Evening star., 1926-09-24
NEW AUTO SPEED
RECORDS EXPECTED
Laurel Qualifying Tests To-
day May Set Marks-30,-
600 Spectators Forecast.

Automobile Editor of The Star.
With advance seat sales indicating
an attendance of more than 10000,
exceeding the mark established at the
races last June. preparations We're
going forward today to handle
record breaking throng At tomorrow
races at the Laurel Speedway.
A decided stimulus TO interest IN
the contests has followed the sensa- :
tional petforma or the National
Motor Racing Association drivers
making their second appearance on
the giant Maryland oval. The feat
of Fred Winnai in circling the track
within one fifth of a second of the
world record and the sensational
driving of Jimmy Gleason, Russell
Snowberger. Ray keech, Frank Far
mer and others of the national stars
has given race followers a foretaste
of the remarkable performances that
may be expected in the three-event
program tomorrow.
Winnai'S mark, the fastest time
ever made on the Laurel bowl by
car not equipped with disc wheels.
still is not up to the predictions oil
y. NJ r. A. officials. who are counting
confidently on the qualifying tests
this afternoon to produce the fastest
time ever made on any one-a nd one
eighth-m speedway. Five other
drivers pushed near to this speed IN
yesterday afternoons tuning trials
and are waiting until today's tests To
push their mounts to the limit.
Event for Amateurs.
Following. out it's conviction that
the interest in automobile racing is
to he achieved by avoiding progra ms
that feature one marathon event, the
\. NJ. r. A. has carded three races
for tomorrow. These will he 20
mile class A sprint. 25-mile am
ateur event. in which cars must make
90 miles an hour to qualify, and
championship race of 100 miles,
which will be open to cars that have
shown themselves capable OF 12O
miles an hour.
For several days, during the
tuning-up period for both ears and
drivers, the Laurel Speedway has
been the mecca of hundreds of thrill
seekers. who have been amply paid
for their interest by the spectacular
driving of the ~ NJ. Il. A. pilots as
they pushed their tiny. powerful ma
chimes over the hazardous. treach-
erouS banks of the bowl at brea tn
taking speeds.
1t remained for Frank Farmer.
still using .cr,ltches as a result of
nearfatal upset at the Philadelphia
Speedway last June, to give the spec
tatorS their greatest thrill yesterday
afternoon. Riding high on the outer
rim of the bowl. which is banked az
80 degrees at the turns, Farmer sew
eral times was forced to resort to
every trick a driver knows to keep
his car from rolling down the pre-
cipitOus track.
May Set New Records.
The qualifying runs this afternoon.
to which holders of tickets for to-
mOrrow's events will be admitted
without extra charge. are expected to
bring thousands to the track I'm view
of the announced intention of
y. NJ. r. A. officials to give the
drivers every chance to establish new
records.
Entrants who will take the boards
today, with race conditions prevail
ing. include:
James Gleason. Russell Snowberger.
Tom Reed, Bill Strickler. Ray Keech,
Tom Dawson. Fred Winnai Bill Sen
yardo, Al Aspen. Larry Williams. ].
p. Everett. Frank Farmer. Niles
Gary and Jack Desmond.
The first race on tomorrow pro-
gram will start at 3 pm. 1t will
be 25mile sprint for the fastest
cars in the y. NJ. r. A. ranks and
will he followed by the 25-mile anna
teur race. The 100-mile event will
close the program.
The later starting time was decid-
in tn cri{ hll
of fans who otherwise could not
reach the track plenty of time to
do so. Cooperating in this direc-
ton. the +. and O. Railroad has set
the time for its last special train to
the track at 2:10 pm. The run TO
the speedway requires but 80 min
utes, which will give late arrivals
plenty of time to reach the stands
before the flag is dropped starting
the first race.
Flag System Explained.
The speedway also is easily
reached by automobile or bus. Motor
lists who use their own cars will
travel over the Washington BaIti-
more Boulevard. The track is to the
east of the road, over good gravel
highway. about nehalf mile.
For those who see the races the
flags used by the starter call for ex-
PLANTATION. The white emblem is used
to start the race. yellow means eau.
ton; red, stop: green, beginning last
lap: white with black center, disuuali-
fed and checkered, finish.
The starter for the races will be
Elmer P. Doc) Gerner. Vincent Row
land is the official timer and Albert
r. Jacobs. general manager of the
National Motor Racing Association
will he referee.
A loud speaker which will be oper-
ated from the judges stand. feature
that made decided appeal to the
thousa nds at the June races. will keen
the crowd 1Ip to the minute on what
is transpiring on the track. The time
of the drivers. causes of tpit-sto the
order in which cars are running and
the number of laps will he announced
regularly throughout the three events
nHTI nrii AnnENrrn