Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-08
PULLEN'S VICTORY
SETS NEW MARKS
First Time American Driver in
american Car Has Won
Grand Prize Trophy.
WORLDS RECORD TIME
FOR CLASSIC EVENT.
New Driver Betters Tetzlaff's Time
of a Year Ago-Luck Cuts Fig
ure in Races.


While the sensational road races for
the historic Vanderbilt cup and the
Grand Prize of the Automobile Club of
america. which were held this year in
the far west for the first time. is now re-
corded as automobile history. the sport
owing fraternity of the army of motor
ists throughout the country is stiIl dis
cussing the recent thrilling speed CON
tests held at Santa Monica. Perhaps
never before in the history of American
automobile road racing has there been
more popular victory than that scored
by the Mercer and Eddie Pulen in the
International Grand Prize. 1t was the
first time that an American car succeed
ed in winning first honors in the classic
fields that made up the Grand Prize CON
tests, though in previous races for this
trophy many American-made cars have
competed. but failed.
Sets New Record.
Additional glory belongs to the Mer-
Ger and to Pullen through the fact that
the average speed established at Santa
Monica is a worlds road record for the
distance for Pullen covered the approx
luately 404 miles to the tune OF 80
miles an hour which was close to three
miles an hour faster than the best previ-
uus record. The Mercer also surpassed
,Ae worlds record of 1872 mics per
hour held by Tetzlaff. who in 1912 made
that mark on the same course over dis
taIice Of approximately 3US miles. Pull
lens Mercer turned thirty-siN laps of the
Santa Monica course, approximately Suo
miles at an average speed of 49, miles
uer hour An idea of the Mercer per-
torrance in the Grand Prize may be
.:ained when it is realized that Pulien
tI frAtl Vbn
was forty miles ahead OF the neid az inc
t.nish and winner one hour be-
fore the fourth car completed the re-
Quired distance.
Dame Fortunes Part.
Those who have followed automobile
racing with any degree of consistency
readily admit that the fortunes of the
game play more than the average part in
u road race Another story might have
been written about the Vanderbilt Cup
race if Dame Fortune had been on the
other side of the ledger. as far as the
Mercer team was concerned. Pullen was
leading in the Vanderbilt, when. on the
fourteenth circuit, he met with an acct
dent which eliminated him. This was
the first slight by fortune to the Mercer
representatives. The second and more
expensive came on the thirty-second lap.
when an unfortunate puncture compelled
Barney Oldfield to halt his Mercer for
slightly more than minute while a shoe
was replaced. The delay was only mo-
mentarily, but 1t was sufficient to allow
the winning Mercedes to cross the line
minute In advance of Oldheld's Mercer.
The MERGERS average in this race-29t
rniles-was seventy five miles an hour.
The finish Of the 1914 Vanderbilt was ex-
actly the same as in the 1912 events at
Milwaukee,, when only forty seconds sep
arated De Palma in the Mercedes and
Hughes in the Mercer at the finish.
Pullen Is Premier.
Through his victory at Santa Monica,
Edwin Pullen now stands out as the
premier road driver of the country and
a likely claimant for the 1914 road driv-
ing championship. Pullen started his
career as an apprentice boy in the shops
Trenton, n. j.. and his win in the Grand
Prize Is the first he has recorded in
contest of any importance, although he
has established a good reputation in all
Ok the ether races he entered. PulleRowes
his entrance into the speed game to
Hughie Hughes, who recognized his good
work as a Mercer tester, and chose him
as his mechanic when he began driving
Mercer cars.
Punen rode with Hughes in all of the
principal events during 1911 and 1912, and
was instrumental in bringing the Mercer
cars TO number of victories. At Ia
coma, Wash, in July 1912, Pullen drove
his first road race. winning a 15O-miie
event in 900 cubic inch Mercer. In
August of the same year he finished
second in the 800 cubic inch division at
Elein. trailing Hughes, who won in an
other Mercer. When De Palma quit the
Mercer team. Pullen was given his mount
Pullen is one of the youngest racing
lie is married and lives in Trenton n. j.,
with his wife and daughter.