The Alaska citizen., 1915-12-20
HISTORY OF THE BIG
 AUTOMOBILE RACE

SHEEPSHEAD BAY. Oct 9.-Rid- ing the tail of an American shrapn T shell. misnaned a Stutz racing auto mobile, Gil Anderson, a Norwegian, won the $50 mile race for the Astor cup at the new Sheepshead Bay speedway today.
 He shattered all worlds record" for the distance. His time was 3 h Irs. 24 minutes. 42 seconds Ht was whirled along the planked road way at an average speed of 1O2 b miles an hout, the maddest. widest flight ever seen on this continent while nearly 100. 900 persons watched him and his competitors, pop-eyed with amazement that human beings could dare that crazy speed.
 Behind Anderson came his team mate, Tom Rooney, also in Stutz and driving his first big race. He finished just q few clock ticks away from the s2O.oO0 that goes to An, derson. his time being 3;25 529, but he gets sl5.0O0 for his reward.
 It was dual American victory and when Anderson rolled his car back to the pit at the finish lifted l. ; sna ing Uoiy frcm his crAnp seat and looked at his young part ner caroming up the track, band in the stand struck up The Star Spangled Banner" while a mighty chorus of song rose from the great
 Anderson was so deaf from the terrific roar of his engine through cut that insane drive that he eoulc scarcely hear a word that was said to him for some moments. He stag gered momentarily when his feet struck the ground. His mechani- elan. |. w. Scott, was overcome by the gasoline fumes.
 .-un D'Donnell in a Duesenberg was third.
 Wi l Bob" Burman. one of the greatest of all of the American makouts of the planked track, had to quit two laps-only four miles from the finish Something went wrong with his car.
 He was never worse than fourth during the race and as he brough' his cal limping back to the pits a mur,nur of sympathy rose from the crowd He was great favorlte with the spectators and so was Barney Oldfield, the grim daredevil with the cigar gripped between hlS teeth, but Olafield had to drop out early.
 Fourth place went to P. Tender sen in a Duesenberg; fifth to Tom Alley in an Egren and sixth to Carl Limberg, n a Delage, the same kind of car that was driven by Old field.
 Long after Anderson and Rooney had finished and long after many of the spectators had started for home. Linberg came in. His time was 4:09:27. an average of slightly over S4 miles an hour, yet the eX- perts shook their heads and said this was very, very slow.
 Not many years ago William k. Vanderbilt drove a Mercedes five mile in about 1-2 minutes and people thought the limit had about been reached.
 Dario Resta the great Italian dli- yer, in a peugeot, held the lead for the first 35 minutes of the race today and had covered about 50 miles when he had to drop out for re pairs to his car. It was then that Anderson, the Norwegian and his little white Stutz, showed out in front. but later Resta again forged in front, only to eventually have to quit the race entirely. Ed Ricken- bacher, Ralph Mulford and Ralph De Palma-all among the famous drivers of America-were forced to quit the contest through car trou- bles of one kind or another There were no accidents to any of the men, however.
 Anderson did not have to change a tire during the long journey, Dressed in a white uniform that was soon stained with grease and dirt, and with goggles covering his eyes, he crouched under the wheel of his car almost motionless for mile after mile. He seemed part of his machine as it went whipping by the grandstand time and time again. Scott. the mechanician, sat at his side bareheaded, the wind streaming his hair back from hl5 brow.
 The Norwegian is cool, coul ageous and experienced driver anl he knows his car as he knows his own life. He gained fame with Ear! Cooper as one of the Gold Dust Twins" of the Stutz outfit. He 6 37 years old and has been driving for some years, In the twin city ' ''--Nf '