The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-02-20
SPEED DEMONS
AWAIT CONTEST
Autos in Final Try.0uts for Van.
derbilt Cup Races, Tomorrow

Los Angeles, Cal, Feb. 2O.-With
cars running at top speed for the final
try before the Vanderbilt Cup and
international Guard Prize races, the
daredevil drivers who are To strive fol
the premier honors in auto racing
made circuit after circuit on the Santa
Monica course today, perfecting their
acquaintance with the track. and shak-
ing their engines down to their fittest
form for the great tests of speed and
endurance.
The Vanderbilt Cup race will he run
tomorrow and the International ON
Monday. Both events will be contests
in which the drivers will llirt with
death at every turn. contests of speed
and endurance, with the victors, aG-
cording to advance predictions, cover
ing the distance at eighty miles an
hour or better
At present all interest is ccntcrcd in
the classic Vanderbilt Cup contest, the
Oldest and most famous racing event
of it's kind in the western world
That the event tomorrow will be rs
exciting and interesting as any of its
predecessors appears a certainty. II
will be wonderful demonstration of
ingenious devices constructed for
speed, for power, for strength, driven
with all the daring and skill of men
fra in At.1- /, L. r,sr
events. on the eve of the contest the
experts refuse even To predict a win
ner. although every man is more than
willing To assert that there will Dc
thrills a-plcnty for the thousands If
spectators who gather to witness the
air-rasing contest.
May Eclipse Records.
That faster time than ever before
may be expected in both the Wander
bilt Cup ana International Grand Prize
contests is quite probable, for the
course is one-of the fastest i'm the
world. Races have been held over the
course since 1909, thirteen contests
having been staged upon it. Laps have
been made as fast as ninety-thrcc
miles an hour. and the worlds road
race record was established over this
course two years ago when Rctzlaff
averaged 7S.72 miles per hour.
The course is situated within half an
hours ride of this city. II skirts the
Pacific and winds in and out among
the gardens and palms and pepper
trees. 1t is not only one of the fastest
but one of the safest auto racing cou"-
ses in the world. There has never
been serious accident on it. There is
only one right angle turn, and this has
been made as wide as possible.
All Drivers Well Known.
All of TIE drivers who will take part
I'm the Vanderbilt Cup contest are pi-
lots of international reputation. Ralph
De Palma. the present holder Of thu
cup. will defend the trophy. He will
drive Mercedes-the same car IN
which he won the last Vanderbilt Cur
race and the 1912 Elgin Race. other
well known drivers in the race will in
clude Harry Grant; who won the cuI
III ltVt anu lblVs DdilltN N'lulitl'
Spencer Wishart. Gil Anderson. j. r
Marquis. Frank NerbacS. Earl Cooper
Edwin Pullen, Omar loft, w. II. Carl
son. r. Janetta and G. Joerimann.
The officials selected for the rae.
are: Referee. George Purdy Bullard
attorney general of Arizona and found
er of the Los Angeles Phoenix roat
race: judges. &. II. Cobb Of Fresno, \
3. Daniels of Los Angeles and John +
McLain OF San Francisco: chief scorer
t. w. Leslie of Los Angeles starter
Fred J. Wagner of New York.
Enormous crowds of people arc cx'
pected To congregate along the circuit
and the handling of these is the mos
difficult matter the promoters Of thu
contest have had TO face. II has beer
arranged To have the circuit thorough
ly policed and IL Is believed that tn
careful preparations will prevent an
accidents such as have marred nearly
all of the srcat races Cor the cup il
past years.