The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-24
CHALMERS BREAKS
GREATEST RECORDS

The Chalmers now holds the name
Tor endurance. A stock Chalmers
chassis was driven over the Sleeps
head Bay Speedway 1898 miles in
"a hours at am average actual run
ming speed of 81.09 miles per hour.
This dazzling run is the highest per-
formance ever made under the OBJ
lservat1on Eof the American Automo-
bile association. The Chalmers thus
shattered the best previous record of
1,81s miles In % hours which was
made by the Hudson in May, 1915.
The start Of this record-malxing run
was made Wednesday afternoon,
Aug /. ~
The Chalmers was driven by Joe
Dawson all but five hours when Joe
0ardham, another member of the
Chalmers factory experimental staff.
took the wheel in relief
The feat of the Chalmers is the
most remarkable performance to the
tcredit of any motor car. The Hudson,
which created a worldwide sensa-
ston when it travelled 1878 miles in
"a hours. has a motor with a piston
displacement of 288 cubic inches.
whereas the Chalmers stock motor
which travelled 1898 miles in the same
time over the same course, has only
224 cubic inches displacement
The canvas covering over No. 8
pit at the Sheepshead Bay Speedway
tapped vigorously in the wind. The
sky was overcast. Alongside the pit
stood a little car, as 1.-the as a gray
hound. as sturdy as an oak. There
was a crash of thunder, vivid flashes
Of lightning, and then the rain de-
seconded. The men in the judges
stand crowded closer to the center
lot the stand in an attempt to escape
the downpour. The attendants at
1.-THE pit sought dry spots. The starter
who had been waiting patiently at the
starting tape while the electrical tim
Ting device was tried, out. ran for
4shelter. Only the little black and
white car stood in the rain, seeming
M4o set at defiance the elements. Soon
the rain had spent its force, though
lit continued to fall. A white-clad
edriver climbed Into the left-hand seat
{of the little car. There was whirr,
3of the sef-starter and then a savage
bark that told that the gasoline had
taken hold. A strong left hand
}gripped the steering wheel: the right
hand grfpped the shifting. lever and,
As the'left foot threw out the clutch,
THE car was thrown into gear; auto
matically the hand then moved to the
right and released the emergency
brakes the clutch was eaaed in; there
was A series of louder explosions, a,
slowly Quickening turning OF the rear
wheels on the wet track, gear shift
10 second, then into Highland Joe
Dawson, no longer smiling Joe Daw-
Don, but Grim Joe Dawson, was on
This. way to prove that the Chalmers
u
enough and sturdy enough to- do what
no other car had dared for year
break the existing --24-hour stock
chassis speedway REGARDS ahree times
the car flashed past the judge's stand
and then the starter waved it down,
when 1t was seen that it would take
several minutes to fix the tape that
was to record the miles. The track
was SO slippery that Dawson warned
the starter not to permit any one to
Even cross the track while he was in
@notion, because 1t would have been
impossible for him to stop suddenly.
Again the little car flashed around
the courSe and red J. Wagner, the
starter of all OF Americas important
auto events, waved it on It's way. The
attempt at the record began at 5:26
p. m. Around the two-mile saucer
sped the car and the tape clicked as II
crossed the line. Down the slippery
track and into the turns 1t flew. its
motor murmuring as contentedly as
. brook on its way to the sea.
E One hour passed. Eighty-three
miles was recorded, against IT for the
first hour of the former record. Round
and round came the car, Soon the
moon, evidently ashamed of the part
thu fa raTu in fTo
gram. smiled wanly. Time wore on, a
hundred miles was passed in an hour
= minutes, 1917 seconds, at Ss miles
An hour. a higher average than for
the hour. The pit attendants had
their supplies in apple pie order. Al
the edge Of the. track stood pressure
tank with two gasoline horses at
Ftached. In order that gas might be
taken on speedily. Inside the pit
4Were stored cans of, lubricating o.
rand spare wheels. At 5292 miles Daw.
sson drew into the pit, took od gas
Anil and water, o. X and was gone
I'm less than four minutes In order
Ito prove conclusively that the motor
need not be stopped during the entire
run a spark plug was changed while
the motor hummed on. There was
- murmur of applause from the spec.
ttAIoTS do tno car BaL16roQ SP6eO.Es.
Through the long night Dawson
drove on, stopping at intervals fol-
food and for fuel, oil and gas for his
engine, but never for any mechanical
repairs
A heavy fog rolled in from the East
at 2 o'clock in the morning. Denser
md denser 1t grew. Stif1 the cal
hurled ON. There was no slackening
OF speed, though the watchers could
mot understand how It was possible
to drive SO swiftly
At 3 q. m. Dawson rolled up to the
pits and turned the wheel over to Joe
eArdham Take no chances in the
fog, Joe,y admonished w. F. Strum
contest manager, as he patted Gard
ham on the back as the car slid away
and was lost to, sight not so feet from
the pit. When Gardham drew in for
gas later he said the fog was SO dense
fon the TURNS that he had to ride ur
against the outside rail in order to
keep his bearings on the turns. A
little after a. m. Dawson, refreshed
by catnay. took the wheel again
LIE completed IL hours with 81 miles
TO the cars credit against 20 for the
old record. The cars average was
79H miles an hour.
At S:Rh- Dawson gave way to Gard
ham again. AT HE'S Dawson took
fhe vvbee1 and sfaved With IL RI the