Page:Motoring Magazine and Motor Life February 1915.djvu/15

, 1915.

Motor car racing, especially in classic events, has horse racing "beat a mile" for uncertainty. Form plays a most prominent part in the latter, while with the former the element of luck is so prominent that past performances do not furnish enough material to absolutely make the picking of a winner possible.

There are four elements to be considered in the victory of a motor car contest: the car, the driver, the mechanician, and last, but not least, luck.

We here give the history of the cars, the driver and the mechanician in the coming races:

"Californian."

The "Californian," to be driven by Caleb Bragg, is a new creation making its bow in the racing game for the first time in the Vanderbilt and Grand Prix races on the Panama-Pacific International Exposition course.

Simplex.

The Simplex, to be driven by Louis Disbrow, is a car especially built for the Vanderbilt and Grand Prix contests this year. It has a stock 50 h. p. motor, 5&#8540; bore by 6&frac12; inch stroke. The factory officials had been contemplating the use of a special 75 h. p. motor, but found the new 50 h. p. stock motor so powerful that they decided to use it. This car showed 110 miles per hour on the Long Island Motor Parkway. The Simplex factory re-entered the racing game after an absence of five years. During this period, Disbrow used a Simplex for track work and captured over 43 events. The Simplex racing history includes several victories in the early 24 hour contests, the Lowell race. El Paso to Phoenix road contest, match race between the Simplex and F. I. A. T., Cyclone and several other very prominent racing contests.

The Overland Entry.

The Overland entry, which is entered in the Vanderbilt and Grand Prix races, is a regular stock car tuned up by the driver, Thomas McKelvy, of Fresno. McKelvy in 1912 stripped this car down for racing, and from that date has raced it in all the prominent races and hill climbs of San Joaquin Valley. It has captured many of the local events.

Mercer Grand Prix Winner.

The Mercer, to be driven by Ruckstall, last year won the Grand Prize International cup with Eddie Pullen at the wheel. It created a new record at the contest both in America and Europe, covering the 403 miles with an average of 77.22 miles per hour. This is the first American car to ever capture this International trophy. It was in second place with one mile to go, with Ruckstall at the wheel in the big Corona contest, when it ran out of gasoline. It was fourth at San Diego when stopped on account of mechanical trouble.

Baby Mercer.

The 298 cubic inch motor Mercer that is to be driven by Nikrent, is the car which Eddie Pullen drove into second place at the Elgin contest and created a new non-stop record up to that time.

Baby Stutz.

Among the Stutz racing cars this season is one which is known as the 296 cubic inch motor racer. It is one of the mysteries of the Vanderbilt and Grand Prix contests. It has only been run into the freight cars and off again in San Francisco since it was built, to be given its maiden race in the Blue Ribbon contest. The car is to be driven by Gil Anderson.

Stutz.

The other member of the Stutz stable, formerly driven by Gil Anderson, will be guided by "Howdy" Wilcox. Its first start was in 1914 in the Indianapolis speedway big event. From there it was raced in Sioux City, and then took second place in the Elgin race, losing the honors by 44 seconds.

Cooper's Stutz.

Of the other Stutz warriors. Earl Cooper's No. 8 made its initial bow to the public last year in the Indianapolis speedway contest. After this event. Cooper brought it West, and won the free-for-all in Fresno and Phoenix. Cooper then raced it in the Corona contest, and had second place well in hand when he went out of the contest for minor trouble. The car has celebrated the 1915 racing season by winning the San Diego road race with Cooper at the wheel.

Edward's Special.

Edward's car is one of the smallest in the Vanderbilt and Grand Prix races, being under the 300 cubic inch motor displacement. This will be the first time that this model has been raced in public.

Mercer Record Holder.

The Mercer speed record holder, to be driven by Pullen, made its initial bow last year. It took second in the Sioux City meet, and was leading in both the Elgin races at the time, being driven by Spencer Wishart, when put out of the contest by an accident. Its next appearance was at the historical contest over the Corona course, when Pullen created a new record of 87.89 miles per hour for the course of 301 miles.



"If plans formulated by the Inyo Good Roads Club are carried through. Bakersfield will be the terminus of the Midland transcontinental road which will here connect with the State Highway to Los Angeles," says the Bakersfield correspondent of the Los Angeles Times.

"In a letter, G. W. Scott, secretary of the Inyo Good Roads Club, urging support of the project, outlines the proposed route as follows:

"The Midland Trail, running from New York through Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Grand Junction, Green River, Salt Lake City, Ely, Tonopah and Goldfield, enters California at the center of its eastern boundary.

"The first town reached after crossing the State border is Big Pine, Inyo County. Here the motorist will have the choice of two routes. One extends north, via Bishop, Mammoth and Bridgeport to Tahoe, from which points the way to San Francisco would be through Sacramento.

"The other route follows the beautiful El Camino Sierra through Independence and Lone Pine to Freemans, where it cuts through Walkers Pass, and joins the State Highway at this city. The northern branch would be open only in summer, and the remainder of the year all travelers on the great Midland trail would pass through Bakersfield."