The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-02
RACING RECORDS
MADE BY SILYERT0WN
Goodrich Cord Tires Played
Important Part in Sea-
sons Speed Work.

The year 1918 will 70 down in racing
history As epochal. Dreams Of years
became reality. and In race after race
drivers hurled their speed creations
about the big saucers At a rate Of more
In 90 miles an hour. In 1915 the
best previous record Of s7.8 miles An
hour was raised to 1854 miles An hour
a difference Of eighteen miles. In no
year since automobile racing nrst began
has there been such a rapid stride.
The nrst race ever held was In Chi
cayo In 1895. Two wheezy power bug
gies started a run to waukegan and re-
turn on q cold November day over
streets Of crusted snow. The seventy
miles were travelled in 0 hours and 20
minutes at the tremendous rate Of rs
miles an hour. The startling fact was
not the speed. but that the power bug
gies would run at all.
That was the Insignificant start. but
from then until 1904 there was very
rapid increase In the speed attained each
year. A French race in 1896 developed
speed Of 1i.9 miles An hour over q 7$0
mile course The French kept ahead
OF the American inventors In peTfecting
the gasolene engine until 1909. Lancia
In 1904 driving a Fiat In the Florio Cup
race at 12 miles an hour.
Then for ten years II seemed that
motor racing had reached a dead level.
Between 1905 and 1914 there was an
Increase OF only six miles an hour. and
not until Eddie Pullen urged his speedy
Mercer over the Corona, Cal. track In
1914. at the rate OF SIS was there any
p%erceptible development.
At-aA shat ttraA rapnS1a haNA vnnan
thick and fast. Ralph De Palma in his
Mercedes started the all rolling at
indianapolis on Decoration Day by aver
aging s9.4 for 100 miles. Less than a
month later Dario Resta. at Chicago.
ecllpsed that record by averaging a7.5
miles an hour and OF last Labor Day Gil
Anderson made the mark still better
by driving $50 miles at 1925. In a
match race held early In October at
Sheepshead Bay Resta again raised The
mark to 1854 for 100 miles.
Eddie Pullen's Mercer at Corona was
shod with a new type Of tire built OF
two layers Of rubber impregnated. rub
Der covered cables. The new tire had
been developed In Silvertown. England.
an a type not only stronger. but so resi-
lient that It would erect great economies
In gasolene consumption II tire cost.
As a result Of the use Of this tire
Pullen averaged SIS miles an hour. Al
the Indianapolis race his year. the
drivers turned en- masse to the American
built tire OF this type-the Goodrich
Silvertown. and since hat time have
used II almost without exception.
II was admirably suited to racing
needs. Harry Grant travelled 500 mile,
without Il stop at Chicago at q rate Of
more than ~ninety-six miles an hour
Resta won the race at n~inety-seven mile.
an hour and finally ended the racinl
season at Sheepshead Ray In a blaz,
Of glory with a record Of 1854 for lO(
miles.
1t is important to note that Silver,
! towns have taken part In every grea'
. advance In the last two years. Silver
towns are not a racing tlre-they arr
built for everyday service. but because
Of their Inherent strength. they hav,
prove able to keep pace with the ire
mendous Iva In racing speed.
+. All credit is not due Silvertowns
] There have been improvements in en-
( gines and in track construction, bu
Silvertowns have removed the mos
y serious mechanical obstacle to grea'
Q speed-tire trouble
4 One OF the great features Of racinl
until the past two years was the chang