Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-22
BY ~SPEED" WALLACE
Wnrldfx Fastest Ra@ahan Rmru

EXPERIENCE is a great teacher
and one comes in contact with 1.
many times during an athletic ca
reer. One does have to par
ticipate but a sha-e experience
BY following sport in a general
way. ] make II a point to take part
In any sport that would give me
ADDED experience. Part. IL is true.
has not been for the best but I am
still at 10.
JUST THE OTHER DAY. it was
possible for me 10 add another ex-
perience 10 my list. SprintiSg
against a horse always appealed 70
me, vet I never had done II. I did
think man had over q $3.50 chance
on a short sprint and I learned shg
runner has about as much chance
flying the Atlantic as he has Or
beating a horse where the rider
uses a whip and spurs.
AN OFFER came from a group Of
men interested in testing out q lieot
car for endurance. Their idea was
20 place this a upon a half-mila.
Hat, dirt ace track and see how
many miles could be covered in one
oay VA hours. The worlds record
at that time was 97l miles. Just 4
short time before they asked me y
make the attempt a young man
died as he crashed into the fence
and a 2x6 went through his body
There were others who had failed.
Condition Counts
DURING COLLEGE DAYS I had
much experience in cr~oss-country
auto driving and stunt work IN the
motion pictures as this afforded
revenue towards college expenses.
My experience here had taught me-
that 10 be successful one must Be
In the best physical condition. TTaat
was to be my motto in the new ex-
pertinent. / had come TO the con-
ciusion that the other drivers st.
tempting this trip were not In the
best condition IS they had worked
and worried over their cars. ri
watched mby own condition. So
much so that I overheard one OF
the publicity men state he vas
afraid II would be a flop because
Wallace was taking no interest in
the test car.
STARTING DAY came and as the
CLOCK struck four p. m. 7 was there
ready 70 step in the car for the
grueling test. The late start WIS
set 50 7 could drive in the night
hours while in the best physical
condition.
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS do not
seem long and no doubt most everv-
BODY has been behind the wheel Of a
car for that many hours. Plenty
long on the highway but if YOU wish
a place where an hour seems Ike
a day Just drive on a half mile
track. During the entire test I was
not over q quarter mile from nv
starting place. AS the hours rolled
oy the turns seemed to be shorter
and closer. Mechanics in the nit
mad a stack OF tires as high as the
car awaiting 10 serve me as I wore
cut the present set BY skidding
around the curves. The man who
set the last record had worn out
fourteen tires. ! had tried to to-
ure this run out on a systema.Ic
basis. correcting the places where
the other boys had met defeat. MIR
mi had upset the distance runners
oy his method in setting an aver
age TO run Throughout the race.
Vim Renewed
STANDARD EQUIPMENT had N
be used on the car.
During the night 7 drove very
careful and was able to hold my Az
eraee. As morning came I felt like
q new person. If darkness had
STAYED a couple hours more I would
had To give up. Keeping the eyes
focused at the same distance WITH
out any relief Is awful. ! could un-
derstand the fate Of the younr chan
who tried before with fatal conse-
quenceS. Another torture was tie
optical illusion received as one
circles the track. The white posts
on the inside OF the track rass the
eye faster than those or the out
size. IL Is because you travel closer
to the ones on the inside. The sen
sation Is similar TO standing Be-
tween two tracks and have trains
60 by in opposite directions.
DAYBREAK brought relief ana n
felt now that ! would be able %
finish the "a hours MY car was
working perfectly. I must finish
with more miles than the previous
record 70 receive the purse As the
agreement was no record. no paw.
If I was able to pass the thousand
mile mark I was 20 receive > ben 5
each mile yer that.
I WANTED TO WIN as that Is
natural for any one in competiti u.
There were several reasons. ~
was TO prove the condition OF TIC
driver had much 70 do ~ auto rae
ing. Another was TO get tbs splen-
cid purse offered.
EXCEPT for the few stops for gas
and one tire change. ! wa on the
merry-go-around that little tra-.:.
Each stop I would smell the odpr
from the coffee pot the mechanics
officials and ncwspapermen Rad On
10 keep themselves awake. II was
very tempting. but I decided re-
fore the start Of the test I would
not eat as there was a very goca
chance Of getting sea-sick goiis'
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