Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 August 1919 — Delivery Car Wins Big Race After Strenuous Service in Army [ARTICLE]

Delivery Car Wins Big Race After Strenuous Service in Army

Ail Competitors Outrun by War Scarred Veteran of Many Campaigns; 50,000 Soldiers See Speed Classic.

Merchants, (arene rs and other users of light commercial cars who appreciate what motorized equipment means in the way of quick and reliable service, will be interested in a race story brought back from France by discharged soldiers. As told by Major Hayes McFarland, who went overseas in command of the 311th Supply Train, the story is reproduced from Automobile 'topics of July 12: "Those Memorial Day. races at St. Nazaire and the entirely carefree performance of a battle-scarred Dodge BrCnTers light delivery truck are still talked of wherever there are doughboys who were coming through that port about the first of June on their way home. Four first places and two seconds against a andxed field, out of six events scheduled, is a good score for any car. Hence the pride of the .31 Supply Train and of the Motor Transport Officers at Nantes, France, in the little racer which they rebuilt in five days out of a truck that had been all over the battle fields and had come finally to the Nantes park. For the car which represented Nantes at the races on La Baule beach near St. Nazaire turned in Just such a score, after exactly that war experience. "Fifty thousand soldiers, it is estimated, were waiting at St. Nazaire to have their service records checked up and the last animate traces of their overseas service removed from their persons. For Memorial Day by way of celebration an automobile race was plainly indicated, as the doctors say. When permission was given some three weeks before the event there was a wild rush, to use the words of an officer who was present, to build racing cars in every Motor Transport shop in St. Nazaire, and every town within the limits of Base Section No. 1, S. O. 8., for which that well knqwn port is headquarters. Some 40 cars were finally entered, ranging in size from the ever parent four whose name needs no mention, to sixes, eights and twelves. "Motor Service Park "767” at Nantes picked the best material it had available, a Dodge Brothers light delivery vehicle' which after hard service at the front, had been 'driven overland to the park, where it was being kept in general service. To make a racer out of it, the fenders and body were removed, the wheel-base shortened to 100 Inches, the compression increased by planing down the cylinder heads slightly, reaiprocating parts lightened, and a stock roadster gearset substituted for the commercial gear ratio already in place. With these few changes the car was ready for its imiile-a-minute per-

formance in races from one to 49 miles on a beach that was only seven miles long. •‘ln the first race, one- mile against time in a field of ten starters, the little car finished second with a time of '63.4 seconds. It won the second race, 21 miles, free-for-all, with 18 starters, showing 21 minutes 4 seconds for the distance and beating cars considerably larger and 'usually regarded as more powerful. "The second day’s racing turned out a large crowd to cheer for the little white racer with its red “N” in a circle. The first race of the second day was at 14 miles for light cars only. The Nantes entry won easily: time 13 minutes 19.4 seconds. The next race was a 49mile free for all with 16 starters. Over this distance the rough surface of the course had a chance to make itself felt, and one of th< entrants turned over, killing its mechanician and injuring its driver. The race was won by a composite car. Our Nantes entry finished second, time 46.01. “The third day of the race meet promised a double winning. The first event was a mile against time for light cars only, and this proved easy for Park "767’5” entry, the time being 50 seconds flat. The final was a free-for-all with officers driving at 49 miles. The earlier races had been run with enlisted men at the wheel, and the “N” racer had been piloted by Sergt. Paul Harvey, with Sergt. William Mowry as mechanician. For the last event, Noble Van Burkleo replacedr the sergeants of the 311th Supply Train. There were 20 entries and on the fourth lap, somewhere between 21 and 28 miles on the way home, the Dodge racer was a mile ahead of Its field when the race had to be stopped on account of two serious accidents. “To properly Judge the time/ It must be remembered that the beach at La Baule is only seven miles long and narrow. The cars had to slow down to something like 15 miles an hour in making the turns for races longer than the distance. The course was rough, too, and spotted with ditches and buimips. On the last day and, this is on authority of an officer, who knows automobiles intimately, the car was in as good condition as on the first. “The car, Sergt. Harvey its 'driver, and Lieut. Van Burkleo were sited in a letter of congratulation from the commanding officer of the Nantes area for their performance.” W. I. HOOVER, Agent, Rensselaer, Indiana.