The Washington times., 1923-12-26
HEAVY RACERS
HOLDING OWN
IN FIELD
Light Cars Lack Stamina and
Are Just as Hard on
Tires.
By FAME NORTON,
Cosmopolitan News Service.


Cosmopolitan News Service.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26.-The
122-inch piston displacement racing
cars have had a half years tryout
and American speedway fans are
wondering just what has been the
result.
Summed up it would seem that
the little cars are just as fast as
the bigger machines that they dis
placed. But they have not as yet
been developed to a point where
they have the stamina of the
larger cars.
Therefore, while they are capa.
bic of very high speed, they can
not sustain that speed for long
periods.
Although several hundred pounds
lighter than the larger cars, they
do not seem to be any easier on
tires.
They are not SO safe in a great
many ways and yet are safer IN
Heavy On Repairs.
They have demonstrated economy
IA fuel and in oil, but they seem
to have slightly augmented the
bin Of repairs on parts.
They are not any easier to handle
ON the track and seem just as
liable to skid.
From a spectacular standpoint
they are just as good box off1ce
attraction as the larger cars.
And in explanation of all of this
It may be well to take up some OF
these points in detail.
1t had been expected that the
lighter cars would be easier on
tires. Records, however. at the
Los Angeles speedway and others
clear across the Continent, show
that this IS not true.
Take the Turkey day race at the
local bowl for instance. The wealth
er was IDEAL It was cool and tire
damage should have been held as
minimum. Yet there were more
trips To Tie pits than in any previ-
GUS race in local history. Even
the redoHi able Jimmy Murphy had
to go in for three tire changes, and
the only two cars that did not
change tire were the one that
won the race, and the one finish.
ing third
Safety Doubtful.
When i, comes TO safety there is
much 10 nc said on both sides. The
new CATS carry but one mantle
driver. II re is no mechanician.
This makes for safety in that, II
the car : smashed, only one life is
In danger IN that particular ma
chine.
But, by the same token there Is
only one pair of eyes in each car,
which means that the driver no
longer mas eyes in the back of
his head as in the old days when
the mechanician could watch. the
car behind and signal when Il was
necessary to give it a clear track
or what TO do to avoid being peck
eted.
It is one of the rules Of the rae
ing game that, when a car seeks
to pass, it must be given a clear
track. Jockeying is positively pro-
hibited. And, when an automobile
ID travelling at a speed Of 40 miles
an hour, where a variation Of a
fraction of an inch in steering will
send the machine shooting over
dredth part of a second, 1t is oh.
keep his eyes on the track ahead.
Must Look Around.
But. In handling one-man cars
this course Is not possible. Time
and again he must take his eyes
off his course to see what is doing
at his sides or behind him. And
every time he does 50 he risks his
own life and that Of every driver
who Is near him.
In Europe mechanicians are still
carried In the racing cars. It IL
difficult to determine just why
America has eliminated them.
1t is probable that within the
next few months inventive genius
and the result Of experiments viii
bring about an Improvement In the
light cars which VIII enable them
20 stand ~up to tho grueling test
Of $50 or 300 miles at O stretch.
But this time IL not yet.
This fact II established by the
high-speed records which were made
on the Beverly bowl In practice and
yet the slow tfme-comparati
Of the Thanksgiving Day race.
Eight months ago Murphy drove
that race at an average Of 1854
miles an hour. In the race on
Thanksgiving Day the average time
was 1924 miles an hour, almost
exactly three miles an hour slower,
and three miles an hour at that
speed represents more wear and
tear on machinery than all the
kings horses and all the kings
men could bring about or think
about.