Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-01-19
Randolph Injured
In Phoenix Race;
Goldtrap Winner


east curve where two drivers have
lost their lives since November IA.
By no means all the credit goes to
the gods of fortune-not even a ma
jor share of it for that matter Gold
traps performance speaks enough for
the speed. of his ear and the skill
undeniable chat his entry was one I
of the three able to- finish a race
designed almost as much as a test |
of endurance as we'll as of speed. j.
Prevention Pays
Randolphs experience forms a |
basis for quoting the ancient bro
mide relative to an ounce of preven- !
tion, because it was the "ounce of
prevention'-an superb driving
skill-that enabled the champion Of
last year to emerge without serious
or fatal injury. The prevention was
the result of the foresight of guild
ing geniuses of the Veterans of For
eign Wars, sponsors of the race, who
had removed the inner wooden rail
at the various turns on the track.
Had there been the usual heavy
fence instead of the soft dirt along
the bank which Randolph brushed, it
would certainly have meant q bad
SPILL and probable instant death to
Randolph whose start had been pre-
ceeded by the announcement that he
intended to seek a new dirt track
record for the mile. His speed to the
point of the accident indicated he
would fall short of the worlds dirt
! track record which stands at 1885
seconds, made at Syracuse 1t seemed
certain, however, that he would set
! the fastest time trial mark of the
day, thereby lowering the local track
record for mile made by an Ari-
zona driver.
The elimination of two of the ia
orites-Randolph and Johnny Car
minetti, before the 50-mile race be-
gan, and the dropping out of two
others-FIarold Peterson and John
Harper-before the finish, undoubt
edly detracted much from the thrills
of race which had loomed as the
choicest speed morsel ever offered
fans of the state. The dope had in
| dicated that the race would be be-
tween Randolph, Carminetti Harper
and Peterson, and Harper's perform
ance, up until engine trouble forced
him out, established that the dope
! had not gone aWry. After he was
| eliminated. 1t became certain that
| Goldtrap would win unless some-
thing should force him to the pits
such a contingency was very unlikely
and he was running so smoothly that
/ his lead enabled him to take things
easily.
GOldtrap Far In Lead
When Goldtrap Wen into the
thirty-fifth mile, with Harper out
he was leading Miller, then in second
place, by a full lap. Jimmy Ovens
driving a Rickenbacker, was close
UP in third place, while Thomas was
two and one-half laps behind the
leader, as result of having been
forced to the pits in the twenty
seventh mile
AS a matter of fact, it was
Thomas driving that featured the
closing miles of the race. Hopelessly
behind unless something happened to
the leader, he outspeeded anything
then on the track, and had reduced
! the lead to half a lap when Starter
Fred Jacobs waved the checkered
/ flag that gave Goldtrap the victory
Yesterdays program got off to a
| prompt start Wnen referee George
Moriarity, A. A. A. representative in
Arizona, sent the sentries off, one at
time, on the time trials. The show
ing in the time trials seemed to es-
| tablish beyond question the correct
ness of early predictions of race fol-
! lowers who had said the race would
be the closest, fastest and most
thrilling in the history of the state.
| The track was in superb condition
and the cars had established in tun
ing up that they comprised a field
faster than any of home talent ever
assembled previously in the south
west.
Because of the excellence of the
track and the speed of the cars, Mr..
CONTINUED on Page Eight