The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-09-01
Big RACE WILL BE
HELD LABOR DAY
Worlds Dirt Track
Champ Will Meet
Salt Laker


The eyes of the entire racing
world will be conferred on Lagoon,
Utah, Labor Day when Ira Vail,
acknowledged dirt track champion
of the world will risk his title In a
special series of match races with
Clair Spragus, the Salt Lake boy
wonder, who has cleaned up all in
termountain racers and has won the
right to try at the crown.
Manager A. c. Christensen Of
Lagoon Resort has made this race
possible by posting purse SUI
ficiently large to interest the worlds
champion and with William H.
Swanson, president Of the Swanson
theatre circuit and we'll known rae
ing enthusiast backing the nervy
Salt Lake pilot, arrangements have
been completed for a three heat
match race In which Vail will pro-
tect his title against the challenger.
Christensen has agreed to post a
purse of several thousand dollars to
entice the famous dirt track champ
to come to Lagoon for the Labor Day
event and has deposited certified
check for $1,000 with w. D. Rishel,
secretary of the Utah Automobile as
sociation, who Is the Utah represen-
tative of the national contest board.
This money represents forfeit to
bind Vail to place his world crown
at stake and insure that the track
will be in the condition required by
the A. A. A. for a recognized champ
ionship meet.
Labor Day was selected as the
date for the big event and Manager
christensen hopes to make of the
meet thrilling $4,000 climax to
his 1921 season at that resort.
The worlds championship event,
which will be the only main feature
Of an extensive professional speed
card, will be the first sanctioned and
official race meet held in Utah. 1t
will be conducted under the rigid
official rules of the contest board of
the American Automobile Associa-
ton and any records made on that
day will be recognized and stand as
official. Every pilot and me-
chanician participating will be a
Registered professional, the indom-
liable Sprague himself, passing from
a seasoned amateur into the profess
sional ranks in this event. The
famous mile oval at Lagoon will be
Il put in perfect shape for the event.
The surface is extremely hard and a
score Of workmen and heavy ma
chinery will plane the surface to q
perfect smothness, according to
Christensen. In compliance with a
racing rule of the A. A. A. the inside
fence rails will be removed and the
turns scientifically treated with a
solution of calcium chloride and oil.
A dustless dirt course is one OF the
first requisites of sanctioned racing.
| Sprague's new mount, car OF his
Town design and conception has
proved the mechanical phenomenon
of the season. It has attained q
speed of nearly 100 miles an hour
on the straightaways and it was
especially built for a mile course.
The worlds dirt track speed king
will bring to Salt Lake his famous
Philbrin-Dusenberg, a special racing
job, powered by one Of the famous
Duesenberg eight-in-a-row $4,000
motors and said to have cost nearly
$4,000 to complete.
The fact that Vail has never
driven on the Lagoon track and that
most of his world speed marks have
been made on larger ovals, is ex-
pected by racing experts to lend a
distinctive advantage to Sprague.
The latter is master of the small
rings and has come to be known
as the most daring pilot ever de-
veloped in the intermountain
country.
| Because his proves as racing
driver has never extended beyond
the intermountain region, Sprague is
preparing for a career Of race driv-
ing and will make, the supreme eff
fort to win from the noted champion.
One the eve of his entrance into
the professional ranks, he has a
| chance to win the crown of the
worlds dirt track speed king.
In the race meet held last Satur-
day at Middletown, N. Y, Vail won
three victories out Of four dirt track
events. The champion has smashed
practically all old dirt track records
set by Oldfield, Burman, Disbrow and
others of the daredevil school of a
few years ago. He was officially
awarded the worlds dirt track
championship after his victory in an
international open event in Cali
fornia last year.
! 1t is expected that a tremendous
attendance will greet the intrepid
speed demons at Lagoon Labor Day
and Manager Christensen is prepar-
ing for an attendance Of fifteen to
twenty thousand racing fans.
ond All IN tho ho1a with rich moist