and German firms of manufac-
turers. which represent their respective
countries in the race, and the prepara-
tons they have made In ears and driv-
ers. have made them favorites In the
contest.
Henlery, twice a loser by a narrow
margin, carries the most of the German
hopes. With many qualified to Judge he
Is the favorite in the race. No less dis
ttngutshed driver Is Louis Wagner, of
the Fiat team. who on form should be
no less q favorite than Hemery. Sach
mas won Vanderbilt.
Brown. viii be a favcrite with many.
americas best Offering 10 the Marmon
team. Their cars have shown a sus-
tained flight Of 500 miles at rs miles an
nour on the Indianapolis Speedway.
TWO drivers will be picked from wild
Bob Burnam. Joe Dawson, and Cyrus
Patchke. On his splendid showing in
the Vanderbilt Ralph Mulford will be
picked by many to cop the international
better pilots than Mulford and those
entries. -
With nearly year in which to pre-
comes to an end tomorrow. the racing
circuit Of seventeen miles has been
made as nearly perfect as 1t was pos
s.in si6ie to prepare 1t: 4 heavy grade Of oil
the road until It is almost as hard as
asphalt. A layer Of sand was placed
on top OF the oil to hold II on the road
bed until the binding process was COM
pleted. Since the running Of the Van
derbilt and the two light car events,
the course has been gone over thorough
ly and when the fourteen entrants limo
up at the tape tomorrow morning the
same shape II was that enabled Mulford
to hang up new worlds record.
tional event for the grand prize Of the
lenge cup Of the value Of 5000. While
run under the auspices of the Savannah
Automobile Club. the Automobile Cub
cation In this country, sanctions the
event and is sponsor for its running.
The cash prizes offered for the first
three cars to finish run up into
The course will be thoroughly policed
by Georgia militia. The fact that no
fatality has occurred since the inaugura-
tion OF automobile racing at Savannah
attests the fact that the course is one
Of the best guarded in the country. The
southern city has made a record In this
respect.
Washington n otorists who use the
short route to Philadelphia and At<ntic
City will, be pleased to learn that tho
Improving Of the bad stretch between
Perryville and Elkton, Md, will soon BIO
made seems certain by recent results.
The Cecil county commissioners have
$4,000 in bonds ready to be issued for
good roads work providing the Automo-
bile Club Of Maryland can induce mo-
tortsts II raise the other IS, 900 neces-
sary to complete the stretch of road in
question. In addition to this the bridge
company which controls the span over
the Susquehanna river has offered to
donate 81, 900 for this work, while at the
monthly meeting Of the club an addi-
tonal $1,000 was raised. This makes
only 5000 more necessary for the work
There Is ten miles OF this bad stretch
OF road, and 1t is figured that II win
cost 5000 per mile to do the work,