The Washington times., 1911-12-14
CRACK DRIVERS AS
statesmen FEATURE
OF BIG MOTOR SHOW
Famous Speeders Will Be In
Booths At New York
Exposition.
By HARRY WARD.

When the twelfth national automobile
show opens In Madison Square Garden.
New York. early in January. many OF
the most prominent racing drivers in the
country will be on hand to explain the
merits OF the different machines. Sev-
eral years ago motor car makers be-
gan to realize the value Of racing driv-
ers as statesmen. The fact that the
prospective buyer may have seen one
a big race or Hill climb helps to later
est him more actively In the car
Ralph Mulford and Harry Grant will
be located In the Lozier booth. thus
for the Vanderbilt Cup. although, Of
course. Grants Victories In 1903 and
1910 were. with the Alec. The cup will
be on view In the Lozier stand. and
tt answer the numerous questions the
motor wise are expected to 4hurl at him.
Muiford promises to be the bright light
OF the show.
In the National booth Johnny" Att
ken. who drove the chairman's car In
the first Munsey tour two years age,
and Howard Wilcox will bc present.
ing drivers. and the records they hold
are the envy Of many drivers. Louis
Disbrow, who drives National as well
as a Pope. Hartford. will divide his time
between the National and Pope-Hart-
ford booths. Ray Harroun. who also
drove car in the first Munsey tonr.
and who won one of the greatest auto
event at the Indianapoiis speedway last
Memorial Day-will he at the Marmon
booth. together with Joe Dawson and
Cyrus Patschke, two daredevil racers
Fred Belcher will be the prize driver
at the Knox booth.
Other racing drivers who win be in
the booths include Ralph DePalma, who
finished second In this year's Wander
bilt and came right hack in third posi-
tion in the Grand Prize race two days
later; Charley Basle, the veteran
French driver: Joe Jagersberger. ami
many others who have won fame ON
"Wild Bob" Burman. the worlds speed
king, will make the Indianapolis motor
at record breaking. Burman will be
here within few days to try out
new speed creation which has been
manufactured for him by the Ohio
Burman just visited the factory and
accepted the car as. satisfactory while
In Cincinnati. He advised the company
to ship the car to the speedway 80 that
tryout II the machine comes up to the
expectations OF the builders and of Bur-
man 1t is believed it will be one OF the
fastest American cars ever constructed.
having an exceptionally short wheel
base and GOV cubic-inch motor. II the
car shows UP in satisfactory manner.
! 1t is probable that II WITH be entered in
the second annual 5O0-mile international
sweepstakes race to be run at the
speedway next Decoration Day, with
Burman at the wheel. The car has q
special left-hand drive 80 that the driver
is at the inside rail in all track events.
Concurrent with the effort to secure
the enactment of a Federal automobile
registration law, there has been a gen.
eral improvement in the motor vehicle
laws Of many States. At the recent an
nual meeting of the American Automo-
bile Association. Charles T. Terry, chair
man of the legislative board, made 1t
apparent that the national identifica-
tion numbers would not only obviate
the almost intolerable annoyances and
unjust imposts to which the automobile
user is subjected under the various and
everIchanging State laws. but that the
highly desirable unification or Standard
zation of the motor vehicle laws OF the
States would be secured in the most inn
portant particulars by the enactment of
the measure. The agitation for this
Federal law by motorists all over the
county has already had much to do in
securing uniformity throughout the va
rious States in motor vehicle laws.