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Gordon Bennett Motor Race 1903
Intro and Menu | June Articles
Leinster Leader, Saturday 20 June 1903 – Page 8
ITEMS ABOUT THE COURSE.
The entire surface of the course has been considerably improved
by the work in progress since April. In few places, such as between Monasterevan
and Kildare low marginal portions of the roads have been raised. The
steep gradients at Rialto Bridges have been reduced to slopes of “one
in forty.” The principal of these are the Lerr Bridge, Wilson’s
Bridge, near Castledermott, 3 bridges between Athy and Ballyshannon,
4 between Monasterevin and Kildare. At Halverstown Cross Road where there
was a sudden dip at the junction a slope has been nicely carried to at
least one in forty. The fillings at each side of the Rialto Bridges have
all been steam-rolled. The entire work has effected a valuable improvement
in the roads treated.
Mr. E. Glover, County Surveyor, on Wednesday got a letter from the Post Office authorities asking for permission to lay an underground cable from Kilcullen to the Vice-Regal stand at Ballyshannon. The necessary permission was granted.
AMERICAN COMPETITORS INTERVIEWED.
Our Athy representatives writes that he has interviewed Mr. Winton,
President of the Winton Motor Carriage company, and one of the competitors
in the forthcoming Gordon-Bennett Motor Race, at the Rectory Timolin,
where, with Mr. Owen he has taken up his residence since Wednesday
evening. Asked what effects the burning of the Mercedes cars at the
Daimler Motor Company’s works at Cannstatt would be likely
to have on the International contest, and Mr. Winton replied:-
“It won’t have any effect, as far as I know, I don’t
see why it should.”
I pointed out that the three racing cars of the Germans were
burned, when he remarked,
“Oh, they will get others. They will pick up three machines for
the race.”
“You think they will get cars, in any event and compete?” I
asked.
“Oh yes,” replied Mr. Winton. “Certainly I don’t
know anything about the facts of the burning only what I heard.”
Asked as to how he would like the course, Mr. Winton said he
had been round the western circuit for the first time on the
previous evening in company with Mr. Owen and Mr. Orde, Secretary
of the Automobile Club. They[sic] two former met Mr. Orde at Kildare,
and went through Monasterevan, Stradbally, Ballylinan, Athy, to
the starting and finishing point at Ballyshannon. He thus covered
most of the course. He said his impression of the course was that
it was a very good one he added – “It
is fine. They could not have better roads. They are simply marvellous
in the country. They are as good as any French roads I ever travelled
over. There is only one difference, and that is that probably they
are not quite so wide, the surface is just as good. Of course, we
have got no roads in America to compare with them at all. The country
is simply beautiful, and I like the people very much.” “I
like,” he added, using an Americanism, ‘the whole business.’ We
have a nice residence, and everybody has been very kind to us.”
Asked as to whether he considered the roads in every way suitable,
he replied,
“Oh, certainly. I have been pretty well over America – I
know every corner of it – and I have no hesitation in saying
there are no such roads in the States. We have no roads in the States
to compare with any of your roads here.”
Mr. Winton, who on the previous evening saw Simmons’ Cross and other sharp angles agreed with Mr. Jarrott and Mr. Edge that those do not constitute the real danger, and when asked at what speed corners or angles like those would be likely to be negotiated he replied, “Oh, well, I would say about fifteen miles an hour.”
Mr. Winton, and Mr. Owen have each with them in Timolin a racing
car and a touring car. When reminded that the English competitors
would have two racing cars to elect from he remarked, “Oh,
well, we are so far away from here we could not very well bring more
than one racing car each.”
Mr. Winton’s racing car has a wheel base of 9ft 6in., and weighs,
without being charged with petrol or water, 2,150lbs. Mr. Owen’s
car weighs 1,450lbs only and has a wheel base of 8ft 6in. Mr. Winton’s
car is about 60 h.p., and that of Mr. Owen’s 30h.p.
“Of course,” added Mr. Winton, with a smile, “the
power will depend on the speed at which the car is going. The higher
the speed is the greater the power.” Asked to whether he would
sue the racing car over the course, Mr. Winton answered in the negative,
remarking further –
“We have been requested not to go over the course with the racing
cars.” He suggested that there was no stringent rule against
doing so, but that the competitors were bound in honour to obey or
respect the request.”
Asked to what he thought of the probability of accidents occurring.
Mr. Winton remarked, “Oh, I don’t see why accidents should
occur. Accidents will happen in everything – no matter what
form of sport you take – you can’t avoid accidents; but
there is no reason why we should have an accident”.
Reminded of the number of fatal accidents which occurred in
the Paris and Madrid race, he remarked, “Oh, that was because
the course was not properly guarded. I believe that the chief cause
of the accidents.”
Mr. Winton concluded, “You have a beautiful country. I shall
come again. We have not as good roads or as nice a county in America.
And you have such a number of singing birds. It was lovely to hear
them this morning.”
Reminded that he had somewhat of a Scothch accident[sic], Mr.
Winton remarked, “Yes, I am a Scotchman, but an American citizen.
I left Scotland when a boy. I’ll put the American flag up here
in a few minutes.
Mr. Winton is married, and has with him his wife and a boy
aged 14 years. Asked as to their chances of winning the Cup,
he said it would be impossible to form an opinion but they “had no
hopes, and they had no fears.”
Mr. Winton stated that they have no road races in America.
All races are on the track. In the chief cities of the states
there are tracks for trotting matches and motorists utilise
those for motor contests. Mr. Winton holds the record for the
mile on the track. He covered the distance in one minute and
two seconds. “You
can’t,” he said “go as fast as on a straightaway
course.” He also holds the record for a mile on the half mile
track. He covered the distance in one minute and twenty eight seconds.
The tracks are oval-shaped. The mile consists of a straight run of
a quarter of a mile straight on either side and a semi-circular quarter
at either end. The width of the track is 200 yards on the side of
starting and 160 yards on the off or back straight stretch. Mr. Winton
has frequently seen six motor cars start in a bunch and never knew
of an accident.
Mr. Moers, who represents the Peerless Manufacturing Co., has
no connection with Mr. Winston’s[sic] Company. With Mr. Winton,
however, and Mr. Owen he will fight the battle of the United States.