New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-15
RESTA WINS RACE
BY Is SECONDS
His Peugeot Leads Ait
kin's in 25O-Mile
Contest
By C. z. T. SCHARPS

Chicago, Oct IA fso-ho1 ia@e'
which held more as prize than the
money offered for first place, was run
to-day, when Dsrio Resta drove his
Peugeot car home leader by sixteen
seconds over another car Of the same
make. piloted by Johnny Aitken, in the
Grand American auto race OF 2oo miles
at Speedway Park.
The victory gives Resta the lead IN
the race for the proud title Of Aneri-
can champion automobile driver-a title
which seemed as good as won by Aitkin
when he captured the Astor Cup race
last month in New York
There are only two more contests
that will count for the championship
and so close together are the two drlv-
ers that a finish as keen as that in to-
davis race is sure to result from their
whole seasons activities.
The race to-day, which was attended
by a meagre crowd, WAS crammed full
of excitement. Ralph De Palma, driv-
ing a Peugeot car. led the field from
the start up to the finish Of the first
100 miles. Then he got puncture and
dropped from first place to fourth.
Resta took the lead away, but held it
only for one circuit of the track. Then
he. too. had to go out because OF tire
trouble, and Aitkin grabbed the leader
ship. The kaleidoscope changed 30
rapidly that De Palma rushed up from
fourth place TO second In the course OF
the next ten miles and Rests fell back
10 fourth and looked to be pretty well
out Of it.
De Palma Has Second Blowout
Aitkin was the leader from l24 miles
up TO 200. In the meantime Ricken-
hacker. In the Maxwell, after being sec
ond for four laps, fell back to third.
Just as the cars reached $50 miles De
Palma had another blowout, which shot
him back to fourth place, and then
Resta overhauled Rickenbacker. De
Palma broke a valve In his Peugeot car
at 100 miles and quit the race.
At 100 miles, when he was gong
beautifully, Aitkin met with his mrs.
tire trouble. He, too, got q puncture
in his right rear casing, the first time
he has had tire trouble in three impor-
tant races, and, as 1t proved, it gave
him too much to overcome. He made
a wonderfully fast change, after almost
overturning the car in the stretch, and
got going again just about three hun
dred yards back of Resta.
The latter held his lead for five laps,
but Aitkin caught and passed him at
2l2 miles. The lead was onll y for the
moment, for Resta got ahead again at
216 miles and increased his margin ever
so slightly from about three seconds
lead at 220 to 226, until he breezed
home sixteen seconds ahead.
Resta's time was hours "a minutes
1868 seconds, at the rate of 1899 miles
an hour. Inasmuch as the Chicago
track. because Of construction peculiar
tiles, is slower by two miles an hour
than New York's Speedway, 1t can be
seen how this performance compares
with Atkins victory in the Aston Cup
race. at the same distance, at the rate
of l04S miles an hour. Aitkin finished
in 2:24:32.61.
Rickenbacker Is Third
Eddy Ricken hacker, driving the Max
we'll, was third, in 2:25:52.76. Pete
Henderson, another Maxwell driver,
was fourth, In 2:32:04.6. Incidentally
Howard Wilcox, Peugeot, was the vic
tim Of hard luck, as he broke connect
ing rod at the start Of the next to last
lap, when he was in fourth place. Frank
Calvin. driving Premier, was fifth, in
2:32:2893, and Lewis, another Premier
driver, was sixth, in 2:32:3l39. Ralph
milford, Duesenberg; Burt, Ogren;
Gable, Erbs, and Vail, Hudson, were the
others Of the first ten.
II was so peculiarly battle Of tires
that the equipment of the cars calls for
note. Goodrich Silvertown cord tires
were on Resta's car. The others of the
first six-Aitken, Rickenbacker, Hender-
son, Calvin and Lewis-all had Good
year cord tires.
One serious accident marred the day.
D'Alene's Crawford car, bearing the
hoodoo number 10, stopped at the pits
early In the race for gasolene. The pit
attendants stopped the fuel out Of the
can over the rear end so carelessly that
the heat from the exhaust set the car
on fire.
Ralph Hetliech, the mechanic, had his
greasy clothing set on fire. Mad with
pain and panic, he ran from the pits
along the track in front Of the judges
stand, so ell the crowd could see him