Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-22
CHICAGO NOW
HAS FASTEST
MOTOR TRACK
New Wooden Bowl Considered
Better Than the Indian
apoIiS Speedway

I OF tue mOdeEn CIRCUS maNlnuS lndI 10
TO be dedicated to the Unsuitable gods
OF speed. Brooklands. the famous
English automobile track on which Vic
tor Hemery, Jean Chassange, Louis
Coatalen, Jules Goux and the late Per
ey Lambert forced time to bow the
knee and made of distance a thrall,
has a rival in the new Chicago speed
way. -. - g..
10 a Revelation in Bowl Building.
The colossal bowl OF wood where
Chicagos first 500, mile motor race
will be held June 10 Is a revelation.
Compared to the local oval, the In
dianapolis track, the great granddad.
dy Of all American speedways, looks
like one ring circus. A miracle man,
| George Shank. contractor, In So &C.
tual working days has transformed a
great expanse of unimproyed land In
to what promises to be the fastest mo-
| tor speedway in the country.
The railbirds OF the gasoline circuit
who have inspected the wooden oval
are almost unanimous in the opinion
that new worlds record for 500
miles will be established there. II
their prophecy Is verified, the winning
car must travel al speed greater
than 1894 miles an hour, the clip at
which Ralph De Palma drove his Mer-
cedes to capture first money at Indian.
apolis recently.
Three Factors In Prediction.
They base such a prediction on three
factors. First of all. the turns of the
Chicago speedway will permit of high.
er speed than those at Indianapolis.
The banking is so perfect that dri-
yer can take the turns at 100 mile
an hour clip or better In perfect safe
ty.N Such a speed Is not possible on
the turns OF the Hoosier oval, which
was constructed eight years ago when
racing cars were not capable of such
velocity. In fact, the Indianapolis
speedway was too slow for the cars
when the first 500 mile race was held
In 1911.
So rapid was the development of
high speed-Inotefs hetBeene the time
the indianapolis track was planned
and the day II was Finished that faults
were discovered in its construction,
especially on the turns, when the In
terHatienai sweepstakes was inaug.
urated
Surface Js Easy on. Tires.
The second factor that will. result
in higher speed here than at the
Hoosier capital Is the surface of the
Chicago speedway II Is OF wood and
wood Is not as hard on tires as brick,
the material OF which the Indianapo,
lis track Is constructed. When the
mercury In the thermometer scars and
the spectators acquire a colorado ma
dura complexion, the bricks get so hot
that they burn up rubber in manner
truly satanic. This will not be the
case at Chicago should the sun radiate
its maximum caiories of heat, for
wood does not absorb the heat as
does brick
Tire changes are costly. The Sec
onds wasted at the pits in making
them are very precious. The average
time OF ear depends almost as much
on tire mileage as the number Of rev.
olutions the engine makes In a min.
ute. Consequently the course that is
easy on tires is faster than q track
which is noted for its destruction of
castings.
Last but not least is the vibration
factor. The pounding that car, hur
Ting over the bricks OF the Hoosier
oval at high speed for 500 miles, suf-
fers is far greater than the vibration
sustained by a touring car in Jour-
ney of 10000 miles over the toughest
country road in the United States.
Much Of this vibration, which causes
capitalization in the steering mechan-
ism and other vital points, has been
eliminated at the Chicago speedway,
where the surface is much smoother
than at Indianapolis. This should re-
suit in less mechanical trouble and
fewer stops at the pits for work on
parts that have been jolted loose.
Must Beat Ninety Miles an Hour.
The victor At Chicago will average
better than 30 miles an hour is the
common prediction. Those who make
it qualify their prophecy, however. by
adding that the cars must be in as
good condition as they were at In
dianapolis when the absence of me-
chanical trouble was q great surprise
to the expert dopesters. who figured
that the majority of the entries would
not withstand the strain to which they
were submitted in the first test of the
geo cubic inch motor In competition
in this country.