New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-15
MEN BEHIND BIG
MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Official Announcement Is
Made of Sporting Arena
at Sheepshead Bay.
GEORGE F. BAKER ONE
OF THE STOCKHOLDERS
Work To Be Rushed, SO That
Auto Race for $4,000 May Be
Held Over Track Next Fall.

Whisperings which lsave been in the
air for some months a. a great motor
tpeedwav for New York broke into
more definite form last night with the
first official announcement by the pro-
iectors. among whom are more than
,core Of men well known both here and
in Chicago.
The Sheepshead Bay Speedway Cor
noration Of New York. with Offices IN
the Whitehall Building, this city, is the
name Of the S2,5OO,OOO Organization be
hind the project. Title has been taken
70 the Sheepshead Bay track, formerly
owned by the Coney Island Jockey
Club.
Work will begin immediately upon
mammoth motordrome and outdoor
sporting arena. with the hope of com
pletion by carly fall for curtain
raiser in the way Of $4,000 motor
sweepstakes which will make both the
Indianapolis and Pacific Coast motor
speedwsys jealous.
Prominent among the stockholders
are Percy R. Pyne, I'd; Horace NJ. Kill
born. Charles f. Danforth, OF Van En-
burgh Atterbury; Charles s. Sabin.
president Guaranty Trust Company;
George F. Baker, jr., vice presldent
First National Bank; Frank Bailey,
vice-president Title Guarantee and
Trust Company, of Brooklyn; William
Hull Wickham, of McKesson e. Rob
bins; Kenneth Gowan, broker; John j.
HAYNES. Mrs. John W. Gates and An
derson T. Herd, of New York; John ).
Mitchell, president Illinois Trust and
Savings Bank: Stanley Field, son Of
Marshall Field; A. J. Farwell, vice pres
ident Of J. V. Farwell Company; John
r. Scott, Of Carson. Pirie. Scott & Co.;
A. A. Sprague, I'd, Of Sprague, Warner
& Co.; Watson F. Blair, director Corn
Exchange Bank; ". +. Linn, South Side
Electric Railroad Company; j. II. Cud-
ahy, Cudahy Packing Company; George
A. Thorne, of Montgomery Ward & Co.;
James Deering. International Harvester
Company: John Stuart, Quaker Oats
Company; Chauncey b. Keep, Mer-
chants Loan and Trust Company;
James A. Patten, grain operator; Frank
G. Logan, of Logan Bryan r. X.
McLennan, director Continental and
Commercial National Bank; Edward {.
Norcross, of Chicago; George r. Fear
ing, jr.. of Boston, and n. l.. G.. Rachel
macher. of Columbus, Ohio.
Prominent stockholders from auto
mobile circles. whose names the pro
motors feel justified at this time in
giving out, include Carl G.. Fisher,
president of the Prestolite Company;
A. c. Newly. National Motor Vehicle
Company. Indianapolis; Hugh Char
mers, president Chalmers Motor Com
pany; II. NJ. SHETLAND, president Glass
Journal Company. of New YORK; David
Beecroft, managing editor OF "AutOmo-
bile Motor Age" motor World" and
motor Print; Fred j. Wagner, veter-
an race starter, and Ralph De Palma,
race driver.
The local automobile trade is rep
resented by ]. c. Nichols, president of
the General Auto Supply Company; !.
NJ Uppercu, president Of the Detroit
Cadillac Motor Car Company, Of New
York S. s. Toback, president A. Eli
ott-Ranney Company, Hudson cars; A.
G.. Kaufman, president Peugeot Auto
Import Company; Charles T. RieSs,
Hupmobile; William Parkinson, presi-
dent Stutz Motor Car Company; Will
lam A. Allen, president Allen Tire
Cover Company; William c. Poertner,
pany National and Jetfery cars; Ma
than Lazarnick and John c. Wetmore
All the proceedings in regard to title
and organization of the corporate on
have been passed upon by and are under
the direction and supervision of Sher-
man & Sterling, Spier & Bartlett, Bow
ers Sands and G.. H. Brevillier. The
real estate broker in the transaction
was Anderson T. Herd
Evarard Thompson, who played an
active part in building the Yale Bowl. is
general manager, and David Beecroft,
editor Of an endless chain Of auto
mobile trade papers and "The Lincoln
Highway" is likely TO be the first
president and lend the benefit Of his
experience in building and conducting
motorways.
Two annual international races, each
for purse of $4,000, are planned to-
gether with midsummer twenty four
hour races and motor matinees lor
stock cars. Carl G. Fisher, a manu-
fRcturer and father of the indianapolis
Speedway, may be chosen one of the
directors because Of his wide experi-
ence on the technical side Of motor
sports. J. c. Nichols will probably
have much TO do with making both ends
meet.
+. J. Wagner undoubtedly will be the
Official starter, if the opening day i,
not postponed beyond the time of his
retirement under the A. A. A. rules
OF age limit. The pioneer press agent
reports a possible attendance for the
premier event of approximately half {
million souls. But no figures have ye'
been compiled on the dividends
The capital stock is $2.500.000. mad,
up Of 100000 per cent cumulativ,
preferred and Sl,5OO,0O0 common stock
IF the establishment of this surprising
piece Of optimistic enterprise, at
time OF marked apathy toward all big
new things, does not completely re
juvenate and awaken the slumbernl
spirit of Eastern interest in motoI
sports and bring us back TO those won
derful days and sleepless nights of en-
thusiasm over the daredevil driver anC
his wild wagon of speed, the expecta
lions of those interested will not bt
entirely fulfilled.
What has already been done in TIT
way of organization and financing ha
completely amazed many men in tn
motor industry and they express 81
earnest hope that nothing will happier
now to disturb further progress and {
speedy realization of the present plans