Imperial Valley press., 1923-04-13
new RECORD RUN
Los ANGELES TO
PHOENIX BY REQ
One Hour and 26 Minutes
Clipped Off Oldfield
Record

Charles II. Bigelow, veteran road
engineer ana automobile man, laid
out the old Los Angeles to Phoenix
course some fifteen years ago. At
that time the two cities were con
nected only by mere paths through
sand and over rock -strewn desert
washes. Recently, Bigelow
driving n seven passenger REQ
six-cylinder stock ear. fully equipp.
cd with top, windshield and finders
and earring q load of four passengers
together with their baggage, broke
ail records over the long route by
WAY of Needles, Seligman, Pres
srott, and Wickenburg by margin
of one hour and &c minutes.
Barney Oldfield, who won his
famous title of world s "Master
Driver in Los Angeles to Phoe,
mix. event of ten years ago, had
previously held the record of go
hours, ~ minutes. This was made
with a stripped racing car under
road racing conditions. Bigelow s
time in the REQ was 2l hours, is
minutes, thus clipping l hour and
26 minutes off the mark.
The distance OF GIL miles to the
Phoenix Fair Grounds was over
highway to Victorville, then across
the desert to Needles, and on up
through the mountains of north
A. hx- %
man, Seligman, Prescott, Wichen-
burg and Hot Springs Junction
into Phoenix.
Make Stops
The REQ left Lincoln Park in Los
Angeles at midnight Friday night,
March 80 and arrived in Phoenix
at 9:lS p. NJ. Los Angeles time, Sat
urdav night. The elapsed time of
81 hours, Is minutes included
stop of ten minutes at Ludlow
where Dave +. Fassett, service man
ager of the REQ Motor Car Comp
any of California and veteran
driver with experience dating back
to 1905 at which time he drove
REQ two-cylinder twice across the
continent on a double-transcontin-
entail record trip, turned over the
wheel to Bigelow who drove from
then on into Phoenix, and also
ten minute stop at Wickenburg
where a tire was changed. Other
stops of shorter length were also
included in the total time.
Representatives of Los Angeles
and Phoenix newspapers rode as
passengers on the trip and checked
the time made and the route, while
Chief of Police Roberts of Phoe-
nix assigned Motorcycle Officer l.
G. Higinbotham TO meet the REQ at
the fair grounds and escort il
through the city TO the Hotel
Adams where it was met by Man
ager t. f. Shelley of the REQ fac
tory branch in Phoenix which was
formally opened on Saturday night.
Traffic Officers were stationed al
all important crossings from the
fair grounds in and Officer Higin-
botham, with siren going full blast
led Bigelow through the city at
full speed.
Little Tire Trouble
The ear was stock equipped ex
cept for Hartford shock absorbers 1
and Goodrich Silvertown cords, the (
latter standing up in great shape,
the only tire trouble experienced F.
despite the terrific road conditions
met on several of the stretches, be- 4
ing a puneture out of Needles and
a blowout resulting from "a rock
cut when the ear swerved to the /
side of the road just north of Wick .
enbnrg. The treads showed little .
or no wear when the ear was driven .
into the REQ service plant in Phoe- .
nix
Mr.. Biglow is the holder OF sew
seral long distance records and last /
wear established new marks with
REQ for the l.. A. and Phoenix
roundtrip and the long grind from
Salt Lake to Los Angeles. The trip
over the northern route was made
according to Bigelow, to discover
if possible any weakness which
might develop and TO test out thor
oughly the power and stamina of
the ear. lie told the writer, and
this was born out fully by state
ments from the two newspaper Oh
servers, that no special attempt was
made for speed in California, but
that the car was pushed TO eapaci-
ty over some of the rougher stretch
es of desert road. A speed of sew
enty miles an hour was reached at
one point, and 68 miles an hour on
another stretch, according to the
observers.
Particularly good time was made
on the last stretch from Wicken-
burg 10 Phoenix, the REQ negotiat-
ing the distance in 2 hours, 20 min
utes, while the fast train requires
about hours, As minutes for the
trip by rail over somewhat short
er route.