Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-21
BATTLE OF SPEED
KINGS AT ELG|N
Fight Between Board Track
and Road Riders at Holiday
Motorcycle Races.

Can a rider who has made a |
worldwide reputation on motorcycle |
board tracks perform equally as well |
on the road?"
This IS question which all the
motorcycle riders in the country are
just now asking each other, as board
track, dirt track and endurance riders
will for the first time in the history
of motorcycling clash in a contest
which is apt to upset all calculations.
The event which will bring togeth-
er a galaxy of foremost riders in the
world in a battle for gold and honors
will be the first annual national mo-
torcycle road race to be held at Ell
gin, Ill, July 4, under auspices of the
Chicago Motorcycle club.
The distance of the race will be
$50 miles and number of cash prizes
are offered to the first f1nishers, the
grand prize being $500 in gold coin.
Already more than so of the fore
most riders in the world have entered
and motorcyclists generally are look
ing for some historic traditions to be
upset in this grand whirligig of mo-
ton.
From a competitive standpoint mo-
torcycle riders may be divided into
three classes-board track riders, dirt
track performers and the road plug
gers who have weltered through long
distance endurance contests.
The board track riders have been
used to hurting around a steeply
banked wooden bowl at speeds as
high as 80 miles an hour. The tracks
are banked to such a degree that
there is practically no skidding, the
main requisite for success being
machine. The dirt track riders on
the other hand must be veritable dare
devils to accomplish success, and
must learn how to skid just enough to
slide around a curve without splitting.
Dirt track riders as rule take chanc-
es that a board track rider does not
! yet the speed attained on dirt ovals
! is not nearly SO great as takes place
| on the motordromes. The endurance
riders do not have to take as dan
gerous chances as either board or dir
| track riders, yet they must have the
stamina TO plug through any kind OF
road conditions for several days at
stretch.
! With all these essentials in mind
it will be interesting to note what
class rider will finish first in the Elgin
road race. There will be stretches
where a speed of 80 miles an hour
can be attained, which will particu-
| larly favor the board track champions.
! Then there are several turns which
will have 20 be skidded dexterously to
avoid accidents, and the dirt track
riders believe that on the turns they
will far outshine the others and be
able TO gain time that will overcome
! the brilliant sprints of the board track
riders on the stretches. However, the
race will be long $50 miles, or 80
laps over the 9 1-3 mile course, and
| the endurance riders figure that Meth
er the board nor dirt track rider will
have the stamina to last the entire
distance, as they are not so accus-
toned to long grinds. The outcome
will be interesting.
Some of the notable riders of the
world are represented in each class.
The track champions are represented
by such luminaries as Ray Seymour,
Charles Gustafson, Charles Bake and
others less nationally famous. The
dirt track cl will demonstrate its
calibre by such veil known cracks as
Lon Taylor, 70 100 mile champion,
Ray Snyder, War Horse" Baker and
others Roy Bowser of Chicago, Her
man Sill of Cleveland, Paul Warner
of Kansas and others are all men who
will be able 10 ride the $50 miles
without fatigue, as each man has fire.
quently finished three days endurance
runs with perfect scores.
The question Of supremacy will not
be settled until July 4, but in the
meantime motorcyclists are arguing
the question to their hearts content