The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-21
FAMOUS ANNUAL CACTUS
DERBY SPRINGS SURPRISE
Two Stock Paige Cars Win Second and
Third Place From Field of ~
Racers-Los Angeles Phoenix Race
Sevsrsst Ordeal in Motordom

The Los Angeles. p hoenix race is gen.
erally conceded to be the hardest and
most dangerous race in the world. No
course has ever been selected that
proves such terrific grind as the 7O6
miles covered by the drivers between
these cities on the, 9th, 10th and 1lth
of November.
For hundreds of miles the road winds
over the burning desert sands, cut deep
with ruts and hollows and chuck holes.
In some places SO narrow that two cars
cannot pass. Sharp rocks. big boulders
and cactus are strewn everywhere.
Over mountain ranges that rise TOOQ
feet. through mountain passes where
the road hangs over sheer preeipes
of feet deep. plunging down roads that
drop 5000 feet in ten miles into dark
canyons Through dried-up river beds
and up steep banks made by deep wash
outs.
This was the seventh time the Cactus
Derby was run. The course chosen was
the longest as well as the most difficult
706 miles. Both ears and drivers were
put to test that no other race. not
even the six previous Cactus Derby
races. have ever eNaeted,
Twenty cars started. Among them
can be numbered the best that are pro
dueed anywhere. All the tragedies and
ill-luek that can be experienced were
experienced by the twelve ears that
dropped out. Only eight survived, and
many of these came in ON their last
legs, tottering over the finished line,
bent and broken.
The first ear TO speed over the fin.
ished line in Phoenix after the three
awful days of driving was Nikrent in
Paige "36"-seeond was Oldfeld in
his Stutz racing machine. the latter.
however. having an advantage in
elapsed time which made him the win
ner by 34 minutes u seconds.
This car driven by Barney 0ldfeld
is the same special racing machine that
was built to compete in the 500-mile
Indianapolis race and in the Elgin
trophy race.
The race started from the outskirts
of Los Angeles at daybreak on Novem-
Der 9. The first days run was to
Needles. S14 miles away. For 81 miles
the road was splendid boulevard, then
the desert road begins leading over the
Caion Pass in a steady climb TO an alti-
tude of 1900 feet. To make this desert
road more than usually difficult heavy
rain was falling at the start and con-
tinued for the entire day. The finish
at Needles, the first night control,
showed 0ldfield in tine Stutz first, Beau
det in Paige, third.
The second days racing led from
Needles through kineham, g. miles
away, to Seligman, "a miles, aud on
to Prescott, the second night control
The entire distance is continuous
succession of steep grades and dizzy
deseents.
The last 40 miles OF the second days
racing was driven in the face of
binding storm of rain and hail. At the
finish of the second days grind in
Prescott. Oldfeld was first Nikrent in
Paige. third; and Beaudet in a Paige,
fourth
The third and last day of the race
left 134 miles still to be covered. The
terrible conditions of the two days pre-
vious racing were completely over
shadowed by the almost msurmount-
able conditions of the last 1874 miles.
1t did not seem possible that men or
machines could last through the haz-
ardous and abominable stretches that
had to be negotiated. Not only were
the road conditions the worst so far ex-
perieneed. but the grades were the
worst of the entire course. One grade
especially proved to be the Waterloo
for many of the contestants. This grade
rose 1000 feet and dropped 5000 feet
on the other side within ten miles.
These two Paige ears drove over the
finish line in the best mechanical con-
dition of the eight cars that finished.
While along the route were strewn
broken wrecks of the costliest and
highest powered machines that are pro.
duced-some with broken axles. some
with broken springs, some with broken
frames. some with steering knuckles
gone. some with steering gears smashed.
All motOrdom halls the Paige ears
as the car of power. stamina. endurance
and speed under the most frightful con-
dltlons that have ever been experienced.