The Dickinson press., 1911-02-11
CASE CAR BREAKS RECORD
1870 MILE ROAD RACE

nix, Arizona, for the desert road race
run in 1910 was considered marvellous
and a portion".of this race was run over
the finest boulevards in the world. This
serves as a background to show the
wonderful performance of the Case car,
driven by F. W. Brong. in the Phoenix
Tucson Race. This little car made a
remarkable average speed-.of. %. SO miles
per --hour. The entire run was made
across deserts and over trails. (Which
followed the ella. Salt and Santa Crux
rivers. The trail crossed four rivers and
as there were no bridges the machine
forded the four streams, and a number
of times the water was over hub deep.
The entries for this--race were a Case.
driven by Brone; a Pope-Hartford,
driven by Redewell: a Buick, driven by
Boulard Elmore. driven by Norris; and
a Stoddard- Dayton; a Tourist so.
Columbia, Ohio and Rambler. These
last four were withdrawn on account of
the bad conditions of the roads.
An idea of the pace that was set by
the Case car in this race can be figured
from the.fact that the Gilmore car, while
vainly endeavorina 10 follow the pace of
the Case, overturned and vas completely
wrecked and the driver, Norris. was very
lucky to escape fatal injuries.
The first reports that Phoenix had OF
the race we're from the ford on the Salt
river at Tempe. The river was found to
be over a hundred feet wide and several
feet deep. where the racers crossed and
at this point the Case car was leading.
At Mesa, is miles from Phoenix, the
Case vas holding its lead easily. The
Case was first by Buchanan's Wells in
the desert at 7 AS in the morning. At
Klinaman's Wells the Case had length
ened its lead. At Florence, where the
racers had to ford the ella river the
Case made the ford at 9 90 O'Clock and
had over a IA minutes lead at this
point. The ford of the Santa Crux river
was made at 10 III O'Clock and from
there on the Case pushed across the
desert into Tucson, arriving at II 80
o'clock hours before they were expected.
The trophy offered by the Tucson
citizens was a magnificent silver cup
over three feet high and the Tucson
citizens had planned to have a reception
committee to present the cup to the
winning car on its arrival, but the Case
car arrived 50 much earlier than it was
expected any car could make the run
that the committee was not on hand to
welcome tine victorious car.
The second car to arrive at Tucson
was a Hudson. 1t arrived over two
hours behind the Case. The third car to
finish was a Pope-H Hartford. This Pope
is the same car that finished third in
the Los Angeles Phoenix desert race,
and its crew were experienced racing
drivers.
The day following the desert race,
speedway races were held Of the Tucson
Speedway which isa IA mile speedway.
The Case car made a wonderful showing;
being driven 210 miles the second day
in different speedway events. Its
average speed for the IA mile laps on
this speedway was from 10 to Fl minutes
per lap. After winning the desert road
race, the same reliable car ran 21O miles
at high speed without any repair or any
adjustment. The most remarkable thing
about this performance is the fact that
the car was a touring car shipped by the
]. ]. Case Threshing Machine Co. to the
Tempe Motor Co., Tempe. Arizona, and
was the first car sold under the Case
name. This car was a standard stock
machine not intended to 60 in any race
or competition. The Tempe Co. asked
Nj. F. W. Brons Of Tempe if he would
drive in the desert race. and when he
aareed to do 90 the Case touring car body
was removed and a wooden platform
built extending the entire length or The
chassis. The two galvanized seats wsrs