| 75,000 SEE GERMAN |
| WIN IN CLOSE FINISH |
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Rosemeyer Dominates 300
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Mile Grind as Auto Roars
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Along at 82.564 m.p.h.
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MAYS, AMERICAN, IS THIRD
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His Foreign Car Is Two Laps
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Back of Briton -- Nuvolari,
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Caracciola Forced Out
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By FRED VAN NESS
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Special to The New York Times
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WESTBURY, N.Y., July 5 -- In what was probably the most spectacular automobile marathon ever witnessed in this country, Bernd Rosemeyer, German champion, driving his rear-motor Auto Union, captured the second Vanderbilt Cup Race over the Roosevelt Raceway today. The finiosh had a crowd of 75,000 standing on their toes until the checkered flag went down to designate the winner.
The slender, blond German flashed over the finish line only 51.03 seconds in front of Richard Seaman, English driver for the Mercedes-Benz team who had fought it out with him for the last fifteen laps of the 300 miles.
Rosemeyer covered the ninety laps in 3 hours 38:00.75 minutes, an average speed of 82.564 miles per hour, figures that bettered those of Tazio Nuvolari, the Italian, who won the race last year, by about seventeen miles per hour.
Two laps behind Seaman, after having held his position from the start, came Rex Mays of Glendale, Calif., to take third place in his Alfa Romeo and to be the first American driver to finish. Behind him were Ernst Delius, companion driver of Rosemeyer, in fourth place with his Auto Union and Dr. Giuseppe Farina, fifth in an Alfa Romea to save a place among the leaders for the Italian team after its star, Nuvolari, hade been forced out.
The first American car to finish was a Burd Piston Ring, driven by Russ Snowberger.
One of the disappointments of the race was the forced retiirement of Rudolf Caracciola, captain of the Mercedes team who took the lead from Rosemeyer in the third lap and held it for seven circuits of the course. He left the race in the seventeenth lap and yjereafter it became a contest between two German cars. Another shock to the huge gathering was the withdrawal of Nuvolari. Though never in the actual lead, he was well up in the race until forced out be engine trouble early in the contest.
Refueling Costly to Seaman
By the time they were on the last five circuits Rosemeyer and Seaman had lapped the rest of the field and the German ace was leading his rival by only ten seconds. But on the eighty-ninth lap, just as the white flag had dropped before him, Seaman pulled into the pit for fuel, and though he was out in less that fifteen seconds, he lost ground which he was never able to make up.
The winner was in the lead for seventy-six of the ninety laps and so, in addition to the $20,000 which he took for first place, he gained about $4,000 in lap prizes. He was behind Caracciola for seven laps and, after regaining the lead, led to the thirty-eighth lap, where he was passed by Seaman, who had forged up from foyrth place after his partner was forced out.
Seaman held the lead for seven laps and when Rosemeyer once more got to the front he remained there.
The race, filled with thrills, was held before a gathering that showed sutomobile racing had struck a popular chord with New York sports lovers. The crowd numbered 40,000 more than that which turned out Saturday when the race was postponed.
The spectators converged on the raceway from all directions and by many means of travel. Acres of automobiles were parked both inside and outside the enclosure. Special trains brought a steady stream of spectators, who had only a short walk from the station to the stands. In the hour before the start of the race the main stands, ranging more than a quarter of a mile along the main straightaway, were filled and a large part of the two field stands across thecourse were occupied.
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The surprising phase of thegathering was the number of cars and their occupants that crowded the infield. It
was estimated that 15,000 persons were at this vantage poinnt. The venture was a success.
The race, filled with thrills, was held before a gathering that showed sutomobile racing had struck a popular chord with New York sports lovers. The crowd numbered 40,000 more than that which turned out Saturday when the race was postponed.
The spectators converged on the raceway from all directions and by many means of travel. Acres of automobiles were parked both inside and outside the enclosure. Special trains brought a steady stream of spectators, who had only a short walk from the station to the stands. In the hour before the start of the race the main stands, ranging more than a quarter of a mile along the main straightaway, were filled and a large part of the two field stands across the course were occupied.
The surprising phase of the gathering was the number of cars and their occupants that crowded the infield. It was estimated that 15,000 persons were at this vantage poinnt. The venture was a success.
To this vast gathering the outstanding feature of the contest was the great superiority of the foreign racing cars. They were better than the American products in every respect. They not only had much greater speed, but stood up on the grueling course. The race had not gone ten laps when it became evident that this was to be entirely a contest among European cars. That three American cars finished among the first ten to them and their drivers.
In scoring his victory Rosemeyer showed he deserved to be called the champion of Europe. Although he had the fastest car on the track, he made it clear he was also a great driver. Sitting erect in his seat far forward of the motor, he roared around the course sure of himself and his car. He made only one pit stop, when he went in at the thirty-eighth lap.
It was then that the remarkable efficiency of his pit crew was seen. He was in the pit a mere thirty-five seconds while his car was refueled, two tires were changed and the driver was given a drink of water. He roared out again and in seven laps was in command again.
Rosemeyer finished the race tired and with his face smeared. Racing to the clubhouse at once, he demanded a drink and then had his wife, the aviatrix, Elly Beinhorn, paged over the loudspeaker. He was happy but not greatly surprised by the victory and would say only that it was a great race and that he knew the Mercedes team would make him go at his best, as it did.
But the popular hero of the day was Mays -- although he drove a foreign car. The manner in which he kept at the leaders from the start and saved third place was given a great ovation as he crossed the line.
It was a splendid performance for the 26-year-old driver and, contrary to the expectation of the many who knew him as a daring, reckless driver, Mays drove steadily. His car did not have the speed of the Germans' on the long straightaways, but he crept up on the turns, of which he had studied every inch.
Round after round he pulled up to the race leaders only to slip back, but he never gave up his position. Mays was driving the car in which Count Brivio finished third last year.
The race was started promptly on the split second of 1 o'clock. With Caracciola, Rosemeyer and Mays cars the first in line it was a question of who would get to the first turn in first place. As the flag dropped, sending thse daredevils on their way, the crowd stood and stretched necks toward that turn.
There was a terrific roar as thirty cars went into high. Caracciola shot to the front and was the first to go out of the stretch. But his lead was short-lived, for Rosemeyer picked him up on the slide out of the turn and was the pacemaker for the first three laps, but only by forty yards, for Caracciola was staying back only as far as he thought was safe and attempting to creep up on each turn. Mays shot right behind the two leaders, but
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it was evident in the first three laps his car could not match speed with them.
As they passed the stands for the first time it was Rosemeyer, Caracciola, Mays and Nuvolari. In a few laps Seaman, who had started in one of the rear lines, passed Farina and shot imto a contending position with Billy Winn, who in his Miller Special
was not far from the pacemakers. These two went into a series of brushes that were a thrill in themselves. On the straight runs Seaman drew away, but Seaman passed him again on the turns.
Winn was making a spectacular race. He had gradually crept up from ninth place. The suddenly, as he came through the No. 2 straightaway on the ninth lap, he slowed down, went over to one side of the track and stopped behind the pits.
He crawled from his car. The crankshaft of his car had broken and he was out of the race. "Just my luck," he said, on the verge of tears, as he took off his red helmet and stood back to watch the race. He had been given an excellent chance to finish among the first ten.
But equally disappointing to the crowd was the retirement of Nuvolari in the seventeenth lap. He was one of the heroes, partly because he had won the first Vanderbilt Cup race in such a dashing manner by nearly three laps of a then 400-mile course and partly because he is one of the best drivers in any country.
While he was still up among the first five Nuvolari suddenly stood in his car and drove slowly to one side in the No. 2 stretch. It was found his car had developed engine trouble and was on the point of bursting into flames. That is why Nuvolari was standing. Fire engines rushed to the auto, but there was no fire.
The Italian was disappointed at his failure. but later came back as a relief driver for Farina, who had got his machine into fifth place. However, Nuvolari was again forced into the pit, and, losing time, turned the car back to Farina. His teammate, driving a steady course, gained fifth place at the end.
When the halfway mark was reached, Seaman and Rosemeyer were battling in a manner that showed that, barring an accident, they would fight it out for the main prize. By this time, both had given the spectators an idea of the high speed they could attain. Rosemeyer had gone through the stretch at 159 miles per hour at one time. Seaman had reached 155.
Rosemeyer had done a little better than 159 in his trials, getting up to 161 miles an hour. However, 159 was faster than a crowd had ever seen cars go in this country.
Mauri Rose, National A.A.A. champion, driving a Maserati, was another American who clung steadily to his task until he got into trouble that put him out of the race. By steady driving he had got into sixth place, but with only five laps to go, an axle broke on his car. He finished eighth last year, to lead the Americans, and was one of the hopes of the home contingent.
Wilbur Shaw, who finished eighth today and who was the winner at Indianapolis this year, made a fine showing in his Maserati. He was content to be among the first ten.
With the success of the venture today there sprang up a demand for better cars for American drivers. Several leaders of the automotive industry gathered in the clubhouse to see the race, conferred and intimated several syndicates will be formed to provide racing cars for American drivers that will compare with any from abroad.
The race showed that, driver for driver, the Americans are on a par with their foreign rivals, even though their style of racing on ovals here has not given them the greatest experience in road racing.
It was announced after the race that the Pan-American race, involving drivers from North and South America, would be held at the Roosevelt Raceway next Sept. 4. That will give time for building improved racing cars, but there probably will be a revision of the course for that race, making it an oval over which sustained speed will be possible.
One of the things the race demonstrated today was that this course is safe for drivers whp are qualified for such competition. There was not a single injury and the cars forced out were all disabled through mechanical defects or accidents.
Announcement was made that the drivers will be guests of the management at the Barclay Hotel tomorrow afternoon, when the checks will be awarded. Rosemeyer is scheduled to sail for home tomorrow night.
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