Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-18

July Fourth will be the twentieth an
niversary of the first successful auto
mobile in America. This machine was
made from blue prints and ideas of Ell
wood Haynes and was driven over the
country roads near kokomo. Ind, July
/. 1888 This original car is now in the
smithsonian Institution al Washington,
u, c., and bears but slight resemblance
10 the luxurious high-powered motor cars
Of today, for which this state is noted
After a lapse of twenty years it is
also a noticeable fact in speaking of the
motor car industry that the automobile
manufacturers are again returning 10
wire wheels. the same with which the first
machine was equipped and which We're
constructed along the same lines as the
old bicycle wheel.
Back in the eighties Indiana was cen
ter for the manufacture of bicycles. III
the nineties indianapolis was famous for
its bicycle track. which was known the
world over as the Newby Oval Since
1909 this city has become famous the
world over through its motor speed
way. which is owned by indianapolis
men-Carl @. Fisher president: \ {.
Newly. first vice president, and James
Allison, secretarytreasurer.
Speedway Built in 1909.
spring of 1909. and the first race was held
in August of that year, when three-daH
meet was STAGED to open the track. In
1910 three meets of three days each were
held in May, July and September. and in
addition an aviation meet was held early
in June of the same year. May 80. l9l
the first 500-mle race was held at the
speedway. and this meet was OF m
ternational Importance the race winch
IL 60, mo-
Indianapolis-made car-Harroun Mar
mon Wasp" The second insernationa
5OO-mile race was held the succeeding
Memorial day and again indianapolis
forged to the front when Joe Dawson S
blue National crossed the finish line in
world record time.
Both of these events have drawn the
racing fans from every corner of the
globe. Both hold records for the largest
attendance in the history of sporting
events. and the third event. which will Be
held May 20 will be characterized by the
entry of at least three and POSSIBLY more
foreign entries, the cream OF the Euro
pean speed creations. Several Indiana
cars are going to compete with these
European entries driven by foreign pilots,
and it is yet to be seen whether or not
the Hoosier state can produce superior
Space-eaters.
Senior Gasoline Cars.
The National company enjoys the uis-
tinction among the present automobile
factories i'm the city of being senior gas
oline car builders, as this company made
a gas automobile early in 1900 and then
turned its attention TO an<ther held
and built and marketed electric cars dur
ing the same year 1t continued MAX
ing electrics until 1903. when il turned
attention TO the building of the forerun-
ners of the car that won the last Joo-mlle
race water-cooled gasoline motor car.
November 16 and L. 1893, Charley Merz
and Jap Clemens drove twenty-fou
hour trial and set new record OH the
Fair Grounds track for twice around the
clock From this time on the National
was very active in contest work. In 1911
its winnings totaled eighty-four firsts.
forty-eight seconds and thirty thirds.
These included worlds road race record
made by Harvey Herrick at Santa Mon
lea In 1912 Joe Dawson. driving Ma
tionaI 40 won the second annual 800
mile race at an average speed of IS. ~
miles per hour Dawson's actual average
speed for his time I'm driving the race was
81. - miles per hour. and he won the race
after Ralph De Palma had held the lead
almost from the start, driving a big Mer-
cedes which cola psed in the final minutes
of the race Howard Wilcox in February,
1916 set a new record for stock car
mile straightaway of 4O.32 seconds, driv-
ing a National at Atlantic-Pablo Beach,
Fla
Many Built Bicycles.