New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-06
ACID TEST FOR RACING
Manufacturers Contest ASSocia-
tiOn to Probe Subject.
MAY BE FEWER CONTESTS
Trade of Speed King Doomed if
Organization Acts at the
Detroit Meeting.

Detrolt meeting.
Reports now being received at the New
York office of the Manufacturers Contest
Association indicate that the coming meet
/ ing Of the general rules committee. al
Detroit. on August IL, will be the great
est gathering ever held by the organiza-
ton. Besides the regular members of the
association, who have been invited to at
! tend the meeting, special invitations have
been Issued by President H. E. Coffin TO
members Of the contest board OF the Am
/ ericen Automobile Association. the tech
meal committee Of the same organization
the advisory committee Of the NJ. c. A.
acting on the A. A A contest board. and
other officials and individuals prominent in
contest matters in this country.
The subjects TO be taken up at the De-
troit meeting have been carefully listed In
the form of questions and mailed to men,
bers and others interested. They are as
/ follows
In view Of the fact that motor car con-
tests of all kinds win be held in increasing
| numbers throughout the country, and In
view OF the commercial and moral influ-
ences which such contests may be made 10
exert for or against the general good Of
| the automobile industry, in both pleasure
and commercial car lines. are you or are
| you not in favor Of extending TO a well or
] ganiZed contest board such support as Will
| insure strong and clean-cut administra-
| ton Of contest affairs?
| Is the attitude Of your company favor
able or unfavorable toward any or all of
| the forms Of contests here listed? A-Con-
| mercial car trials: B-Pleasure car endur-
| ance runs or tours; C-Long distance road
races; D-Speedway races; E-Mile circular
| track competitions: (a) ordinary mile dirt
| tracks; CD remodelled mile tracks. prop
| erly surfaced. with concrete retaining walls
or fence moved fifty feet from edge Of
track; F--Straightaway beach racing.
| 1. Is II. in your estimation, desirable to
hold enc or more big annual reliability
| touring events?
2. Should this event. If held. be managed
| by the American Automobile Association?
| Clearing In mind that the contest board is
| Itself tho sport governing body 10 which
must be referred all matters Of protest
| against the decisions Of the referee).
8. Should such national touring event
| be known as the Glidden Tour?
t. Should any motor car contest ever
have coupled with 1t the name of a cup
donor or any individual who might be in
| strumental in the promotion OF the event?
g. What recommendation shall be made
by the NJ. c. A. to the contest board as
| to the disposition Of the Glidden trophy2
| G. Are stock car events desirable in pres
| ent numbers?
4 Z. Are you in favor Of the entire elmina-
ton of weight restrictions in stock car
s. If not in favor Of the above. do you
believe that weight limit fair to all would
be obtained by having the American Auto
mobile Association technical committee take
| chassis from stock and, stripping It to
racing condition. obtain the true weight
/ thereof?
| 9 Would you favor only four or FIVE big
| stock car events annually, including road,
! speedway and hill climbing contests, plac-
! ing these under the most rigid technical
| supervision as to the BONA fde nature Of
~ m
/ 10 Would you rather see the term stock
| car" entirely eliminated from competitive
| events?
| u In view Of the fact that the facilities
( and present financial income Of the contest
/ board are inadequate for a proper national!
! control Of motor car competitions and for
| an energetic administration Of the rules
/ which the NJ. {. \. has recommended for
| the adoption Of the contest board, would
you favor a formal request 10 the national
| association or other trade organization tor
/ such financial support as may be necessary
to insure the proper ADMINISTRATION Of the
| contest rules which the NJ. c. A. has recon-
| mended?
u. DO you favor supervision by the
| United States government Of two or three
| big commercial car trials each year?
IS. 70 you desire such a revision Of
! the present commercial car rules as VIII
make competitions more strenuous?
IA. Shall we legislate for the safety Of
| nlile-track competitions, or shall we legis-
late for the complete elimination Of such
In this connection we should remember
! that there are throughout the country
! hundreds Of circular dirt tracks which
| have been used for horseracing. In many
| sections horseracing has been discouraged
or legislated against In many sections
motor car competitions viii be promoted
upon such tracks. State and county fairs
throughout the country are featuring mo-
tor car racing as the big day" attraction.
Should the control Of circular track
events be abandoned by the contest board,
l w CIV az
be organized by promoters whose one OBJ
ject would naturally be the separation OF
the spectator fran his dollar. On the
I other hand proper and strong control
by the contest board might be made TO in
sure such a reconstruction Of these circu-
lar tracks as to render events upon them
reasonably safe This circular track
question is one Of the most important for
discussion at the August meeting and
should be considered in al its, phases.
Is. Shall the contest board strengthen
its control Of and sanction circular track
events?
Is. Shall circular dirt track owners.
before being granted track sanction, be
required 10 show 10 the accredited rep
resentative Of the contest board that the
track has been properly surfaced that
proper concrete retaining wall or guard
rail at hub height has been constructed.
and that the spectators boundary fence
has been placed a a point not less than
fifty feet from the inner and outer track
edges?
II Shall the contest board Of the Au-
tomobile Association OF America promote
any contests?
IS Shall changes in the rules be made
or special dispensations under the rules
be granted for any event within thirty
DAYS Of the start Of such events?
19. What shall be the definition OF a
"contest?" Shall II be under TODD to be
an event In connection with which entry
fees. competition rules and prizes are in
evidence?
NEW CANAAN COUNTRY CLUB.
tBy Telegraph to The Tribune