South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-07

hefCnantS, FARMERS and other
users Of light commercial cars who
appreciate what motorized equip
ment means in the way Of quick
and reliable service, will be inter.
ested in race story brought back
from France by discharged soldiers
AS told by Maj. Hayes Mcfarland,
who went overseas in command OF
the 311th supply train, the story
Is reproduced from Automobile Top
ics of July u:
Those Memorial day races at st.
Nazaire and the entirely care-free
performance of a battle Scared
Dodge Brothers light delivery truck
are still talked Of wherever there
are doughboys who were coming
through that port about the first OF
June on their way home. Four first
places and two seconds against
mixed field out of six events sched-
uled, is a good score for any car.
Hence the pride of the 311th supply
train and of the motor transport
officers at Nantes. France, in the lit
tie racer which they rebuilt in fivA
days out Of a truck that had been
all over the battle fields and had
come finally to the Nantes park. For
the car which represented Nantes at
the races on La Baule beach near
st. Nazaire turned in just such a
score, after exactly that war expert
,ence.
Checked up Records.
4 t.
mated. were waiting at St. Nazaire to
have their service records checked
up and the last animate traces Of
their overseas service removed from
their persons. For Memorial day by
way of celebration an automobile
race was plainly indicated as he
doctors say. When permission s
given some three weeks before IT,.
event there was a wild rush, TO use
the words of an officer who was
present. TO build racing cars in
every motor transport shop in St.
,Nazai.e. and every town within the
limits Of base section No 1, S. O. S.
for which that we'll known port is
headquarters Some 40 cars were
finally entered. ranging in size from
the ever present four whose name
needs no mention, to skies, Fights
and twelves.
Motor Service Park 767 at Nan
ties picked the best material IL had
available. a Dodge Brothers light de-
livery vehicle which. after hard serv-
ice at the front. had been driven
over land 10 ,he park. where il was
being kept in general service. To
make a racer out of il. the tenders
and body were removed, the wheel
base shortened to 100 inches. the
compression increased by planning
down the cylinder heads slightly. re-
ciprocating parts lightened. and a
stock roadster Eear-set substituted
for the commercial gear ratio al
ready I'm place. With these few
changes the car was ready for its
mile-a-minute performance in races
from one 10 forty-nine miles on a
beach that was only seven miles
long.
Finishes Second.
In the first race one mile against
time in "a field OF 10 starters, the
little car finished second with a time
OF 53.4 seconds. II won the second
race. p miles. free-for-all with IS
starters. showing q minutes 4 sec
onds for the distance and beating
cars considerably larger and usual
IL regarded as more powerful.
The second days racing turned
out "a large crowd 20 cheer for the
little white racer with it's red "N'' in
a circle. The first race Of the second
day was at IA miles for light cars
only The Nantes entry won easily;
time 10 minutes 1914 seconds. The
next race was a 49-mile free for all
with 10 starters. over this distance
the rough surface OF the course had
"a chance 10 make itself felt. and one
OF the entrants turned over. killing
its mechanician and injuring as
driver. The race was won by a COM