New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-13
SPEED BURNERS
MEET TO-DAY In
$4,000 CHASE
Nineteen Auto Drivers to
Strive for HonorS on
Sheepshead Course.

Speed records trcmbled az the en-
trants In the automobile races to be held
at the Sheepshesd Bay Speedway this
afternoon competed In the qualifying
trials, held yesterday afternoon. The
| daring drivers burned up the two-mile
track as they sped around the oval
course TO attain the 90-miles-an-hour
average necessary TO eligibility to start.
OF the nineteen cars entered for the
100000 in prizes, eleven succeeded In
making the required speed. The other
eight scheduled competitors will take
TO the track some time this morning
for their qualifying performances.
Huddled behind the steering wheel Of
his Peugeot, Ralph Milford, one Of the
favorites for the metropolitan trophy
contest, accomplished the best time Of
Che afternoon. The official timers
caught him as covering one lap in
l:04 2-5, which Is at the rate OF 1874
miles an hour.
Closely behind him, and considered
the dark horse for the premier prize,
came Josef Christiaens, the Belgian
driver, who was clicked lap in
:05 2-5, which Is an average OF ITO
miles an hour The engine of the Sun
beam which the Belgian drove hummed
perfectly, and he sent her speeding
madly around the track.
Many of the spectators present great
ly favored the chances OF Christians.
He only recently returned from Eu-
rope, where he went after pushing his
Excelsior car into sixth position In the
b00-mile race on the Indianapolis track
in 1914.
Johnny Aitken, In the other Of the
the third best time. He appeared not
70 force his car to the limit, being
satisfied TO pass the required speed. He
was timed in 1909 1-5.
Surprise was manifest on the faces
Of the timers when the little Maxwell.
with Pete Henderson in the seat, tore
around the track at the rate Of over
100 miles an hour. Henderson was all
smiles at the end Of his trial and was
optimistic of his chances TO carry away
some Of the prize money.
Aldo Franchi, the Italian, in Pusun,
which Is a combination of the Peugeot
and Sunbeam cars; Jack Devlin, In a
Duesenberg, and Jules Devinge, pilot
ing Delage, all were past the qualify
ing distance at the end Of their time
spins.
Among the drivers who did not take
TO the track yesterday for their speed
trials was Dario Resta. who will again
handle the Puegeot which he drove to
worlds record breaking performances
in the races held late last year. Inc
Italian was on the scene, but elected TO
wait until this morning for his trial.
Carl Limberg, in Delage; J. X. wat
al "a
Rickenbacher, In a Maxwell; c. W.
] Thompson, behind an Olson; Ira Vail,
In a Hudson, and Eugene Steeher, IN
his Erwin 40. will perform before the
timers this morning.
| In the draw for positions In the
/ trophy contest Christiaens was sue
cessful in obtaining first position, while
Aiken drew 3, milford and Rests
/ 10, in the back row.
/ In the Metropolitan event the cars
will be sent off at flying start, but In
/ the 20 and 90 mile contests the com
petitors will be allowed a rolling start
/ The handicap event will be from a
/ standing start. The officials we're in
clined TO send the racers in the big con-
test away from standing star, but
the drivers protested, declaring that
the intense smoke from the engines
would blind them.
The race will be the first OF the
point-scoring system that will prevail
at four other big races that will be held
later at Indianapolis, Chicago and two
other cities. Points will be awarded 70
competitors in the respective positions
il which they finish at the end. At the
end of the years racing the compiler
Of the most number of points will be
regarded as the speed champion.
The cars will make their appearance
on the track at 1880 o'clock, when
they will test their brakes. An hour
later they will be called to their posi-
tons and photographed, and the cars
made ready for the first event Jeffer-
son De Mont Thompson, the official
referee, will then make an inspection
Of the track, and at 1880 o'clock the
starters in the twenty-mile race will
be sent off on their journey.
It is expected that the entrants in
the Metropolitan Trophy race will re-
ceive the starting pistol at 4 o'clock.
Autoists who anticipate motoring 10
the track from Manhattan are advised
to take the route leading over the
Greensboro Bridge, thence to jack
son Avenue, to Fourth Street, TO High
land Avenue, along Bedford Avenue.
through Prospect Park and down Ocean
Avenue TO the track.
The time of each OF the cars that
qualified yesterday was:
/ NaLs md rriycr Tina