The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-31
ALABAMA PLAYS
 PART IN RACING.
Dent Represents Birming- ham At International .
 Motor Meet


 ever which motor contests have been staged during the last year, figured prominently among the states that es- tablished auto racing first among Amer jcan sports, according to statistics com piled by international syndicates in Chicago. While the attendance at motor races in Alabama in 1924 was large, the total was somewhat lessened over previous years when the big mile oval at Birmingham was used for speed contests. In 1925 this track will be back in operation and sanction board officials predict that Alabama will then rank among the leading states q the uniou contributing to the popularity Of automobile racing.
 Interesting points pertaining to the gasoline sport, brought out at the an- Ilnai meeting of the International Motor Contest association, at which Alabama was represented by J. E Dent of Bir- auiagaam and Mort l.. Bixler of Mont gozs1ery, stressed the fact that more peo- pie witnessed auto racesf Fin the United States and Canada during the last year than attended either major league base. ball games or the world series or all collegiate and professional football games combined Baseball and football were the only sports bidding for su- premacy in public favor against auto racing.
 Not Too Dangerous
 While to the average speed fan automo- tile racing is considered a simple form of suicide, the past year has again revealed the fact that the sport is hardly more dangerous than even horse racing, sport which claimed the lives of many jockeys and veteran reinsmen, in- cluding Hinds and the beloved Pop Geers. ,,,
 It is true that Dario Resta met death on an English speedway but his crash came while attempting ito establish a phenominal speed record and not while in actual competition. Then Joe Boyer, the Detroit millionaire, went to his death at Altoona, count against the sport, and when the popular Jimmie Murphy was gathered in by the un- welcome gent with the sythe, motor racing felt the loss and some writers opened a campaign of condemnation Of the sport.
 Murphy In Wrong
 Few stopped to anaiyze these ac- cidents, however, for motor critics say that Jimmie Murphy had no more busi- ness racing on a dirt track than Barney O1dfield would have making para chute jump. from a balloon. Murphy received his driving education on the paved courses and won fame there, but he knew little or nothing of the dirt track game. The limited number of speedways in the country and the few events staged each year on the big paved or board courses caused Murphy and several other speedway monarchs StA9z tptR ,te~4the- more sensational dlrt tracks where the gold was flowing freely.
 Jimmie Crafts death on Ascot speed way, a dirt course, was caused by an amateur driver, and Rocky Kansas, the second victim on that course. had but little experience as speed demon. That covers the list or professionals who died at the wheel during the last year, but naturally it does not account for the half score or more of inexperi- enced amateurs who sacrificed their lives on the altar of ambition to be a knight of the heavy throttle without first serving an apprenticeship as a mechanic or relief driver.
 Many Amateurs
 Sanction board officials point out that in every city in the United States, and particularly in cities where auto races have been staged, there are speed bugs, mechanics or wealthy youths with a lust for thrills, who believe that the experienced professionals who partici- pate in. the speed classics of the coun- try, possess only a heavy foot and an automobile and that experience and the ability of the man at the wheel are mythical assets. That belief has been, flouted repeatedly and has cost many lives, but because some promoters continue to listen to the arguments ot amateurs, motor racing has suffered more from public criticism than any other sport.
 With faster motors being developed and with tracks everywhere being i'm proved, sanction board officials have gone on record to tighten the rulings that will protect the sport and increase its popularity. According to Secretary A, R. Corey of Des Moines, an inex- perienced driver has no more business driving on to a track and expecting to compete against professionals than he would have walking out on to the baseball diamond at Cubs park and demanding that he be permitted to pitch against the Yankees.
 "Let the amateur have the same chance fin auto racing as he has base ball-prove his worth first" says Mir, Corey, speaking for the sanction board.
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