El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-29
> AsHINGTON b. d. Nc -
mobile raelng during the ear

Tier stages of the automobile Industry
had a very important influence on car
designing and lent much aid to the au-
tomobile engineer IN the production Of
the present high type OF machine. there
are those who believe that the day OF
racing is past They assert that all
of the lessons which can be learned
from racing contests already have been
learned. They are, therefore, encOur~
aging a movement to take automobile
racing from the list of contests which
have the official sanction of the Auto
mobile association Of America
With this end in view letters are
being addressed to the officials Of the
A. A. A. requesting that the assOcia-
ton abandon control OF speed con-
tests in the future. and that 1t devote
its entire energies to the promotion OF
endurance and reliability contests, good
roads, touring, etc Already many OF
+ the older automobile manufacturers
have retired from the racing game
They declare that interest in racing
IS on the wane, and that at present IL
serves no real purpose in the aukOmo-
bile world. Some of the older cOmpa-
MES have kept their cars out of the big
races for a number Of years and 9TH
ers are following suit.
FavOrs AbOlishing Races.
Only recently one OF the largest pro-
ducing corporations in America has
come out in favor Of the abolition Of
races, and a foreign car, which has won
many honOrs in the speed contests OF
this and other countries, viii appear
on the automobile race courses no
more. 1t is declared that the work
Of building racing cars is Of such ma
ture IS to disOrganiZe the entire build
ing system OF the factory producing
such machines. The American manu-
facturers who oppose a continuation
OF autOm Obile racing declare that the
contests Of the past have amply dem
onstrated that the average American
stock car is better than the average
European stock car, and If the Euro
pean manufacturer has any advantage
at all over the American manufac-
turer, II Is only in the production OF
high speed monsters. whose perform
ances have not the slightest bearing
upon the question OF the excellence Of
the ordinary road car.
Suggest Change in Stock Cars.
Those who advocate the abolition OF
racing declare that slight change IN
the selection Of stock cars for relia-
bility runs and other endurance con-
tests should be made They assert that
while the present methods Of selecting
these cars are such as 10 leave no
question in the minds Of the well IN
formed, that the cars pUrpOrting to be
stock cars are such, on the other hand
there are many who are not so well
informed and who doubt whether the
cars, purpOrting TO be stock cars, are
such In order to overcome this doubt
it lis proposed that in the future a
committee of the A. A A shall visit,
unneralded. the sales rooms Of the va
riOus makes of cars in the various cit
les and shall select therefrOm the stock
cars which are to be used in the relia-
bility contests.
That the right OF a manufac turer to
claim that a given car is a stock car
IS a right carefully limited By the A. A
A. IS shown by the recent experience
of one Of the large factories. This
factory advertised that certain Of its
cars IN an important reliability run
ga wn~eaTsn
entered sworn statements to the effect
that they were stock cars were made
They came out Of the contest with
fine record, and the manufactures ad-
Verused them as stock cars When the
matter was brought to the attention
OF the A. A. A. they decided to suspend
the manufacturer from membership in
the association for number OF
months 1t was held by the association
that while the manufacturer had sworn
that these cars were stock cars, the
contest board had not gone into the
matter OF checking up their affidavits,
and that the cars were not entitled TO
be called stock cars except on certifi-
cate OF the board From this il will
be seen that when sworn statements
are rejected. the rules Of the A. A A
are very strict in guarding the public
against misrepresentation Of any car.
The Glfdden Tours.
For years the annual Glidden tour
mas been one OF the road classics OF
the automobile world It has now
been decided By the A A. A. that this
annual tour Is too important an event
to be sponsored by any one man, even
under the supervision OF the assOcia-
ton Therefore. a new trophy has
been provided. and the tour which
heretofore has been known as the Gid
den tour, VII become the A A A. tour.
However, the Glidden trophy viii con-
tinue to pass In these contests but IL
VIII be subordinate to the main tro-
ply donated by the association itself.
1t IS almost certain that this years
run viii be to New Orleans although
there are five cities cOntesting for the
honor OF being the focusing point OF
the tour
There is considerable speculation at
this time as 10 what will become Of the
grand prize and Vanderbilt cup races.
The city Of Savannah is said not to be
IN the field for cup races in the fU-
ture- 1t cost about $4,000 last fail to
mold these two great events and the
minor events connected with them.
The expenses Of the meeting almost en-
urely consumed the receipts both from
entrance fees and admissions.
Those who oppose the abolition OF
the racing game point to the expert
ence Of France Several years ago
the French manufacturers concluded
that they did not need to undergo the
expense of preparing for cup races, nor
the troubles Of making exhibits at ma
tiOnal shows. The result was that
there have been no shows or national
few years. However, this year grand
prize race will be held. About the
time that France abandoned the show
and the racing game. England brought
out her big Olympia show. and the
result was that business seemed TO go
to the English manufacture instead
OF to his French competitor. The ad-
vOcates OF automobile racing and OF
automobile shows declare that their
abandonment in France was the cause
Of the ascendency Of the English man
ufacturer over the French.
Wish Permanent Chairman.
An effort is being made in many
quarters TO have the contest board OF
the A. A. A.. presided over by a perma-
nent chairman. Ii is pointed out that
the office is one which entails much
work and requires q man OF unusual
tact as wei as unusual executive
ability. The selection of a permanent
chairman would enable the association.
iu is asserted. TO secure the type Of man
who would give to the contest work OF
the assOcia tiOn a standing and authOri-
ty. which would be helpful both to the
association and to the misunderstanding
public. That there is plenty Of work
for the contest board TO do is revealed
by the fact that some so applications
for dates for holding important con-
tests during the present year have