The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-06-22
Racine Driver Furnishes the
First Real Excitement at
Kenosha Motordrome
DEPALNA TAKES SPEED EVENTS
First Series of Races at the Motor
drome Draws a Crowd of 5000 People
and Special Events Prove Decidedly
Interesting to the Crowd.

Kenosha breathes easier this morn
ing for the first series of automobile
races were pulled off at the Kenosha
Motordrome on Sunday afternoon and
pulled off without fatality. The
crowd of three thousand people who
paid admission to the track and the
qually large crowd which saw the races
from roofs of surrounding buildings,
however, did not fail to have thrills
enough for one afternoon and as re-
suit of the races Louis Strang, the lead
ing driver for the Case company and
one of the veterans of racing, was
put out of business for several weeks
if not months. Strang furnished the
real sensation of the opening of the
track for in the very first lap Of the
very first race Strang went tearing
through the fence at the three-quarter
post tearing away a great bunch Of
the fence and wrecking his car. 1t
was miracle that he was not serious
ly injured, but showing great presence
Of mind Strang managed to leap from
the car just before it hit the fence
and in this manner saved himself from
more serious injury. He crawled out
of the wreck and later he rode over to
the grand stand sitting up in the seat
smoking a cigarette. Later he was tax
en- to the Kenosha hospital where an
investigation showed that he had dis
located elbow and badly twisted
ankle. At that he was able to return
to Racine on Sunday evening, but it is
admitted that he will be out of the
game for weeks.
The injury to Strang was not the
only near accident for in the ten mile
handicap race Billy Knipper gave the
crowd thrill when he ran over dog.
The accident took place right in front
of the grand stand. Knipper and Farr
the latter driving a Buick, were run
laps of the race and on the third
lap Knipper had opened up his machine
to make an effort to pass Farr. Just
at this time the yellow dog strolled on
the track. Farr saw the dog and pull
ed to one side narrowly missing him
but Knipper evidently never saw the
dog for he hit him square and broke
every bone in his canine body. The
dog never phased Knipper and he kept
on going without ever losing control
of his steering wheel. He was watch
ing Farr and aided by his burst Of
speed and the nervousness of Farr he
passed him at the next turn.
Kenosha people took great interest in
the driving of Brad Kent and Kent
showed up well in all the events in
which he was entered. He was a close
second to De Palma in the ten mile
race and was good contender in the
fifty mile race until the end of the
thirty-eighth mile when he broke
clutch and was forced to retire. Kent
was the only Kenosha driver in the
race, the ten mile race for Kenosha
automobiles being eliminated on ac-
count of the lack Of entries.
Burman was expected to be the star
of the meet but he failed to get into
any of the big races and the only real
contest that he took part in was
two mile match race with Khipper in
which he won by fifth of a second.
The race was slow and Burman was
evidently not letting his car out. AT
terward he drove couple of miles with
the Bitten Benz and established a
track record of the mile in SIS seconds.
DePalma was the man who did the real
work in the races. He drove in every
race in which he had entered and
drove hard. He give a good exhibi-
ton in the fifty mile even after all
competition Lad been eliminated and
made the long trip in 57:45.
The track was III fair shape for the
meet and the drivers are satisfied that
it will be a fast track when properly
oiled and put into condition.
The crowd at the track was d COS
mopolitan one, hundreds Of people com
ing from other cities. The meet was
handled faultlessly and the races were
run off with a ginger that was decided
II pleasing to the crowd It is ex-
pected that arrangements viii lie made
within a few days for big meet to
be held GA the Fourth Of July.
The summary of the races on Sun
day follow:
Five Miles Class 161-8oo.
Prize $4,000.
w. H. Farr (Buick) first, $50; H.