The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-22
BIG RACE At FAIR
Vanderbilt Cup Event at Frisco
Exposition Today.
First Road Feature in an En-.
closed Course.

Exposition Grounds, San Francisco.
Feb. 22-One hundred and fifty thou
sand spectators gathered at the
Panama-Pacific Exposition grounds
here early today to witness the Van
derbilt cup race-America's automo-
bile road classic. The race was unique
in several respects. It was the first
time q road race was ever held over
an entire enclosed course and 1T also
was the first time that a big automo-
bile contest was ever staged on eX-
position grounds.
The distance to be covered by the
drivers today was 294.O62 miles. There
were 76 laps to the race. each repre-
senting 3.9O53 miles. The crack driv-
ers of America and four other coun-
tries were represented In the race.
There were rs entries, but Ralph &c
Palma, twice winner OF the Wander
bilt cup, driving q Mercedes car, was
the favorite in the betting. De Palma
purchased his car abroad last fall ana
II was a money winner in the Grano
Prix of France last year. If DE rama
won tOday's race he would ATTAIN
permanent possession of the Nanoer-
bilt 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 applied 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
q mile track. designed for horse
racing. The start and finish were to
be made on the mile track. From
either side of this modified oval the
course was routed through a maze of
state and foreign nation buildings
The straight stretches enclosed most
Of the exposition's main buildings.
On the straightaway next to San
Francisco bay, which the cars follow
ed on their return, was more than Il
half mile Of slightly down grade
Some of the drivers predicted they
would make as high as ITO miles an
hour on this stretch.
In addition to Carlson and De
Palma, the field of starters today in
cluded such notable drivers as Barney
Oldfield, Earl Cooper, Louis DisbrOw,
Dusenberg, Caleb Bragg, Marquis. the
Italian, and others.
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 Vanderbilts.
First race-Nassau county, Long
George Heath, driving Panhard. Time
hours 26 minutes As seconds. Av-
erage 52.2 miles an hour. Distance
284.4 miles. Eighteen started.
Second race-October IA. 1905.
same course. winner Hemery, driving
Darracq. Time, hours. SO minutes,
s seconds Average, 61.49 miles an
hour. Distance. 2S3 miles. Nineteen
started.
Third race-October 6. 1906. same
course. winner. Wagner, driving OAR
racq. Time, 4 hours. SO minutes, 10
hour. Distance. 296 miles. Eighteen
started.
Fourth race-October "a. 1908,
Long Island Motor Parkway, winner,
George Robertson, driving Locomo-
bile. Time, 4 hours, no minutes.
an hour. Distance. 258.06 miles.
Fifth race-October 1, 1909. Long
Island Motor Parkway, winner. Harry
Grant. driving Alec. Time, hours.
rs minutes. AZ seconds. Average.
Distance, 27S.08 miles.
Sixth race-October 1, 1910, Long
Island Motor Parkway, winner. Harry
Grant. driving Alec. Time. 4:15:58.
Average, 65.18 miles an hour. Thirty
started. Distance. 27S.0s miles.
at Seventh GA winnsr NJ Mf s1
driving Lozier. Time, 3:56:67. Aver
age. 74.07 miles an hour. Fourteen
started. Distance. 219.38 miles.
Eighth race-October 2, 1912, at
Milwaukee. winner. Ralph De Palma.
driving Mercedes. Time 4:2O:3154
Average, 6S.97 miles an hour
Ninth race-February 26. 1914, at
Santa Monica, Cal. winner Ralph De
Palma. driving Mercedes. Time,
3:53:41. Average, 1852 miles an
hour