The Washington herald., 1916-06-04

AFTER the race was over the car was
sent back to the testing laboratory and
minutely examined and improved as con-
ditions showed it to be necessary The
best drivers that money could hire were
employed to handle the cars in these
events. Purses sufficiently large we're
hung up to make it worth while for the
daredeyils TO risk their lives and that of
their mechanics in driving like mad
around the track. taking every sort Of
chance that they might hope would give
them the advantage over their rivals.
Endurance Contest Pnsse.
Endurance contests afforded the pro-
fessional and amateur driver a chance
TO put his car through its PAGES over
the road selected In addition the car
was widely advertised as a contestant in
the newspapers and trade journals Peo-
pie enroute got TO know it and talk of it,
Hill climbs showed up the power of the
car and the skill in handling II. II, in
both Of these contests, the machine came
through a winner the fact was widely
advertised. People grew to have faith
In this particular machine. They had
been shown.
One by one the various cars. each in its
own section and many nationally be-
came widely known and the demand for
them grew. PrOftting by these expert
ences of endurance runs, hill climbs and
races, the factory, year by year. improved
on their machines until they decided
that they had learned all that could be
learned from this form Of contest One
by one they dropped out.
Today motor car racing is confined
TO very few Of the builders Of pleasure
cars. The remainder OF the contesting
cars are the products OF men who have
expended large sums to build a racing
machine and dispose Of their product
either to the drivers or their hackers.
angels" we would call them IL it was a
theatrical enterprise OF which we were
speaking.
Cut Length of Races.
The length Of the contests have been
cut from 800 to 300 miles because the spec
tators claimed that the former distance
IVES 50 long that the race grew tiresome
II was hoped that the shortening Of the
distance would have a tendency to In
crease the speed OF the contestants but
, in this they have been disappointed, as
shown al Indianapolis. Dario Resta's
time was almost seven miles an hour
slower this year than was De Palma's
for 500 miles last year
Endurance contests and hill climbs
have lost much OF their value from
an advertising standpoint. The man
who buys car today expects 1t to
I ;e him most anywhere and every
- ere that he wants to go with a min
In nm amount Of trouble. He does not
even ask II IL will do this, he takes
as a matter of course and IL II
ails the dealer will most certainly
p s-r about II.
far as speed is concerned people
are no longer speed maniacs Forty
miles an hour is plenty fast enough
for the large majority OF owners and
there is not a car on the market to-
day that will not register this on the
still have the notion that they must
have the fastest thing on the road.
Well, there are companies building a
limited number Of cars each year who
cater to this class. Other manufact-
urers will provide special gearing TO
take care Of this feature for those who
specially request 1t.
Motor Racing q Business.
Racing horses was a pastime with
many men OF wealth. They delighted
In seeing their horses outstrip thos.
OF their friends and the pleasure de-
rived from this was sufficient recon-
pense. With the motor car manutact-
urer 1t was and is simply a matter
OF business. He took up the snort
for what he could derive from IL in
the way OF knowledge OF how to build
better automobile. The purse was a