Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-01
PULLEN,DR|v|NC
YANKEE-BU|L 7
CAR, WINS RACE
American Captures 403-MiIe
Santa Monica Grind in
New Record Time.
os ANGELES. Feb. 2s.-one OF

T OS ANGELES, Feb, 2S-One OF
the greatest triumphs ever
won by an American driver in
a Yankee built car to-day lifted Ed
win Pulen and his Mercer car into
new fame as the worlds road race
champion. Turning the Santa Mo-
Mica course at terrific pace for 4OS
miles, the smiling, quiet little driver
captured the international Granc
Prize with 40 minutes to spare.
In winning he did this also: Es-
tablished q new speed record for the
race, raising the figures from lA:45
to 77:2.
Turned the first 80 laps at an av-
erage speed OF 1872 miles per hour,
exceeding Teddy Tetzlaf's worlds
record figures Of 1872 for the same
distance
Brought an American car in as
winner-the first time in the history
Of the race.
The pace set to establish such re
markable averages told on the held
of seventeen starters, and when Pui-
en- flashed by the checkered flag the
field had been reduced to five.
Guy Ball Is Second.
GUY Ball in a Marmon, was the
next to finish behind Pullen, and then
came Billy Taylor in an Alec. Ralph
DePalma was next Huntley L. Cor
don, in his little Mercer, was the only
Z ther contestant running, and he re-
ceived the yellow flag. His position
in the rear was due to his having to
| send three miles to his pit for gdso-
| line from the back stretch
Ball won second place because he
| ran an uphill race and never gave up.
| At one time he lost IS minutes at
| the pit making engine adjustments.
/ Again he spent Is minutes at his pit.
| But he went determinedly back in the
| race and the never-let-up spirit
/ which won him second place in the
| last Phoenix race brought him the
second honors in the grand prize
! DePalma, too, showed remarkable
! sameness He made two lengthy
visits to the pits to change valves
| after having been up in the lead. But
he kept at it and was fast overhaul
| ing Billy Taylor for third place when
the last flag fell.
AS a race. the grand prize was
| more remarkable in every way than
! the Vanderbilt Although more than
one hundred miles longer, it was
faster and when the race was half
over the leaders were so well punched
| that a tire change usually switched
at least four cars in their relative
positions.
Wishart Fast Until Breakdown.
Spencer Wishart made the highest
average for the time he was in the
race, twenty two laps He showed
an average around the S4mile mark
He had been selected by the Mer-
Ger pit to go and race the field of it:
| feet He was to be sacrificed in the
interest of pace and he did his worl
well while he was at it. leading al
the time he was in the race.
Barney Oldfield, who figured in the
sensational finish with Ralph DePal'
ma in the Vanderbilt, was in SECOND
place when he wont out in the thirty
sixth lap with his oil pump out o
| commission. He had been up in tn,
running throughout and was reserv.
ing himself to take the jump wher
/ called upon
Teddy Tetzlaff met the fate which
was literally predicted for him. H'
| developed trouble which put him on
of the race In his eighteenth lap {
connecting rod gave way. tearing GU
big section of the crank case. Blu
although he did not last or get intC
the pace making, he got the honor!
| for the fastest lap. In the twelfth
round Tetzlaff made the circuit in
minutes and 40 seconds, an average
| of S6.6 miles an hour.
Harry A. Grant did not start, the
broken cylinder of his Isotta beins
beyond repair William Carlson also
did not start as the entrant of Mrs
Leota *. Northam. After running
third in the Vanderbilt with the same
car, a crank shaft broke this morn
ing when the car was loafing along al
a l5-mile gait on the way to the track
J. b. Marquis, driving the English
entry, the Sunbeam. was seriously
! injured in the thirty third lap an6
his mechanician, Harry Haugh, was
stunned when the car turned turtle
and jumped astride of the seven-foOt
fence at Death Curve. Marquis ha6
just taken the lead in the race.
His car was running with perfect
smoothness, and it appeared that he
would finish the race without a slip
In the thirty third lap. however, ne
was drawn into a speed duel at the
death curve" and went into the curve
at so mil $ an hour.
The front wheels and axle tore
loose spinning the car sideways
through the air and throwing the
rear end on top of the fence. Mar
quis was pinned beneath the front oil
the car, while his mechanician was
thrown clear Physicians at the hos
pital tonight expressed hopes of both
mems recovery.
Fully 2500 persons witnessed tho
race.