Arizona republican., 1922-03-13
Inside Story Of Racers Death Is
Told Long After Tragedy Is Staged

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The following inside story of the
death of Omar Toft, nationally fam
GUS automobile racer, at the state fair
grounds here last November, was
known racing authority, for the Tue
son Citizen. from which it is re-
printed:
A cloud of dust hung over the old
Phoenix race track like a gray cano-
py. out across the fertile fields Of
the Salt River valley, all green and
studded with feeding cattle, the Ari-
zona dust-film floated toward Camel
back mountain. And as the late
autumn sun slouched down to meet
the butte-fringed horizon, the crowds
in the historic grandstand witnessed
the last act of one of the greatest
dramas of automobile racing history
1t was the final curtain Of the once
sensational DE Lage mystery.
The race fans in the stands and
sardined into the standing room be-
low. watched the speed men as they
fought for place on the dirt track
that had been the stage for the great
est drivers America had ever known.
They cheered the daring exploits Of
the pilots on the track: and then
there was a gasp. Omar loft, OF the
French De Lage, had gone through
the fence
Poor Omar Toft! For many sea-
sons he had battled for fame and
fortune on the race courses of Amer
lea: but he had never attained that
place among the monarchs of the
speed world that every driver strives
for-and drives for. He had never
climbed above that position he had
held so long among the aspirants Of
the profession. And now he was dead.
Killed on a mile dirt track. But he
was killed with the De Lage, the
car that had carried his name across
the seas and back again; and finally
made him the joke of the racing
sport.
curious spectator studied the
wreck. The De Lage lay stranded
like a beached submarine deserted by
her crew. The gasoline tank had
been ripped open and the ground
about the car was soaked with the
fuel. The spectator puffed leisurely
at a cigarette; then he tossed the
burnt out cigarette TO the ground.
There was flame. In a fleeting
moment the fire had eaten into the
car and in another moment it was
burning like an offering to Moloch.
When the flames had been quench-
ed there was nothing left OF the De
Lage but a charred pile of metal;
and that was the end of Omar Toft--
and the end of the De Lage.
But this secret of the De Lage was
not buried with Omar; nor was it
destroyed in the flames that ate the
track. Toft had had as his mechani-
rfa 10 70 I
Angeles speed king who was picked
outside the rail at Fresno the day
Earl Cooper came back as the driver
of Joe Thomas car. The day before
he drove to his death at Fresno, AL
ton Soules revealed the story OF the
De Lage. cleared up the mystery that
had involved some of the most prom
inent racing men in the vest and
baffled the contest board of the A.
A. A.
Back in 1918 there was to have been
a French De Lage in the Vanderbilt
and Grand Prix. staged on the Sar-
ia Monica course. Omar loft had
gone to Europe TO get the car. Ca
bled messages had come back an
nouncing that he was retucu!ng.
There was an accident on the French
practice course in which Toft had
been injured while riding with a
French driver. He came home with
his head swathed in bandages. ard
the car was to follow within a few
days.
It was decided that Toft was not
in fit physical condition to drive the
car, on account of his accident in
France, and the name of Bert Ding
ley was brought into the case when
he was nominated to drive the car
in the Santa Monica events.
The worlds greatest drivers start
there was no De Lage. The day of
the race came and still there was no
De Lage.
Leon T. Shelter, manager of the
events for the Western Automobile
association, the organization of auto
mobile men which had the promotion
of the races, was unable 10 explain
why the car had not arrived. He did
not know. No one knew but Toft
and the De Lage people on the other
side of the Atlantic, and they would
not tell
Cables to France were unanswered
and questions asked loft were unan-
swered. Then it was believed that
it had been a great hoax. Some
claimed that Omar had never gone
bandages on his head We're only a
part of his makeup. II was consid-
cred a great joke, and even Leon 4.
Shelter, the man who should have
known more about the affair than
anyone else, knew less than the
newspaper men, who knew nothing
and could find out nothing.
The joke became old and was for
gotten. Toft got a new car called
the Omar and he drove in meets all
over the country; but he was always
considered a mystery and the De
Lage fiasco was never cleared up.
After marrying Mrs. Leotia X.
Northam the woman who had sent
him to France for the car and who
built, or rather financed the build
driving for a time and then became
the proprietor of a roadhouse near
Phoenix.
Mrs. Toft died. Omar closed out
his roadhouse and returned to Los
Angeles. where he worked in a ga
rage. He got hold of the 800 De
Iage and was TO have had a new
block and drive it under the 1S3 reg
ulations in the Thanksgiving day
race on the Los Angeles speedway.
The Phoenix race came first, and ii
was his hope to win enough to help
out on the expenses of preparing the
car for the speedway event. He
went To Phoenix with the car and
that was the end.
There was nothing mysterious
about the De Lage after all, accord
ing to the story told bv Soules. who
had been with Toft as his mechanic,
and the driver had told him the story
OF his trip to Europe, although he
had always before maintained stoi-
cal silenCe. even In the face OF en-