New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-02

will open early In the season. un-
derstand the builders have asked for
April % and May 6. II they should
decide TO open on April %, then the
Sheepshead Bay opening event Will DC
tie second Of the season.
New Orleans is building speedway,
hut no dates have been fixed for It's
opening. hear that some OF the back
ers of the Sheepshead Bay track are
interested in the New Orleans venture.
Detroit was to have opened track
early in 1916, but it is reported that
the promoters are again IN hnanclaI
trouble, and the outcome stu looks eX-
tremely uncertain.
In view of the apparent determine,
ton to turn the Vanderbilt and Grand
Prize races from the road 10 the speed
way, the chief road race OF the coming
year will doubtless be at Elgln, HI
where such a contest has been run with
considerable success for several years.
There also may be road races at
Tucson, Ariz.; Oklahoma City, Glen
dale, Cal, and Disilia, Cal.
The managers Of the nine existing
speedways are working in fair har-
mony. although il would not be sur
prising TO see them divide into two or
more factions after the season opens.
The speedway landscape is suli
tainted with considerable "parabolic
commercialism," and if the drivers get
much out of the season of 1916 they
will have TO watch their curves care
fully.
| do not think there will be any
races Of more than 300 miles, and the
majority Of them will be l0O-mile
dashes. Managers of speedways have
decided that the public does not care to
sit through a 500-mile race, and, II l
am not mistaken, before the next sea
son is over they will decide that the
800 mile event is too long.
There is little prospect for any new
racing cars, unless the speedway man
ayers are building some under cover.
The automobile manufacturer shows no
interest in speedway racing, and he
will not provide the necessary ma
chimes.
Without large fields OF entries, plen-
~ of daring drivers and cars that can
stand the sustained speed which IS re-
quired on the new speedwsys, the pub
lie can hardly be attracted, particularly
if the prices OF admission are more
thu 25 sc .. 90 G. uts and So.
The proposed stock car race in Chi
CARO, II II Is Helu, may piO'c "hNN
or not the modern speedway IS suitable
for this kind OF racing. The general
opinion, among those who claim to
know something about automobile rae
ing, is tina. stock cars cannot 60 fast
enough on the speedways to make the
events interesting.
Car maauf 4c.urers say they no longer
care TO experiment with view TO In
creasing the speed of their cars, be-
cause the average car now goes faster
thu the law allows or the owner
wishes to drive.
If, however, the stock car race can be
developed to a point where = will hold
the crowd the car manufacturer may
support i. for advertising purposes.
None 81 the new speedways made
much money last year. and most Of
them lost These tracks have been
built at considerable expense and 1t
naturally behooves the various gentle
men who have money tied up TO boom
speedway racing during 1916.
II they can get more and faster cars
than they lad last year | think they
can stir up lively interest despite the
fact that speedway racing is so per
cent commercial
II would be possible TO eliminate the
name of the car and work up consider
able enthusiasm over the daring Of
the drivers, but unless the nameless
cars are faster than the cars which
raced on the speedwsys last year ! am
afraid speedway racing will soon "get
the gate"