Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-28


Ideal weather conditions prevailed The
air was. Just cool enough to make over
coats among the big crowds comfort
able. The oiled roadway glistened hard
and smooth in the autumn sunlight AMI
The way was kept clear by Gordon of
state troops drawn around the course.
high banked turn just above the grand
stand made it possible for the racers 10
round in front of the spectators at full
speed and pass the grand stand at 10
mile clip.
milford said, tonight, he owed his vic
tory largely to good luck with the tires.
He made but one change. De Palma was
less fortunate. He was compelled to stop
four times for new tires and at the finish
he was running practically on the rim
of one rear wheel. DePalma took the
lead at the beginning of the race and
held it for four laps. Then milford pass
ed him and was never headed. The for
mer's tire troubles began Immediately
after he had made two record rounds on
the second and third laps. which he made
in 1914 and 1916, respectively. He was
leading Milford by 43 seconds at the end
of the fourth lap. On the next round
milford was one minute and forty sec
onds ahead of him. He gradually drew
away while DePalma was worrying with
his tires until he was almost six min
utes ahead in the eighth.
DePalma spurted desperately to regain
near the. grand stand excited the admi-
ration and wonder of the crowd.
AT the beginning of the 18th and last
10, fk.afz
utes ahead and the spectators arose and
cheered him as he dashed for the finish,
DePalma's beautiful blue gray Mercedes
swerved around the curve at rate of 10
miles and literally flew down the
straightaway in vain pursuit.
mo S, milford in the stretch" cried
the announcer, and the crowd rose and
strained eager eyes toward the spot half
mile away where the victor shot into
sight A roar rent the air as the grace
ful white flyer flashed into the stretch
and the din continued until milford fin
ished the victor.
Though defeated, DePalma was game
to the end and he also was wildly cheer
ed as he finished minutes and Il sec
onds behind the winner. The elapsed
eAHiN VI tit Noi = NlilSl ilIllSiltu tilt- IdCe
was as follows:
Lozier Ralph Mulford) $4,000 67-lo0
Mercedes (Ralph De Palma) 238.11
$500
Mercedes Spencer wisharD 246.20
37-1O0
Lozier Harry Grant, 250.23 57-1O0.
Fiat CT. II. Parker 254.25 $500.
Pope Hummer (Louis Disbrow) 269.-
OF $500.
The average speed of the winner was
74.07 miles an hour. His time for the
202 miles against Herrieks record was
I4.9. Herrick's record was 74.63. The
record for a former Vanderbilt race
was 65.08 miles an hour, held by Harry
Grant. winner of the 1909 and 1910
races. Grant finished fourth, today. No
new worlds record was made. today,
| EXCEPT that for 202 miles, for Navarro
averaged 7415 miles for 52s milometers
in the race for the Floric cup in France
in 1893.
Hrghie Hughes. driving a Mercer
broke the former Vanderbilt record,
today, in winning the Savannah chai-
lenge trophy light car race. He went
222.s2 miles at an average of 6s.4.
Seen cars participated in this race,
| which was run simultaneously with the
Tiedeman trophy contest for light cars
previous to the Vanderbilt race Frank
Witt drove an f. NJ. F. OF victory in
the Tiedenan race at an average speed
of 5S.34 for the 171.40 miles r. M F.
cars also won second and third places
in this race. Mortimer Roberts was
leading by 10 minutes in an Abbott
Detroit, but a broken crank shaft put
him ont after he had gone 100 miles
Interest now turns to the Grand
Prize races to be run, Thanksgiving
day. The famous German Benz, driven
by Hemery is entered in this contest
which viii be longer by seven laps
than today's course.