New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-07-20
Draws Pictus'>
OF Racing Days
Of Is Years Back
Fred Wagner, Veteran Start.
er. Tells Of Changes and
improvements of Time in
Speed Machines and Men
By Fred J. Wagner

Those who have been associated with
automobile racing the last ten or fiji
teen years q. cannot fail to appreciate
the changes tina. have taken place, not
only in the cars but in the drivers.
Automobile racing in fifteen years has
Influenced the engineering world TO
such an extent as TO bring about the
use Of smaller engines, more valve-in-
head engines, better fabrication and
cooling, greater knowledge of spark
Plugs and ignition apparatus, engines
G: lighter weight, higher speed and
more power for their weight and size.
The racing car designs have taught
more about metals than most of US
imagine 1t is stated that vanadium
steel springs owe their origin 20 rae
ing The wire wheel we all know gov
a running start in racing. The tires
Of to-day would not be much better
than those of ten years ago if the tire
makers did not get such experience as
racing offered. Even to-day tests are
still going on with racing cars as the
experimental means.
The heavy, crudcly designed, clumsy
racing cars, with large slow speed en-
eines, of ten and fifteen years ago have
given way to small, low weight. refined
meckanisms fitted with low displace-
ment high-speed engines. The cars
of the old Vanderbilts were practically
all chain droven; to-day shaft-drive
with bevel gearing is used on all rae
ing cars.
Perhaps the most striking change
apparent to any one who has at all
kept in touch with the sport is the ex-
terror appearance of the cars. In the
earlier days the driver sat on a bucket
seat dangerously exposed, the exhaust
led right out of the hood through the
pipes, the hood was securely strapped
Gown and, above ali, there was little
attempt at streamlining the cars.
When the driver learned that wind
resistance was the most important fac
tor in speed, attempts we're made to
reduce this by narrowing the front OF
the car, smoothing the sides and avoid
ing the construction that might cause
air pockets.
1t was not however, until 1913 that
the use OF streamline tails. long ex-
haust pipes carried to the rear Of the
car. high sides and other schemes were
T
to-day are for the most part excellent
examples of streamline jobs, and much
Of the added speed of which they are
capable is attributed to this construc-
ton.
The engines of to-day are about one
third the cubic capacity of those of
fifteen years ago. In modern races the
a0G-cubic inch engine IS used, and,
though there is no rule against smaller
oncs, some are considerably under this
Engines Of 1000 cubic inches or more
were common in the old days. They
were practically all four-cylinder cars,
as they are to-day, but extremely high
powered and heavy.
The idea in those days was that the
more power you had the more speed
you "oulu get. IL LOOK some years 4oi
the designers to learn that streamlin-
ing and ease of engine speed, engine
efficiency and car efficiency made it
possible to get along with smaller and
lighter engine.
Many of the oldtime racegoers GER
tainly remember the engine starting
problem how it was necessary for two
men 70 swing a crank handle, for one
car to tow another, or even for team
Of horses 70 be brought into action to
get me engine started. Happily, the
high compressions in the large >cyiin-