TITE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, MARCH 28, 1915.
8
FAST RACING CARS ARE TUNING UP
FOR EVENTS ON LOCAL TRACK MAY 1
"Bine Bird,1" Local Car, Manned With Boy. Who Went Through Fence With It Last Year, -Will Use Special Axle
in Attempt to Beat World's Record Machine.
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WHEN the official starter gives
the "go" signal at the races to
be staged on the Rose City
speedway in Portland, May 1 and 2
the interest of local race fans un
doubtedly will center around Blue Bird,
owned by C. C. Clinton, a young man
noted in many precincts to r his
"JumpupandKetativeness."
This same car, known as car No. 13,
leaped through the board fence on the
local track last year and nearly killed
Its pilot, Arthur J. Edwards, and its
mechanician, James Foley, local boys.
Not unnerved in the least by his hos
pital experience the car gave him last
year young Foley will ride the same
car on Us race voyage this year, when
lie says the old Palmer Singer Six is
destined to win by at least a country
jblock.
Mr. Clinton has secured en expert
driver to handle the car but his iden
tity will not be revealed for some
time. Suffice It to say this dark horse
driver, who is said to have nerve for
his middle name, is right in his ele
ment at the wheel of a giant car like
Blue Bird, and he has a record of wins
trained by driving other Palmer Sing
ers; over the famous Brighton Beach
tracks.
w Axle Be Tried Oat.
But here's an announcement that may
moke the Portland race this year- an
ponh-making affair. An automatic
tilting front axle, recently invented and
patented by an Oregonian. wHl be tried
out on Blue Bird for the first time in
th world. The Inventor says that this
front axle will tilt automatically any
where from one to eight Inches while
the race car is taking curves. This
Lgency. if it works out correctly, will
not only prevent a car from skidding
.round curves and relieve it of all ab
normal strains on the wheels and bear
ings but It will permit a clever driver
to take all turns without the necessity
of slowing down one lota.
Undoubtedly the Portland tryout will
be watched with interest by racing
drivers and authorities from all over the
country and if the invention succeeas
its designer is certain to become fa
mous. It is also said that this front
axle device will save the average tour
ing par of all ill effects resulting from
ruts and jogs.
The Palmer Singer, which is to incor
porate the new front axle on its coming
race run, already has been placed in
fine fettle for a speed contest The fac
tory has guaranteed that the car will
develop 110-horsepower on the block at
1S00 revolutions and it Is said by those
who- have driven the car that it will run
more than 100 miles an hour if anyone
is fool enough to turn It loose. Since
all these calculations, the pistons have
been graduated and the cylinders bored
by an expert so it should now be even
speedier.
"No car in the world today can a pass
Blue Bird manned with a driver who
doesn't know what fear is," said "Jim"
Foley, the plucky mechanician, yester
day as he tinkered with Blue Bird's
carburetor. "A driver who has the nerve
to shoot the juice to Blue Bird from the
start will walk along at the front of
the procession in any old race. We are
going to surprise the drivers and the
public alike."
Then "Clint,' as Blue Bird's owner
is known, noddedtassent as he branched
off to explain that Foley was the
youngest, and nerviest mechanician in
the country.
Blue- Bird was -built originally by the
Palmer Singer factory for L. C. Thomp
son, of Carlton, who is president of the
estate which owns the Multnomah Ho
tel Mr. Thompson turned it in to Mer
rill Moores. of this city, toward the pur
chase price of a Stearns-Knight Six ajid
the latter entered it in last year's races.
It was sold some months ago to George
Templeton, of Boston, who was then
visiting his father at Oregon City, and
was resold recently to Mr. Clinton.
Percy Barnes to Enter.
Others who fcave announced their In
tention of entering fast racing cars in
the Portland meet are Percy Barnes,
Jim Parsons and Harry D. Stratton.
Parsons will drive the "Parsons Spe
cial," with which he won the Tacoma
Inter-City troohy last year for the sec
ond time. The machine was assembled
hv Parsnnn from Stutz Darts. Stratton
is a Seattle business man and race eiil
thusiast who has announced that he
will drive his own Mercer this year in
the Northwest races.
On the Portland track last June
Barnes hung up a world's record by
covering 25 miles with his Romano in
22 minutes Ihi seconds. Barnes" record
has since been lowered by " Bob Bur-
man, driving a Peugeot. Barnes win
enter his National on the local track
this year.
Tires Sell f or What They are Worth
' LOW first-cost tires are never worth
more than their cost usually less.
There is just one way to decide the cost
of a tire, and that is the final-cost-per-mOe.
"Nobby Tread V68 are lwest
final-cost-per-mile tires in the world.
are adjusted upon the basis of
1The fact that they are today, and have
been for years, the largest selling anti-skid
tires in the world is ample proof of this.
Portland Branch: United States Tire Company
24-26 Fifth Street North
"NobbyTread" Tire are told by Leading Reliable Dealers. Do not accept gabstitate
Unlf&cl State
Made by the Largest Rubber Company in the World
(Employing 55,484 Men)
CHALMERS PRESIDENT REPORTS
FLOOD OF TRIP INQUIRIES.
AUTOS WIN FARMERS
Opposition Melts Before Gen
l I eral Utility on Farm.
LIGHT CAR IS FAVORED
Spted, Lor Cost of Upkeep and Dur
ability Wanted at Moderate
Price, Says Sales Manager
of Studebaker.
"While naturally the automobile as a
new means of transportation made Its
first appeal to the people of cities and
towns, it is surprising- how quickly the
rural districts have taken to these ve
hicles propelled by gas engines." says
I ?J. Oilier, sales manager. Studebaker
Corporation, Detroit. The first an
tagonism engendered by the frighten
ing of teams was to be expected. All
the time, however, the farmer was
considering how he could put the auto
niqbile to work. This is the strong
po(nt of the man In the rural districts.
Ho- wants things that have utility.
"This consideration of utilitarian
value makes the f armera more care
ful buyer than Is his ciiVbrother. His
eye is never held by non-essentials.
KXvina; gone over a situation till he
i: roughly understands It, even be
xofe kte begins to make inquiries of a
dealer, he Is in a position to get a dol
lar of value for every dollar he spends.
It 3s thia. cautiousness which is in part
responsible for the great demand for
Etadebakera in the country.
Studebaker did not start its auto
mobile industry . for farm purposes.
The intention of the corporation was
carried out when a car up to btuae
baker standards was produced in such
quantities that the price could be made
moderately low. It came about, of
course, that the very name of Stude
baker was sufficient to interest peo
ple from one end of the country to the
other because of their previous expe
rience with Steudebaker vehicles. This
class included many farmers.
"The cautiousness or the farmer for
Investigating before investing causes
him to demand that the car he buys
contain certain features which are es
sential lor the successful operation of
a machine in the country. In the first
place, the farmer's car must be uniform
in strength. There must be no undue
wear on any one or more parts in op
eration, or no Inherent original weak
ness, such as a poorly mounted motor
or uneven distribution of weight. The
automobile is more than a pleasure
vehicle for the farmer, and it must be
always ready for use, just as Is a plow
or harrow. i
Readiness for I e One Need.
"Being always ready for use pre
supposes a machine that requires prac
tically no adjustment or repairs. This
is in spite of the fact that weather
and road conditions must not be consid
ered. His machine has to work when
the Belfstarter turns aver the motor
Just as his power-drivn churn must
work when the motor starts.
"Replies to inquires sent our dealers
In small towns and villages disclosed
the fact that farmers are influenced
by liphtness of construction, but in
sist that it must not be gained by
sacrificing strength. They shrewdly
see that the lighter a car the smaller
is the cost of operation, less gasoline
and fewer tire renewals. They have no
objection to the operating cost of an
extra-power motor to pull several hun
dred pounds o unnecessary weight.
This weight It would cost money to
eliminate.
"The farmer lives a number of miles
from town. He must not only get
there quickly, but he must be sure
that he will get there when he starts.
This makes the motor an important
consideration. Power la now used 'so
extensively on the farm that the farm
er cannot be fooled when he goes Into
this phase of automobile construction.
He wants his cylinder cast en bloc for
accurate alignment, and his motor to
be of the modern long-stroke, small
bore type. His self-starter must be run
by a quiet roller chain and sprocket,
stationary except when starting."
FIRES TOXES TJSED BY OLDFTELiD
Tires Have Part in St. Patrick's Day
Victory at Venice.
Over one of the most trying courses
on tires that ever has been, selected
for a race of- Its length, Barney Old
field drove his Maxwell car,' equipped
with Firestone Tires, to victory at
Venice on St. Patrick's day. The
veteran, who, because of winning the
Ix3 Angeles-Phoenix race under most
severe weather ocnoitions, was pro
claimed the master driver of the world,
did not made a stop in the Venice
Grand Prix . and averaged 684 miles
per hour for the distance.
While his competitors' were limping
into the pits on flat tires or rushing
past at reduced speed with huge chunks
of rubber being hurled every 100 yards.
OWfield rolled around and around the
31-mile course Without any appre
hension as to his tires. The winner
of the desert classic always uses Fire
stone tires.
The time made by Oldfleld and Carl,
son was ten miles an hour faster than
the Grand Prize and nearly two miles
faster than that of the Vanderbilt. For
the second Xjme in a few months. Old
field - established a non-stop record,
equaling his performance with- the
Maxwell at Corona, Thanksgiving day.
when he drove 300 miles without a
single stop and made a new "world's
non-stop record.
Carlson, the second plot on the
Maxwell team, crossed the line less
than half a minute behind Old field. But
for his short stop for oil he might have
added the fourth 300 mile non-stop
record to the long list of Maxwell
achievements. At San Diego but a
few weeks ago he drove his car 205
miles without a atop and vvon second
place. . . .
Many Tonrlstsa Wh. Usually Pass
Vacations Abroad, Planning on
Cross-country Motoring.
Mars has motorized the art of taking
vacations.
Hugh Chalmers, president of the
Chalmers Motor Company, of Detroit,
declares that his mail bags are jammed
with letters from car owners who as
sert that Instead of taking' their an
nual trips to Europe this year, they are
going to have a look at America from
the tonneaus of their touring cars.
"The Ignorance of America on the
part of some of these prospective
tourists," observed the Detroit motor
magnate with a chuckle, "is something
pathetic. Many of them look forward
to prowling about among American
motor trails back of the steering wheel
with all the naivete and artlessness of
children About to cross the threshold
of some fairy land.
"They will find their homespun vaca
tioning on the Great American Play
ground all and more than they are
looking forward to. Judging from the
floods of mall I am receiving, not only
most of those who usually go abroad
for Summer touring, but many of those
who usually spend their vacations at
inland Summer resorts or on the sea
shore, are planning to go cross-country
motoring instead this year. .
"The democratizing influence of the
motorized vacation," continued the
Chalmers head, "will prove great. It is
one thing to whirl across the continent
In the seclusion of a Pullman. It is
another thing to cross by easy stages
in your car, pausing to dicker for grub,
gasoline, or a lodging for the night
at a farm-house, ranch-house, or some
cross-roads Inn. Every motorist who
crosses the continent in his car for a
visit to the expositions on me pa
cific Coast will return home an In
comparably better American for having
undertaken the jaunt. - Democracy is
a matter of getting acquainted.
The many questions with which
Chalmers owners are deluging the
Detroit factory regarding motor trails,
costs of various tours, service stations
and accommodations along different
routes, indicate an unprecedented tour
ing year in this country."
per cent more than normal regarding
transcontinental auto routes west
ward, according to a report issued by
the Automobile Club of Southern Cali
fornia and the Chamber of Commerce
of Los Angeles. Hundreds of cars are
being shipped direct to Southern Cali
fornia from the East for use in visit
ing 4he exposition cities.
STJOTTOjr
AIDS
AUTO RACER
Place "Won in Big Indianapolis Event
by Help of Opponent's Car.
One of the successful racing drivers
several seasons ago won a leading po
sition in a big Indianapolis event be
cause he took advantage of the suc
tion behind ,the car of the favorite.
Comparisons afterward showed that
this maneuver added apreciably to the
average speed of his own machine.
This incident is mentioned merely to
illustrate how powerful Is the draft in
the wake of a rapidly-moving motor
vehicle. Racing car designers endea
vor to shape the car bodies with tor
pedo or turtle-back lines, that b.,suc
tion may be reduced.
On the other hand, many designers
of cars for every day owners' service
have aided materially to this back draft
by fenders which sweep far down be
hind the rear wheels. While the non
racing driver does not object to the
small reduction In speed, he does die
like the resulting swirl of dust which
the occupants of the rear seats In wet
hangs over the tonneau In dry weather
and the muddy spray which bespatter
going.
By the way, the Columbia Hlahway
is now open for traffic to Warrendala
via the Upper Sandy bridge. Official
announcement to this effect was made
last week by John B. Yeon, County
Koadmaster.
Many to Come West.
During February Inquiries were 500
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- DISTRIBUTORS
Oregon Motor Car Co.
Chapman and Alder Phones: Main 9402, A 7636
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