The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-21
CHEVROLET WINS
AUTO CLASSIC;
SETS RECORD
CASTOR Covers $50 Miles in
1924 Is at Sleeps
head Bay.
BROTHER ALSO A VICTOR
Carries Off Honors in 10 Mile
Championship-Big Crowd
Sees Races.
BROTHER ALSO A VICTOR
r, GEORGE n. UNDERWOOD.

nv GEORGE n, UNDERWOOD.
After a desperate duel with his
brother which ended with Louis Chevro-
et's car going up in flames on the 10th
nile CASTOR Chevrolet. in his famous
green Frontenac, swept on to a record
breaking victory in the $50 mile automo-
bile classic before 10000 persons in the
sbeepshead Bay Speedway yesterday
afternoon.
When CASTOR shot across the line at
the end of the $50 mile speed burst the
watches caught him in 1 hour % min
utes 342O seconds. 1t carved 3 minutes
1910 seconds off the former worlds
circular board track record OF / :26 :14.90
made by Ralph milford In a Hudson
Special, Chicago, June 16, 1917.
Toe Bower, in a Duesenberg, more
than three miles behind the winner,
iust nosed out Ira Vail in a. Philbrin-
Duesenberg Special for second prize
money Then in order came William
yetere in Duesenberg, Art Klein in a
Peugeot. Toland Nicholson in n Hudson,
Denny Hickey in Stickel and Ralph
milford in a Frontenac.
There was no eighth man to finish, five
Of the thirteen starters failing to COM
piete the journey. The race carried
purse moneys of S30,500, the first eight
men to finish drawing down respectively
$4,000, $500, $1,000. $500. $500, $500,
$500 and $500.
MuIford's Miraculous Escape.
Two heart stirring thrills punctuated
the racing. Besides seeing Louis Chew
roet and his mechanician. Kenneth
Gooderson, come down the full length of
the stretch wrapped in flare OF smoke
and flames the onlookers watched Ralph
milford and his mechanician, Jimmie
Lee, in a miraculous escape from death.
At the end of the racing the specta-
tors were willing to vote 1t the end
o. a perfect day, for in neither of the
two accidents were any of the riders
seriously hurt. In fact with the excep-
ton of Louis Chevrolet being slightly
turned about the forearns and ankles
and Lee receiving leg bruises no one
even was scratched.
The accident to milford occurred in
the third and deciding ten mile heat of
the thirty mile sprint race, and that
Milford and Jimmy Les.zare alive to-
day to tell the story only Is due to Some
kind Providence.
Coming up from the ruck on the far
straghtaway in the last lap OF the race
milford shot into the lead and with
the two Chevrolets hanging on his flank
and Ralph de Palma trailing, started
taking the last sweeping curve at
Cyclonic speed. In the middle of the
turn the tie rod on Mulford's Duesenberg
broke
milford was at the top of the bowl
when the accident happened His car
skdded into the rail and hung at the
Top of the embankment for an instant,
just long enough for the two Chevrolets
to sweep past, and then plunged down
the embankment. De Palma, going, go
in
fectly into milford and the spectators
rose to their feet in suspense.
De PaIma's Feat.
BY a wonderful display of iron nerve
and presence of mind, De Palma hurled
his car around and past Mulford's falling
Duesenberg Besides great nerve and
skill De Palma's feat required heruclean
strength for his car was travelling at
terrific speed. 1t required two Titanic
wrenches and the nerve and skill Of
master to make the short curve and
steady down into the straight. De
Palma hguratively, was between Scylla
and Charybdis for he had to avoid hit
ting milford and escape plunging into
The concrete abuttment himself,
Then the spectators centred their at
tention on Milford. His car was plug
ing down the embankment and heading
into the concrete wall when De Palma
made the sudden twist around him. Null
ford shot directly down the incline and
It looked as If he was going into the EN-
bankment with frightful force. Some
how or other, however for his car was
out Of control, milford managed to turn
the car so it did not crash beadlong into
Inc wall, but struck II sideWise and
caromed off onto the track.
Spectators Are Amazed.
Spectators then were amazed to see
both milford and Lee calmly step I'M
hurt from the car. Laughing and chat
ting as If only a laughable incident had
occurred, Milford walked up the track to
the finish line. Lee, limping from bruises
TO both knees, was trembling Hike a leaf
from the shock. 1t was a tribute to
Muford's iron nerve and courage that
Nc calmly clambered into his reserve car,
trontenac preparatory to starting in
me big race of $50 miles, which fol-
lowed
The accident suffered by Louis Chew
rolet in the big race scarcely was less
sensational. Duelling with each other
ior 100 miles the two Chevrolets. trav-
cling at tornado speed, shook of the
rest OF the field. As the two were COM
pleting the 10th mile CASTOR Chevrolet
was breaking trail, but Louis in a sud-
ueh speed burst shot up and past him
OIL the turn leading into the stretch.
LoAls no more had taken the lead when
ms car caught fire and was enveloped
10 a mass Of lurid flames.
'n'Nrolet and his mechanician rose
VI IN the car, which was travelling at
rate Of almost two miles a minute
~ inc stretch. belching smoke and
I'mts. Louis was observed pressing
Hahtlcally on the brake as the flames
swept around the cars gasolene tank
Desp!te his exertions, however. he could
not bring the car to stop until he
s"ung II into field of grass at the
aead OF the stretch. The grass caught
nIe and the smoke and flames covered
u'e Track. The other riders had to
s"oot 5undly through It
Firemen Exfinguish Flames.
in the case OF Milford and Lee
'erHer IN the afternoon, both Louis
p'rt and Gooderson were able 10
rul'ate themselves from their car
rFeInen at hand made a quick rush
ton.
Lhul the accident to Louis Chevrolet's
Sar spectators were treated 10 a thrilling
uue. between the two brothers. They