The Washington times., 1912-08-24
ROAD RACING GETS
BEST RESULTS FOR
MAKERS ANDPUBL|C
Cars Severely Tested on
Highways, Which Are
Preferable to Tracks.

Automobile road racing 10 in many
respects the most satisfactory sort of
contest, both from TIE spectators AMI
the manufacture re- standDoints, say
those who closely follow the trend of
automobile construction. In the first
place. road racing puts the cars to test
under conditions which tnousands of
automobiles are meeting every day on
American highways.
VI course, this does not mean that the
average car owner sets up to a speed
OF so to 30 miles IN hour. but the con-
dftions the average owner meets daily
are exaggerated to the extreme limit
IN this sort of racing average highways
IN a, country community are picked out
and oiled and guarded. while profess
slonal drivers subject the stock cars to
2 strain at least 100 times more severe
tnan the private owners ever will.
Must Stand Test.
Obviously, if a car stands up under
test OF that kind 1t must re one that
will fulfill anything that private own
ers may put it to. Some private own
ers may get up to speed of so to 50
miles an hour; but no private owner
ever has gons, nor will try to go, 900
miles at the rate of more than 90 miles
an hour. ...... -.
Racing Of this sort. therefore, has a
definite and important object. 1t shows
what the automobiles state OF perfec-
ton is, and 1t demonstrates the stand
ard Of perfection reached by certain
cars.
No Test On Tracks.
Automobile racing on converted horse
tracks is not racing at all. Hgh-pow-
cred automobiles are too fast for those
tracks, and events held on them ecome
. contests between drivers The ore who
Is the most foolhardy or keeps his wits
the best In handling his machine-keep-
ing 1t going fast enough, but not too fast
is the winner. Such racing is no test
OF high-powered machines, although 1t
may afford some amusement to specta-
tors. On the highway racing course,
however, there Is test for both the
driver and car. No driver can win with
q poor car. and no car with a poor
driver can win.
The driver must use his head on the
turns, in passing his rivals, in saving
his tires and getting the best speed that
is in the car on the fast straightaways.
The car that responds to his every
touch and wish. the car that Is flexible
In. tight places and fast as lightning
when speed is wanted, completes the
combination of good driver and good
car.
In highway racing every foot of the
roadway Is different from every other
foot. The turns are not all the same.
wear and tear of the cars on the road
brings new conditions almost every lap,
aud these bring new problems which the
driver must solve while he is going
at the rate of eighty or ninety miles an
hour.
Luck a Factor.
The element of luck must not be lost
sight of in a race of this kind. Two
cars may be evenly matched. The driv-
ers may be alike in ability and daring
as two peas. But somehow, somewhere,
something may happen to one, through
no fault of his own, and utterly beyond
his power of avoidance, that will steal
victory from him and give It to his
rival.
To meet emergencies the racing crews
are keyed to the highest pitch Every
exigency that can be thought of In ad-
vance Is guarded against. The racing
pits are equipped with everything that
the cars or drivers need during the
race, and so fine has the system of the
crews, cars, and pits been developed
that the displacement of a wrench or
other tool may decide the race
1t Is easy to realize the excitement
and enthusiasm of a vast audience at
q closely contested race carried on un-
der these conditions.