The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-02
WORLDS BEST
IN ASTOR CUP
CLASH TO-DAY
More Than Score of Famous
Auto Drivers to Start in
$50 Mile Contest.
VICTOR MAY EXCEED
100 MILES AN HOUR

Wcthcr permitting. the $50 milo rae,
Tor the Astor cup will take place n,
noon to-day on the new $500. 900 motoi
racing speedway ut Shccpshcad Bay
with at least twenty-five cars in the
feld for the big trophy and $780, 600 ir
various purses, Although ycsterda,
was rainy and the outlook for the rae,
therefore n little doubtful the spcedwa,
management Was treasured by n weathe,
report promising clear weather for to.
day. 1f there liz sun or even merel,
clear weather with a breeze the board
track will dry out fast enough. because
the boards are set on edge with small
spaces between and the wood is crco,
soted. SO that the water runs right off
Sun or wind will make the track SAT,
Tor driving. If the race is postponed
" VIII so over for "A week until next
Saturday.
The race Will be the first big automo.
bile contest hcrcabout since the DAYS
OF the Vanderbilt cup road races, and
there hasn't been one of those In this
n~eighborhood since 1910. In the mean.
time the number of motorists and
Others intcfs stcd in speed contests of
automobiles has been increasing by the
thousands. The management expects
that there will be not less than 100, OoO
persons mt the trackside when the race
begins. ana with good weather there is
reason TO believe that these figures will
be reached.
The field of cars for the race is one
OF the fastest hat possibly could be got
together. The best OF The drivers are on
hand. numbering among then, De Palma.
Resta. Oldiicld. Burman. Cooper. Null
ford. Rickcnbacker. Aiken and Wilcox.
Some of these men are little known 10
New Workers, having made their fame in
the E"st. where motor racing has
Nourishod these last few years. But they
all nrc topnotchers. and as u dozen
out or the twenty-five cars are good for
100 miles an hour or better it seems
safe to say that there will be a great
contest of speed.
Who will win the race is a big ques-
ton to answer. The general opinion
Is that In the first half dozen or so to
finish tie names Of Resta, lie Palma.
Aitken, Richenbacker. Burman, O'Don-
Gell and Cooper will be found, although
~ what order is another matter. Resta
has about the fastest car in the race
and Athens car is nearly as good.
DO Palma beat Resta at Indianapolis.
with 4 car actually slower by dint of
better driving On boards at Chicago
Rcsta was easily the winner. averaging
nincty-sevon miles an hour for 500
miles. Ilckenbacker drives n Maxwell
that Is lot So fast as some of the other
cars. but averages very we'll and is
handled by a master. Burman has an
Other Pcugcot. the same maruue. hut
not as modern "A car IS that OF Res,a
and Aitken. but II is going like the wind
and Is dangerous. O'Donnell has a new
sixteen valve Duesenbcrg and Cooper
the hest of the Stutz cars. Both are
fine drivers.
1t will be chiefly n contest OF France
Va. America. even though De Palma's
car is German. The Peugeot feet Of
five is made UP Of very fast AIRS. Will
coz, for instance, has the duplica:a Of
Resta's and Athens cars. The main
thing about Ai,lien Is that he Is n fine
speedway driver aud therefore danger
Gus. If Tho Americans ARE TO win IL
will be by better driving, because they
are overmatched for speed. Still. Res
ta's car may not stand up through the
whole distance IL pushed hard. and that
probably will he the strategy OF the
day. This may let some car that can
rate all the way get through a winner.
Probably Resta and De Palma will 20
TO the post equal favorites. IL must be
remembered that neither has a whole"
car. both having had to make some I'M
portant last moment repairs.
Although the field numbers twenty
two, there are some cars which have
not actually qualified for speed. They
will get a chance early to-day. These
include De Palma's Mercedes Porpo-
ratios F. II. r.. Limberg's Delage.
Hughes's Peugeot. Alleys Ogren and
Bergdoll's Erwin Special.
The speedway management will keep
Its offices at 1896 broadway open until
10 o'clock this morning for the sale OF
tickets. If there Is any threatening
weather the speedway office telephone no
doubt will be kept very busy, and in
all probability the maHaEement will in
struct the central" when the number,
Circle 1915, Is called to ask If the caller
wants 20 know II the race IL OFF or on.
Central will he able TO handle this with
out, In all cases, switching the caller on
The prizes for the race to-day are
twelve in number. They are First.
$50. 900 second, $4,000 third. $4,000 (;
fourth, $4,000 fifth. 5000 sixth, So, 900 (;
seventh. sl,400; eighth. $1,000; ninth,
S1,1OO; tenth. $1,000; eleventh. $500.
and twelfth. $500. In addition, the Aston
cup Is offered as a five year trophy. to
go then to the entrant making the great
est number OF points, The points are
counted for positions attained-first
counting 20 points second, 10 third,
l2 fourth. 10, and the others up to tenth
5, Z, q. :. 4 and 3 respectively.
The track which visitors Will see Is
n two mile circuit, 20 feet in width, part
OF the homegtrotch being 100 feet wide.
The surface is of " by 4 Georgia pine
laid on edge on cement pillars and steel
framework. The circuit il made up of
two turns and two stretches. The banks
at the turns run IN in a true parabolic