The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-26
SPEEDWAY WEEK"
LEADS TO Big RACE
Elimination Trials in Full
swing for $50 Mile
Event.
GREAT

will hc talking about the race and the
competitors for the Astor Cup In the $50
uilc contest on the Sheepshead Bay
Motor Speedway. saturdays event will
b. New York's first race OF the kind.
Elimination trials for the race are In
flll swing. New Workers have begun
10 wake up to the speed wonders that
,h, cup race has in store for them. \
week ago when parlo Resta whirled
for ten miles around the steep curved
banks and board stretches OF the new
shecpshead Bay Speedway at II rate of
better than los miles an hour for that
distance they sat up n took notice.
Nor did they realize What n magnificent
automobile racing course and sports
arena had been built right within the
CITY, gates until 10. 900 of them visited
the track on the occasion of the auto
mobile parade which threaded down to
the Bay to celebrate the christening OF
the new speedway.
New Workers until now have had
small acquaintance with the gener-
alton of new drivers that the l~ndianap-
oils speedway and the big middle West
.rn and Pacific coast races have brought
into being rs successors of Heath. Hem
cry, Wagner, Navarro and Grant, all of
VANDERBILT cup and Grand Prize fame.
az course the metropolitan fans have
teen Ralph DE Palma, Barney Oldneld,
Bob Furnham. Ralph Milford and others
Put up miles to the tune of 90 seconds or
60 down on the old Brighton Beach
horse track but Resta. Cooper. Ricken-
hacker, Pullen, Anderson. Aitken and
other motor racing heroes OF modern
times are known in the East only by
nevspaper report and hearsay.
The Vanderbilt Cup races on Long ISL
sud were won by times absurdly slow
rs compared with modern speed stand
ards, Heath's average In the first OF
these was only 81 and n fraction miles
per hour. and when Grant captured the
last one on Long Island IL only required
an average of co., miles an hour to do
Il. However, when Resta won the Chi
cago Derby he averaged over 81 miles
an hour for 500 miles, Even at Ormond
Reach times that used to he considered
wonderful are slow when compared
with to-day. II took Maurice Bernin ~
minutes to win the last big 100 mile
race at Ormond Beach. In the match
race at Chicago on the speedway in
that city Resta's average was 102 miles
In so minutes.
Racing experts and the drivers them
selves are confident hat the average of
the Aston Cup winner will be between
100 and lO5 miles an hour for the en-
tire $50 miles. stop to think Of what
100 miles AN our means. A race driver
at that rate would double the speed of
the Empire State express. Leaving
New York he would reach Albany in
about an hour and a half. Chicago In
ten hours Of daylight running and San
Francisco in about eight hours less than
two days.
While naturally several of the bet
Ter known drivers are looked upon as
the most likely winners, there are one
OF two Of less prominence who must be
reCkoned with in the dope. one Of
these is Eddie R~ickenbacker. who IL
new TO New York. bur who has had the
most meteoric career this season OF
any driver save Resta. Rick" who
halls from Columbus, Ohio, is really a
veteran, having raced in many Indian
apolis Speedway events and other West
ern races, but this season ne sprang
into the limellGht by capturing a string
OF speedway victories in races at
Omaha, Sioux city and Providence
with his Maxwell. At indianapolis this
season R~ickenbacker brought his mount
home before any other American and
several foreign entries in the 500 mile
Sweepstakes, his Maxwell being the first
American made car to finish.
Earl Cooper, one of the idols of the
Pacific coast, Is known 10 metropolitan
Circles by reputation only. To look at
him one would never take him for a
utlfhtNll. IN Inc contrary ne LOOKS
like a conservative. easy going, simple
farmer, smiling behind his s~pectacles.
about 10 take a drive with a buggy and
an old nag Of the safety first type.
Cuopeg's most recent win was with the
NtulZ NJ the Minneapolis 500 mile race,
when he beat his team mate. Gil Ander-
son, by a fraction uf a second. In the
rocont Elgin meet Earl divided honors
with Gil, each driver winning one race
OF the TWO day meet.
When one considers these men, to-
eether with Ralph De Palma. Darlo
Resta, Barney Oldfeld. Bob Burman,
Howdy Wilcox, Eddie Pullen, Jean Por-
noratO, Louis Chevrolet and others, one
must not lose sight OF the fact that
there are some mighty clever amateurs
TO give these men battle that is. they
are sportsman drivers who are obliged
to professionalism themselves in order
20 drive with professionals In this great
classic. Harry 5. Hardness. president
OF the speedway, may be looked upon
10 give a good account of himself in his
newest plaything, a Delage car, on his
newest playground. In practice spins
Mr. tiarkn SO has shown considerable
promise that he can come back as a
"a. z driver even thourh he has not
t'r" irving racing cars for some years,
'Ileb Bragg. another young million
are, IL he cannot Obtain the mount he
wishes will probably act as a relief
driver for Ralph De Palma, but the
chances are that Bragg in the meantime
Will accept an offer to drive one of the
cars FOR which no pilot has been nomi-
mated. Then Grover Bergdoll, the young
Philadelphia millionaire sportsman, Is
among those present with a special
known to be remarkably fast.
The prize list in addition to the
10000 purse and the handsome Aston
Cup has been considerably augmented
BY other prizes. Indeed, one of the
features OF the elimination trials
Will be the battle for the prize
offered by the Vacuum OH Com
pauy, SIS going to the driver who makes
the fastest lap. For the race on Octo-
h"r ? the Vacuum OH Company offers a
cup filled with one hundred silver dollars
o. the driver who II IN the lead az the
800 mile mark.
The Bosch Magnetic Company is offer
ing $500 in gold 10 the winner Of the
big race, $500 for second place and $500
FOR third place. In addition to these
Ir'zes there will be additional bonuses
o. 500 ZACH for 1rst, second and third
places, provided the winners of these
places average a higher speed than the
averages made respectively for first,
second and third places in the 100 mile
match race at Chicago. In order to re-
oe.ye any OF these awards. however, the
winning cars must employ Bosch
Eueto ignition during the entire race,
Physical examination of the drivers
49, ~mechanicians. including the heart
.I blood pressure tests. will take place
,.-ng the week and each man who In
'"'ds to participate either as driver,