The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-02-22
De PALMA PICKED
AS The WINNER
Course Covers 294 Miles Of Asphalt
Track Speed Of ITO Miles
Per Hour on Down Grade
az Predicted
By United rress.

oJ chlSu ITeae.
Exposition Grounds, San Francisco
Feb. 22.-It was estimated that on,
hundred and fifty thousand spectators
gathered at the Panama-Pacific Expo
sition grounds here early today to wit
ness the Vanderbilt cup race-Amer
ica's automobile road classic. The race
was unique in several respects. It was
the first time a road race was evel
held over an entire enclosed course
and 1t also was the first time that 4
big automobile contest was ever staged
On exposition.
On account Of the course being wet
as q result of rain last night and this
morning, the start of the race was de
layed. The time Of the start will be
left to the drivers. AT noon the wealth
err is clearing.
The distance to be covered by the
drivers today was 294OG2 miles. There
were rs laps to the race, each lap rep
resenting 2.9O5S miles. The crack
drivers OF America and four other
countries we're represented in the
race. There were 25 entries. but
Ralph de Palma, twice winner OF the
Vanderbilt cup. driving a Mercedes
car. was thu favorite In the betting
DePalma purchased his car abroad last
fall and 1t was money winner in the
Grand Prix Of France last year If Dc
Palma won today's race he would at
tain permanent possession OF the Van
derbilt trophy and in such an event
the Vanderbilt cup race would be re.
moved from the list OF road racing
classics.
The course itself was unique. In
stead Of racing over macadam-as the
Vanderbilt racers did at Long Island
and at Elgin-the drivers contended
over a track of newly laid sheet as
phalt. This applies to the entire four
miles of the circuit, aside from about
three quarters OF a mile at one end.
where the course made use of part of
a mile track, designed for horse racing.
The start and finish were to be mad
on the mile track. From either side
OF this modified oval the course was
routed through maze OF state and
foreign nation buildings. The straight
stretches enclosed most of the exposi
tons main buildings.
On the straightway next to San
Francisco Bay, which the cars follow
cd on their return, was more than a
half mile Of slightly down grade. Some
Of the drivers predicted they would
make as high as 10 miles an hour on
this stretch.
In addition to Carlson and De Pat
ma. the field OF starters today includ-
ed such notable drivers as Barney Old
field, Earl Cooper, Louis Disbrow, Dus-
enbergm Caleb Bragg. Marquis. the
Italian. and others.
A number of prominent automobile,
manufacturers Witnessed the race
Among these were Henry Ford. John
w. WHY'S, H s. Firestone and F. A.
Wilson.
Previous Vanderbl!ts.
Previous races for the Vanderbilt
cup have been as follows:
First Race-Nassau county Long
Island, October s, 1904 winner, George
Heath, driving Panhard: time, hours
26 minutes As seconds; average, 52-2
miles an hour; distance, 2S4.4 miles.
Eighteen started.
Second Race-October IA, 1905, same
course; winner, Hemery, driving Oar
racq; time, hours. So minutes, sec
onds; average, 61.49 miles an hour;
distance 2Ss miles. Nineteen started.
Third Race--October 6, 1906, same
course, winner Wagner, driving Oar
racq: time, hours SO minutes, 10 sec
onds: average, 61.43 miles an hour;
distance, 296 miles. Eighteen started.
Fourth Race-October ~, 1908, Long
Island Motor Parkway winner, Geo.
Robertson, driving Locomobile; time,
4 hours, As Is seconds; average, 04.SS