New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-04
FOUR AUTO RACES
TO RALPH DE PALMA
Handicap Keeps Him
from Sweeping Card at
Brighton Track.

Ralph De Palma had a field day at
the Brighton Beach racetrack yester-
day. In his big Mercedes car he car
ried off the lions share of the honors
ct the automobile race meeting and
would have made a clean sweep OF the
card of Eve contests had not big
handicap worked against him, so that
despite his great speed he was not
able to get up to the leaders.
The meet was a good one. No rec
oros were broken, nor were there any
accidents But there was plenty OF
speed and many thrills. and the 10000
persons who watched the contests
showed their approval by prolonged
applause. -.
That both Ralph De Palma and his
brother John are not in the hospital
is because of Ralph's great skill as a
pilot. In the third race, ten-mile al
fair, Ralph and John, each in Mer-
cedes, raced around the track for five
miles at terrific speed, without either
gaining on the other. Beginning the
sixth mile, John. who was on the out
side. took a wide turn on the curve IN
front of the clubhouse.
As he shot 10 the outside Ralph
steered his machine TOWARD the inner
rail but while he was making this
move John tugged on his wheel and
sent his car wabbling across the track.
For an instant it looked as though
Ralph must surely hit him. A great
moan went up from all the women ms
thew looked on what promised 70 be
serious accident. But Ralph was equal
to the emergency, and by piece OF
the finest driving ever seen IN an auto
race in this city he shot his car 10 the
outside and escaped a crash. 50 great
was this move that the groans OF the
women turned TO cheers that could be
heard in Sheepshead Bay. Without an
instants hesitation Ralph chased after
his brother, took the lead and won by
nearly furlong. He travelled the ten
miles in 9:21 l-5.
The first race was ten-mlle ahalr
and resulted in sensational ilnlsh.
Pnlph De Palma won, but TO do so
he was compelled TO use every ounce
of speed his car possessed. Morton. IN
Mercer. chased him all the way and
finished at his rear wheel. Lecaine, IN
a Chevrolet, was third. The time oil
the race was 1888 %.
After winning the. next race, an
other event at ten miles, in 1894, Ralph
paced eight opponents in ten-miie
handicap and gave each of them liberal
starts. He went away the scratch man
at terrific speed, and one by one caught
his field until two miles from the end
he was in third position.
He continued at his greatest speed,
but the handicaps allotted 70 Lecaine
in Chevrolet and Jesbup in Chew
rolet proved too much for him, with
the result that he was furlone be
hind them at the finish. Lecaine
earned first prize by fifty vards. The
winners time was 9:53. De Palma
was timed separately in S;57:
Because of darkness, the tifty-milc
race was reduced to forty-six miles.
Ralph took the lead at the start in
this event and was never headed. al
though his brother, in Mercedes. and
Morton. in a Mercer. challenged re
peatedly until five miles from the end.
At that point they slowed down, while
Ralph went even faster and won by
nearly a mile. Morton finished second
and Lecaine, in a Mercer, third. De
Palma travelled the distance IN
37:27 2-5.