Imperial Valley press., 1912-10-26

Chaffee Grant, but yesterday Grant
withdrew his support and smith was
pleased to furnish the backing for the
car.
The arrival and departure of racing
cars on trial runs is not escaping no
tice. AS each driver comes in from
the road he is instantly the center or
attraction and deluged with questions
concerning the course and what um|
he made.
Various reports have been brought
back to san Diego regarding the road
from Holtville to Yuma, but the con-
sensus of opinion is that this course
can be negotiated without trouble IL
care is used in driving.
San Diego has gone into this race
to win. and the determination of the
city which is bidding so strenuously
been impaired to the drivers and own
ers of cars in the race. It's the do or
die spirit that is prevalent in the pre-.
race preparations. This same spirit
Phoenix. To beat the time made by
the Los Angeles cars is the object
entrants Of cars have been tremen-
dous, but the work of giving the
racers the last touch of preparation
is going along merrily. At the Frank
lin garage, where a Franklin racer,
shipped from Yuma, was not received
until yesterday morning, it was an
nounced last night that this car would
chanics worked on il last night: The
same was true at the Campbell Ma
chine company, where mechanics last
night were giving the stevens Duryea
its final oVerhauling. And at other
garages mechanics worked all night
so that drivers will have today and to-
morrow for limbering up their ma
chimes.
Los Angeles Ready
LOS ANGELES, Oct. ga final
meeting of drivers and mechanicians
of the cars entered in the fifth annual
Los Angeles to Phoenix race was held
Thursday afternoon at the Hollenbeck
hotel. Final and definite instructions
as to rules and checking stations wer.
given by John S. Mitchell and every
driver was formally registered under
the colors of the American Automo-
bile association.
The first car will leave the mark at
Second and Spring streets at five
minutes after IL o'clock tonight and
Starter Eddie Maier will get the rest
of the speed demons from their marks
at five minute intervals until the last
car is sent away at midnight.
Interest in the desert race never was
more intense along the route. Carni-
walls have been arranged for the sew
eral towns through which the racers
will pass and the members of the
chamber of commerce of Pomona, OF
the board of trade of Ontario and the
citizens committee of Cotton, all have
been delegated special policemen
by the officials of the towns to guard
all cross roads. Speed laws have been
lifted for the racing machines and the
suburbanites will witness a burst of
speed never before made by automo-
biles in this part Of the country
Thousands of dollars have been eX-
pended during the past month by the
various townspeople for the perfecting
OF the oceanic ocean highway over
which the fast cars will speed. Hun
dTeds OF dollars have been contributed
toward the pot OF gold that will be
dINided among the winners.
Thousands OF dollars have been
wastred on the result Of the race ana
Ed FeatherStone, who is holding the
bulk of the money placed along Auto
mobile Row. states that the interest
among the various dealers this year
exceeds anything in past years.
No odds on faYorite has been named
as vet and the bulk Of the wagering
has been placed near $1,000 upon him
self to beat any other car in the race
and states that he has more. Wager
seems to rule at one to five.
Louis Nikrent in the Buick is among
the leaders for first place honorS,
while Bill Bramlette in the Cadillac,
and Charlie Soules in the Don Lee
Cadillac are ruling among the favor
field of hackers who last night forced
the underslung duet into the first place
limelight. The National still remains
Dingley accompanied the National
crew to Yuma the early part of the
week and his campaign has been laid
along the lines that made him the
dreaded contender in the early Van
derbilt events. Dingley is, without
question, the veteran racing man OF
the locality and knows every angle of
the game. He cannot be caught nap
ping.