Evening Star Newspaper, July 5, 1925, Page 45

THE. SUNDAY. STAR,. WASHINGTON, D. (. JULY Lives of Racing Drivers Show Rise From Mechanics’ Ranks While Some of Famous Speed Kings lepped Into Pilot’s Seat Most Served Long Apprenticeships. Increase of Accessories Will Feature New Cars on Market More Attention Will Be Paid to Insuring Comfort and Less to Radical Changes in Design. ife sketches of the auto racing who will pilot the tiny the Baltimore-Washing near Laurel the July 1, reveal a| usually from the ranks to ront of the pastime of thrills. | ational renown came to some ve: Others served a hip before taking the had to complete more than one winning the of he race ovals rs have entered h wealth and the I e the keen | race track an 1 penniless the racing the wheel BY WILLIAM UL New and lower priced straight- eights, more makes equipped with | four-wheel brakes, more liberal equip- ment along lines of efficiency acces- sories and wider adoption of auto. matic chassis lubrication may be ex- pected by the motorist among Summer | and Autumm offerings of new models, according to information tive circles As usual a few manufacturers may | be said to have something up their | sleeves, but such innovations, in all | probability, will not be regarded by | the motorist as distinct needs in mo- | tordom, for the motorist of 1925 is| fairly well satisfied with the power, | peed, economy and appearance of the cars thus far offered for his approval. The greatest strides in the models, according to present indica. tions, will be along lines of detailed improvements, repri on the part of the ap insistent demand for the perfection of minor equipment. Windows will roll up and down more easily. emer. AN. [ buver who 1s looking for simplicity operation. The in al® cleaner appeals to the car owner as a means of minimiz ing the number of carbon removal jobs, but the manufacturer is thinking of the buyer who after driving a car for 15,000 miles will not be complain ing about piston slaps and other alil | ments common to the engine that con o | stantly sucks in a quantity of dirt and In Automo- | rakes and abrasive of it he motorist is likely to see within a very few months that accessories are becoming integral units of cars rather t mere additions. Chassis oiling systems are being built into the rs instead of attached to them, and he car manufacturer in each case is given an opportunity to arrange hm own special adaptation. Thus some of the devices which are at present ob tainable for in service will be even more effective and more useful when later announced as equipment on the 1926 models The forthcoming models are expect el to mark the demise of a number of detailed points in design which here | tofore have been taken for granted gency brakes will be easier to handle. | One of these is the go-called hotais engines will be more accessible and the | “giove,” a pipe which runs from the cap on the gas tank will not be for- | exhaust pipe to the carburetor intake ever getting its threads crossed. It|t; provide warm air in starting or in probably will be the year of small but | qriving in cold weather. The hot-spot notable improvements is taking its place, and the popularity of the air cleaner is making it sur plus baggage. Hot-spots, however, are to be subject to more effective adjust | ment from the instrument board Submerged In Equlpment. With air-cleaners, oil rectifiers, gas vapor oilers, thermostats and other accessories of this order, the typical 1926 motor will seem to be submerged in equipment, even if it is a straight eight, for the eights to be announced in most instances, will be smaller than those now seen. With such equip ment the motors will need very little attention, and probably will never need an overhauling during their serv ice to initial owners. t investigation of the pos in the use of Ethyl gaso {line already has retarded progress in | the development of high compression Must Do 110 Miles an Hour or Stay Out of Race. ints o ton opening st Ay in Every car permitted to com- pete in the dedication race Sat- urday afternoon at the Balti- more - Washington speedway will have to demnostrate that it can make the 1% mile around the oval track in 36 4-5 seconds—a rate of 110 miles an hour. ying tests will be held afternoon. Speedway have ruled that cars that do not lap the bowl within the 36 4-5 second limit will be eliminated from the con- test. Three trials will be per- mitted All holders of tickets to the dedication classic will be per- mitted to witness the prelim- inary event The unusually high minimum speed of 110 miles an hour is an indication that those in charge of the speedway are convinced that new world rec- ords will be hung up in the local 250-mile run. A mini- mum speed of only 100 miles an hour was required at the | | opening of the board track at R “I',‘"_‘;, Altoona, Pa 2 2 3 e 2 3 Z There are several reasons for s death, | i e t : # o . the most important of whick ahead for | world. He has been in the racing is the physical impossibility is for this|game since he was 10 vears old. His | ing out radically c for the auto first race “machine” was an express |any quantity with = most com- | wagon fitted up for real speed. Little | months. The industry was about a one could | Benny, as he is familiarly known, is a | month or so behind 1924 in getting un- the sport | product of New York, his first driving der way this year, and a conse | having been done with the Amplex, in quence is expected to run further into srooms the cars|New York City. | the Summer before meeting any gen- ng test on the speed-| e not regarded as & flashy uine need for new models as a sales | sarily watch theiclariver. Hill 15 one of ‘the 'moet, dan stimulant. In 1924 production reached | Watching & | gerous in the race game. He broke [ e e M for the linto the dirt track game and piloted a units. This vear production other sspec:nachine . Al o 1os To for April not only shattered all pre- 1l Step from | 1919 he was a relief driver for Wilbur vious records for the vear, but for any ot lene in the Indianapolis race. Hill Peter de Paola, winner of Indianapolis and Altoona races, shown in the month of any previous year as well |was badly injured in :«. Frontenac in | speedy car he will drive at Laurel next Saturday afternoon. Starter Fred Wag- A second reason for the improbabil- 11922 at Indianapolis, when he hurdled | ner, veteran race official, is seen in the background. ity of radical changes is the general drivers who [the safety wall and rode 75 feet | Upper inset: Director of Traffic M. 0. Eldridge and H. M. Lucius, secre- satistaction of the motoring public ment of high on ng partner and |through space, landing underneath the | tary of the Automobile. Club of Maryland, at the track discussing arrange- with the sent models. Many ear ;n"lrr s t s tren ngea not be racing stars they |upturned car. Hill's outstanding ac-| ments for handling the vast throngs who will crowd the roads leading to owners are avaiting special body mod- | looked to as receiving any impetus of the race. |complishment was the setting of a|the Speedway Park next Saturday. els of their favorite makes, which are |during the remaind nf;\’!his year. Two ing a me- | world record at Culver City, where he Lower inset: Ernest N. Smith, general manager of_the A. A. A., and Fred known to be in the offing, but as a|manufacturers of efficlent sixes a owed the |10k the 250-mile race last year at an | J. Wagner, official starter, make certain that everything is in shipshape for general rule the industry is felt to be | ready have increased the cylinder dis the average of 126.8 miles an hour. th u:f rs and in conformity with the A. A. A. contest rule: then 1 in er 100 to it Most As Mechanics. by the| oid the at- | Begin followed pilot’s seat | -ship of me. s the tiny | ampion- | t know | can know | £ to dash| Cannot Change Models this, perhaps of bring Some Rode With Drivers. few way ahead of the motorist. Milllons | Placement in order to provide more has been discontinued, of persons have never driven behind a straight-eight motor and many of them do not know the purpose of an air cleaner. | A third and important reason is the financial consideration. Wall Street wants some profits out of the automo- bile business. Individual investors want to see their companies increase | are considerably ahead of the average production, concentrate on certain |motorist's demands. Many owners models of known value and make ad- | have never stepped all the way down | ditional profits through increased pro.|on the accelerator nor felt the full | duction. The motorist himself is wise | power of the newer motors on hills | enough to know that radical changes, | They are just getting used to the com except where essential, are costly to |fort of low pressure tires and the se everybody involved | curity of reliable four-wheel brakes Still another reason for more | The 1926 car will be simply a bet conservative advancement of the au- | ter ‘25 tomobile as exemplified by fort ing models is the growing tenden: | tmprove ears, not by completely rede- | | signing them. but by adding efficiency | devices. This alre developed | an accessory busin 500,000,000 | | annually. New features will be the driver will have is additional ason by winning the Fresno and later of the leading mpionship -d check- 38,000 sweep- flashing event nephew of 15 years on s, who virtually has the racing game. De Pa- craze to take up racing victories of ct, learned to mechanic for his De Paolo is short ar and wears ever-re: ar was first shed twelfth in the race for the He is married and lives in n from the wife a ld son in the forms. Milton Began on Dirt. imy Milt known less driver of fast cars, is the present der of the world record for the )-mile run on a board track—126.885 an hour—and holder of the 1921 char nship. is the best ! game and cords, the t being 156.4 p, a mark r several slight of build smile. Last venture and he driver who | apolis classic a dirt track his own crea- tor cycle in contests at Al big victory in the A. A. came in 1921 Following his firs Indianapolis, he estab- record at Syracuse for t tr ie. e A and has a_son. Beverly ¥ owns consider: to the tracks retired with cords to his s might He staged ion of the umping homas, sfricken with Iriving to a fourth-place 15 1 behind the wheel tion i his long career back | Cadillac. He is warried, and lives He has been promi- for more than 15 of the stars back in Barney Oldfield, Dario hers v now belong to oper was the ng in 1913, and he won the 1 int = to drive trick Special. ational fame in fast—as racers drive re crowding him. nd pulls many studious mechan- irts and his machine. Hartz Began on Bicycle. who has been racing has won many events, more’ through unfortu: In his four years as a established himself as a , content to place rather for victor's stakes with loss of all. He always has d high, however, for the world D in the final scoring of ard of the A. A. A. first machine at the k, in Los Angeles, in 1921, when he traveled at a speed of 116 miles an hour. He is the only driver to take second place in two events at the Indianapolis races. Hartz besan his automobile career as a team- mate of Eddie Hearne. As a young- ster, he was the bicycle champion of the Pacific coast. He is 28 years old, ~ single, and resides in Los Angeles. Bennett Hill little fellow physi a man any big in the iazig | | driver. | | of Ralph | when | as a fear- | arity of being | notes on | Hill is 32 years old. He is married and resides in Los Angeles. ‘Wonderlich Veteran. Jerry Wonderlich is a native of Chicago, where he was born In 1890. He is a graduate of St. John s Military Academy and a civil engineer by pro- fession. Wonderlich’s first ride in an automobile race machine was in the car used for several campaigns by the veteran Bob Burman. That was some’ years before the war. He served in the royal air forces during the war with the rank of captain. Wonderlich got back in_the racing game at Indianapolis in 1919 as a re- | lief pilot and drove the big 300-inch Frontenac. In June of last Won- | derlich piloted a Miller Special. He was injured on the 160th lap, when a. tire blew out, and the machine wa: wrecked after Wonderlich jumped. He suffered a fractured leg and concus- sion of the brain. His injury kept him out of the Eastern events last year, but he resumed the sport this season. Jerry is single. His home is in Los Angeles. rank Elliott is a pilot old to the racing game. He Is 34 years old, married and makes his home in Los Angeles. Elliott is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where he plaved foot ball. It was while a stu- dent there that he turned automobile racing driver. During the war he was a lieutenant in the air service. Elliott Safe Bet. Frank is drivers, being usually content to be | inside the money. He has been cam- | paigning on afl the tracks for the last | few vears, piloting Miller mounts. | Fred Comer has finished the heels of the winners of more races without claim to any of the | coveted checkered flags than any | other racer in the field. He ran his maiden race in 1923 at the opening of the Altoona track, where he was director of the Cliff Durant team of cars. Although Comer hasn't flashed into the limelight by winning big races, he s has been present | at the divi of the prize mone: In a race he is scarcely noticed, be use of his mechanically careful handling of his car. Comer took fourth place in his in- itial appearance at Altoona and last vear netted two second places. He served the longest apprenticeship of any of the racers, having begun in 1910 with Earl Cooper and getting his | first riding experience with Cooper in the Vanderbilt cup and the grand It is in the chassis, | | and all the mechanical worth has been demons of the Buick line. . Retail 1015 14th St. “Convenient t: a safe bet among the | close on | Armed with a stop watch and the foliowing table, spectators at the big speed event Saturday can do their own scoring and- Keep their own | recoras _ | To score the time the following table will be of assistance. The track | measures a mile and one eighth | Time the driver from the white line | until he makes the circuit and hits it again. If he makes it in 31 seconds | prix races in 1914. Comer is marfed and lves in Los Angeles. Leon Duray is the physically man of the automobile racing g He is a 6-footer in height, 30 years old and single. He resides in Los An- geles. Duray created a sensation in the Indianapolis trials when he' qual ified at 113.196 miles an hour, earning a new record and getting the pole po- sition at the start. As a driver Duray is a go-getter. He starts with drop of the flag and gives the car it has until forced out by troubles He has never won any big race, but if he does the winning should be in record time. Reginald Johnson is a new driver on the board tracks of the East, where he is driving for the first time duri the present season. He received hi: race training on the West coast and starred in the dirt events prior to | hitting the Culver City and Fresno boards. Johnson was injured in his first Eastern race on the Charlotte, N. C.,, track when his car shot [Yhrough the fence during the progress of the classic. He had his shoulder badly injured, but suffered no frac- ture. Rounded Hood Retains Finish. A rounded hood is apt to retain its finish longer than a flat one. The latter holds water, snow and ice long enough for the heat from the engine to work havoc with the paint finish. Basic Values Buick values are not inspection of the car. apparent from a casual the engine, the springs parts of the car, things which are not visible to the naked eye but whose trated to their own sat- isfaction by hundreds of thousands of owners that go to make up the outstanding popularity Stanley H. Horner Dealer Main 5296 - o Downtown” CHART ENABLES SPECTATORS TO MEASURE SPEED OF DRIVERS With Stop Wateh to Catch Time of Each Lap On- looker Can Check Off Rate at Which Cars Are Going and Put Down Records. | he is traveling at | miles per hour | table e a speed of Here's the 130.6 speed Seconds M |3 302 014 30 e i i FRE FREE * | b Special Dispatch to The Star BALTIMORE, July 4.—The plan to eliminate grade crossings in the State, | | fostered by John N. Mackall, Mary |1and State roads commissioner. will be submitted to the next Legislature. | That body will be asked to legls- late so as to place half the cost of the improvement on the State and half on the railroads. The latter would have to pay $10,000,000 toward put- ting the plan into effect. It is pro- posed to raise the State's share by an additional tax of 1 cent a gallon on gasoline. conservative Other Stutz cars have proven that ten years is a the life of this fine car. STUTZ MOTORS GEORGE M. NORRIS, President 1724 Kalorama Road—Columbia 7484 Tis - Bis w2 is BIE Bir bir RIe-Bis RIS i Bie Ric Bie miemi Street Tunnels Near Schools Planned By Los Angeles Los Angeles proposes an expen- diture of $500,000 to construct 61 tunnels under busy streets near schools. An experimental street tunnel was constructed last vear near one of Los Angeles schoolhouses, and this and other safety work are re- ported to have reduced the chfid death rate expectancy in that city. 31 per cen I TR C IR C I I e 4 die. A estimate of TR EL SR BRI A (Washington now has a dealer who is pledged to uphold the Stutz standard of service.) R RICEITE PR TRl power. This alone would offset any advance likely to be made in a 1925 model Much of the change due for the Summer and Autumn is expected to | be in the line of imitation of current | models in high favor. Quite a few man. ufacturers already have models that the (Copyright. 1926.) AUTOIST IS FAR SAFER THAN HE WHO WALKS s selling points, to meet the d | for greater performance and decreased | Baltimore Statistics Indicate Two operating costs, and as a general stim- | ulus to the progress of the automobile e, Wiklie S5 Bolstehing Met Death. Makers Want Special Dispatch to The Star. Many of the newer accessories are | in greater favor with the manufactur-| BALTIMORE, July 4.—It is safer to ers at the present moment than with |ride in an automobile than to walk | the public. The motorist is inclined |according to Capt. Joseph P. Mc | to be satisfied with the economy and |Govern of the Accident Bureau of the performance he is now getting, but the |Police Department, who cites figures | manufacturer knows that anything |to prove his statement that makes his product more useful, | Capt. McGovern points to the fact more comfortable, faster, smoother [that so far this year only two persons and more economical is bound to|have been killed in automebtle col jbring him more business. And he |lisions in this city, while 52 persons [can make this bid without fear of er-|have been killed by being struck by s might easily be the case if he | mach Of the fatalities this year designed a complete unit of the car (32 occurred at intersections. Of the btain the same results number killed, 20 were children under The car owner has his car equipped [15 vears of age. The majority of the with an automatic chassis lubricating | youthful victims lived in the suburbs. system mainly to prolong its life and |where traffic is not so heavy, with the cut repair costs, but the manufacturer |result that they were not trained to is likely to place greater emphasis on [be constantly on the lookout as are ! the appeal of such a system to the car 'youngsters residing in the city. Accessories. | n Up and Down Hill. that will climb hills well will nd hills under better con trol. That is because its engine has good compression. A motor with tight pistons and tight seating valves will hold all the you give it A car desc To Fill Up With “Lightning” Once Is - to Come Back Again and Again for More Proof Positive of Popularity 25 t035% MORE PEP-MORE POWER-MORE MILES To Buy the First Five Gallons Is Easy Enough. To Keep on Buying Is Easier Still. For There’s the Constant Remembrance That “Lightning”” Delivers the Goods Better in Mileage, Power and Acceleration « That Experience Knows Better Than to Expect for the Regular, Ordinary Grades That’s the Why FUEL OIL of more and more neighborhood filling stations of mounting sales records—month by month— wherever LIGHTNING is on sale. Our Fuel Oil Department specializes in Quick Service 0il for all type Burners. Phone Frank 391. PENN OIL CO. Rosslyn, Va. Franklin 391 West 166