4 replies to this topic

[gerrit stevens]

American races 1895-1900
From this period I have different results

Here a summary


Chicago Times-Herald Exhibition Run
2 November 1895 - Chicago-Waukegan-Chicago: 50 Miles
Results:
1 Oscar Mueller (Mueller Benz) 8:42'
2 J. Frank Duryea (Duryea Motor Wagon) wrecked, into ditch

Retirements:
??? (Morris & Salon Electric) Batteries

Demonstration:
??? (Kane-Pennington Victoria)
??? (Kane-Pennington Victoria)

Note:
1: Sources: The Horseless Age, Dec 1895 (Phil Harms)
2: This event could be called an exhibition as only the Duryea an Mueller Benz were actually in competition.
3: This meeting was held to replace the Time-Herald race which was delayed until Thanksgiving to permit entries to prepare.
4: Running time was 8:42' after subtracting control and repair delays.
Other sources:
1: "A Record of Motor Racing" Gerald Rose (1909, 1949)
a. about 100 entries, only two cars started.
b. Disyance: 94 miles and the winners' time 8:44'.
c. The 2nd classifier J. Frank Duryea did not finish the race.
2: "American Automobile Racing" Albert R. Bochroch (1974)
a. Exhibition run sponsored by Times-Herald.
b. Winner: Oscar Mueller (Mueller-Benz), time 9:30', losing 48 minutes repairing a snapped
drive chain. Net time 8:44’.
c. 92 miles/9.7 mph.
3: "The Checquered Flag" Ivan Rendall (1993) gives
a: 1 Oscar Mueller (Mueller Benz) 3. J. Frank Duryea (Duryea Motor Wagon).
b: 9.8 mph

There are some minor discrepancies about distance (except Horseless Age) and (net) winning time.


Chicago Times-Herald Contest
28 November 1895 – Chicago-Evanston-Chicago: 50 Miles
Results:
1 J. Frank Duryea (Duryea Motor Wagon) 10:28'
Finished
2 Fredrick Haas (De la Vergne Benz)
3 Jerry O’Connor (R.H. Macy Benz)
4 Harold Sturgess (Sturgess Electric Motocycle (Lundell)
5 Oscar Mueller (Mueller Benz)
Retirements (withdrew)
6 Henri Morris (Morris and Salom Electric (Lundell)

Notes:
1: source: The Horseless Age, Jan 1896
2: cars started at one minute intervals

Other sources
1: "A Record of Motor Racing" Gerald Rose (1909, 1949)
a. 31 entries, 11 competitors claimed to be ready for the race but only 6 made it to the start.
b. only Duryea and Mueller finished the race and were disqualified afterwards!
c. Winning time of Duryea; 8:23'.
d. owing to snowy conditions race distance was reduced to 54 miles. Horseless Age gives 50 miles.
2: "The Checquered Flag" by Ivan Rendall (1993)
a. 1. Duryea, 2 Mueller.
b. average speed of 5.1 mph.
3: "American Automobile Racing" Albert Bochroch (1974)
a. winner; J. Frank Duryea (10:23'), 2 Oscar Mueller (10:47').
b. 52.4 miles (or 54,36 mi)/5.1 mph.
c. Actual running time: 7:53'.
d. Retirements: Haas, O’Connor. Sturgess and Morris not explicitly mentioned as retired.

Minor discrepancies in distance and winning time (except Rose, 2 hours difference).
Horseless Age gives a different result.




New York Cosmopolitan Road Race
30 May 1896 - New York-Ardsley Country Club: ±60 miles
Results:
1 J. Frank Duryea (Duryea) 7:13'

Notes:
Source
1: "A Record of Motor Racing" Gerald Rose (1909, 1949)
2: 30 entries, 7 starters.

Other sources
1. "The Checquered Flag" Ivan Rendall (1993).
a. Winner: J. Frank Duryea, 2 Charles E. Duryea
2: "American Automobile Racing" Albert Bochroch
a. Winner: J. Frank Duryea (30 miles in 7:13')
b. 30 entries, 6 starters.
c. Bochroch gives also a distance of 15 miles.


There is distance discrepancy.




Providence Race
7 September 1896 - Rhode Island State Fair: 3 x 5 Miles/ 25 mph

Results race #1: 5 miles (5 laps)/ 19,978 mph
1 Andrew L. Riker (Riker Electric) 0:15'01"
2 Henry B. Morris (Electric Carriage) 0:15'14"
3 J. Frank Duryea (Duryea) 5 laps

Results race #2: 5 miles (5 laps)/ 22,901 mph
1 Andrew L. Riker (Riker Electric) 0:13'06"
2 J. Frank Duryea (Duryea) 0:13'13"
3 Henry B. Morris (Electric Carriage) 5 laps

Results race #3: 5 miles (5 laps)/ 26,201 mph
1 Henry B. Morris (Electric Carriage) 0:11'27"
2 Andrew L. Riker (Riker Electric) 0:11'28"
3 J. Frank Duryea (Duryea) 5 laps

Notes:
1: Source: AAA records (supplied by Phil Harms).
2: The Chequered Flag (Ivan Rendall) gives an aggegrate result based on three heats.
Dates of the heats 7, 8 & 11 September.
3: "American Automobile Racing"
Text section (p. 16) 7-11 September, five Duryea’s were entered, but the event, a series of
one-mile sprints, was won by the Riker Electric, driven by A.L. Riker and C.H. Whiting. The
final heat on Friday evening 11 September, was reported to have a crowd of over 50,000.
Because of heavy rains, only three heats were run, although five were advertised.
Results section (p. 207) gives only a date of 7 September.



Cleveland
30 May 1897 – Cleveland, Ohio: 1 Mile/ 33.8 mph
Results:
1 ?? (Winton) 1'48"0

Notes:
1: American Automobile Racing by Albert R. Bochroch.



Cleveland-New York City
28 July 1897 – Cleveland-New York City: ?? Miles/ ?? mph
Results:
1 ?? (Winton) 10 days

Notes:
1: American Automobile Racing by Albert R. Bochroch.



Cleveland-New York City
22 May 1899 – Cleveland-New York City: ?? Miles/ ?? mph
Results:
1 Alexander Winton (Winton) 47:37'00"0

Notes:
1: American Automobile Racing by Albert R. Bochroch.




Branford ½ mile dirt track
?? 1899 – Branford, Connecticut: 5 Miles/ ?? mph
Results:
1 Hiram Percy Maxim (Columbia) ??

Notes:
1: American Automobile Racing by Albert R. Bochroch.


Climb to the Clouds Hillclimb
30 August 1899 – Pinkham Notch, Mt. Washington, N.H.: 8 Miles/ 3.7 mph
Results:
1 Freelan O. Stanley (Stanley) 2:10'00"0


Notes:
1: American Automobile Racing by Albert R. Bochroch.





New York, NY
March 31, 1900 (Sat) 26 Mi Race Point-to-point
1 S.T. Davis (Locomobile Steamer) 1:17:33 (20.12 mph)
2 C.S. Weston (Winton) 1:25:03
3 David W. Bishop (Winton) 1:27
4 George F. Chamberlin (Winton) 1:29
5 Albert C. Bostwick (Winton) 1:34
6 A.R. Shattuck (Gasmobile) 1:45
7 Dave Morris (Locomobile Steamer) 1:50
8 J.C. McCoy (Gasmobile) 2:13
9 G.I. Scott (De Dibon) 2:30
10 Andrew L. Riker (Riker Electric) 2:35

Date Source: AAA Records, N.Y. Times

Race Notes:
1) Race started at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New Uork City and ended
at Ardsley on Hudson, NY. All cars carried mechanics. Source is
unclear as to which was driver and which was mechanic.
Track Type: Road


Babylon, LI, NY
April 14, 1900 (Sat) 50 Mi Race
1 Andrew L. Riker (Riker Electric) #1 2:03:30 (24.29 mph)
2 S.T. Davis (Locomobile Steamer 4.5) 2:18:27
3 Alexander Fischer (Gasmobile 5) #9 2:30:01
4 David W. Bishop (Winton 6) #5 2:38:08
5 Albert C. Bostwick (Winton 6) #4 2:46:40
6 George F. Chamberlin (Winton 6) 2:48:42
7 C.J. Field (Dion Bouton) 3:12:54
8 W.H. Hall (Locomobile Steamer 5) Out 42 miles
9 Dave Morris (Steamer 5) Out 38 miles

Date Source: AAA Records, NY Times

Race Notes:
1) Race course was Springfield to Babylon, LI and return.
2) 50 mile distance was round trip distance.
3) Riker's car weighed 2500 lb.
Track Type: Road course
Promoter: Automobile Club of America

Sorry for the lay out.


Gerrit Stevens

[Boniver]

Cleveland
30 May 1897 – Cleveland, Ohio: 1 Mile/ 33.8 mph
Results:
1 Alexander Winton (Winton) 1'48"0




Cleveland-New York City
28 July 1897 – Cleveland-New York City: ?? Miles/ ?? mph
Results:
1 Alexander Winton (Winton)

[Vitesse2]

Originally posted by Boniver
Cleveland-New York City
28 July 1897 – Cleveland-New York City: ?? Miles/ ?? mph
Results:
1 Alexander Winton (Winton)

Sorry to disappoint you, Boniver, but this wasn't a race. It was a solo reliability run: I've just found a press report of it in the Elyria Republican, i/d August 26th 1897, page 4. Winton and a companion left Cleveland on July 28th on a "leisurely journey" via Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Albany and arrived in New York on August 7th. Actual time on the road was 78 hours 43 minutes, but it was by no means a direct journey, as the object was "to test the motor on a long journey over all kinds of roads".

[Don Capps]

Buried within the reels of microfilm that I have of the AAA Contest Board material are some references to early American races. I will put that on the list of items to check if I can ever find a working microfilm reader at the library.

And, yes, Richard is correct on the nature of this "event" --

Cleveland
30 May 1897 – Cleveland, Ohio: 1 Mile/ 33.8 mph
Results:
1 Alexander Winton (Winton) 1'48"0

[fines]

Very interesting, Gerrit!

I had no info about the two 1900 races, so far. It should, perhaps, be noted that Bostwick subsequently went to Europe where he purchased René de Knyff's Tour de France and Nice - Marseille winner, and finished 3rd at Bordeaux - Perigueux - Bordeaux with it.

I can also add starting numbers to the 1895 event (sorry, forgot to note the source! )

Originally posted by gerrit stevens
Chicago Times-Herald Contest
28 November 1895 – Chicago-Evanston-Chicago: 50 Miles
Results:
1 J. Frank Duryea #5 (Duryea Motor Wagon) 10:28'
Finished
2 Fredrick Haas #7 (De la Vergne Benz)
3 Jerry O’Connor #22 (R.H. Macy Benz)
4 Harold Sturgess #25 (Sturgess Electric Motocycle (Lundell)
5 Oscar Mueller #19 (Mueller Benz)
Retirements (withdrew)
6 Henri Morris #18 (Morris and Salom Electric (Lundell)[/B]

And I have Anthony L. Riker instead of Andrew!?