Evening star., 1925-07-13
AUTO RACE ERROR
LAID TO SCORERS
A. A. A. to Have Experts
Handle Future Events,
Official Says.

AS a result of the unfortunate error
of inexperienced scorers at the Balti'
more Washington Speedway on Satur-
day, by which the crowd was given
to understand that Bob McDonogh
had won the big motor race, whereas
Peter de Paola was really the victor,
Ernest n. Smith, general manager of
the American Automobile Association,
announced today that the associa-
tons contesH board will probably in
Sist upon putting its own entire eN-
perienced checking outfit in charge
of scoring at all official races in the
future.
1T is quite possible for the Amer
lean Automobile Association to put an
entire checking outfit in charge" Mr..
Smith declared, but this is not always
desired by the speedway management
because of the expense involved. L
believe, however, that our contest
board will insist on doing this in the
future. that there may be no possi-
bility of public misunderstanding here
after"
Mistake Not First.
Saturday was not the first time a
mistake has been made in deciding
the winner of a national automobile
race, and officials of the American
Automobile Association are in no
mood to take chances on continued
duplication of these errors, which are
usually due to inexperienced scorers.
On one of the Western tracks not long
ago a driver was declared winner inn
mediately after the race, but when
the electrical tape was checked II was
found he had really finished third.
On behalf of the drivers. Mr.. /Wag-
ner emphatically stated that both
Tommy Nelson, owner of car No. IA,
and McDonough, the driver, were en-
tirely sattlfied that the electrical
timing maahine was correct and that
in spite os the scoreboard, the race
belonged 70 De Paolo by something
like % seconds.
Explaining the position of the
American Automobile Association in
clarifying the mistake recorded on the
scoreboard, Mr.. Smith today issued
the following statement:
Our contest board rules provide
that if there is any protest over a
race the prize payments are to be
held up pending the rechecking of
our electric timing record. On Sun
day morning the drivers gathered in
our office and not man registered
a protest against our authenticated
record. Every man was satisfied and
1 paid over SIS 900 in prize money.
Scorers inexperienced.
'The recording difficulties, as differ
entiated from scoring. which gave the
crowd the wrong impression, was
caused by inexperienced men handling
part of the recording.
1T is possible for A. A A. TO put
in an entire checking ourdt, but this
is not always desired by the speedway
management, because of the expense
involved. I believe our contest board
will insist on doing this in the future,
and that there may be no possibility
of public misunderstanding:
The statement made that the race
was decided in a bedroom is distinctly
unfair. At the conclusion of the race
the electrical timer operated by Capt.
r. A Leavell was taken to q hotel
room, where it could be checked with
out interruption. The error On the
recording board was at once detected
and a public correction made. The
men vitally interested, the drivers
themselves, were satisfied that no in
justice had been done.
What actually happened was that
the callers for the scoring machine
failed to call a lap made by De
Paolo. This mistake occurred just at
the moment that an impending ac-
cident distracted the caller. A little
later one of the boys in the scoring
stand, which the public saw. pulled
two numbers on McDonogh instead of
one. At the end of the raca De Paolo
did not protest, but said to Fred
Wagner, the starter. Please give me
a recheck and you will find that l
have won
Recheck Ordered.
Mr. Wagner ordered at once the
scoring tape to be taken to the Will
lard Hotel and checked with the elec-
trical tape. This was done.
1t was at once shown that McDon-
ogh had taken l minute 32-100 sec
onds to make a lap, when he had
made all other laps in from 80 to 33
seconds. This at once located the
missing and unrecorded lap and it
was known that McDonogh had not
stopped at the pits.
The authorities of the A. A. A.
intend to seeing first that the track
is built under strict specifications
that insure protection to the drivers
and the public, then that the race is
run properly, the drivers protected
in securing prize money and that all
conditions incident to craftsmanship
are observed.
Will Increase Comfort.
'In the heat of the race and in the
excitement of a race sporting event
with officials under a strain due tc
their knowledge that under existing
conditions death turks at every cor
ner. there were some abrupt and un
necessary statements made public
That was unfortunate.
Some Baltimore and Washington
business men have tried TO give to
us a great sporting event. Lack OF
experience in handling crowds and
making proper accommodations ex
acted a toll of the public in the way
of discomfort and lack of exact in
formation that was unfortunate. The
executive committee of the A. A. A
will be fully apprised by me of the
event of Saturday. / believe that we
have duty TO perform TO the public
that goes beyond our official duties
and, due to our regulation of the
drivers, we can and will exercise al
influence to make every condition
plea sing to the public in the future