Secretary Botsford of the Chamber of Commerce has issued a statement explaining misleading statements which have been made relative to the Speedway events of next Saturday. It is as follows:
So much misinformation and so many misleading statements are being circulated relative to the Des Moines Speedway and its management, that as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, the organization responsible for the locating of the Speedway in Des Moines and as a member of the committee of the Chamber of Commerce to check out and see to it that the conditions of the contract between the Speedway company and the purchasers of the life membership tickets, are fulfilled. I believe a statement should be made at this time.
One of the reports is to the effect the track will be opened by drivers not racing under American Automobile association auspices. This is not true. The blnks for sanction have been filled and forwarded to Richard Kennerdell of New York, chairman of the contest board of the A.A.A. Every driver with whom a contract has been received is an A.A.A. driver. The management has paid $1,000 to the A.A.A. for its sanction. Mr. Kennerdell will himself direct the races over this track. Fred J. Wagner of Smithstown, Long Island, the A.A.A. licensed starter, will be the starter for the races over the track and his timing devices will be used and the timing done under his direction. This cost the management $750.
Another report circulated has been that the ownership of this track and of the Omaha track are identical. This is not true. The Omaha track belongs to sixty-one stockholders. The Des Moines track belongs to three men, Henry R. Gering, Samuel Orlof and John Prince. They have not one cent of interest in the Omaha track and were never stockholders in it. They did make a plan for the Omaha track and had a contract for its construction, but after erecting the frame work and starting the surfacing, they settled with the Omaha owners for a consideration of $3,500 over and above lumber and labor cost and surrendered their contract.
The owners of the Des Moines track appreciate the disappointment to the public by reason of the Omaha races. They know however that this disappointment was due to two things: First, the war in Europe which is keeping foreign drivers out of America this year, and second, the mistake Omaha made in claiming July 5 for a date with Tacoma giving races on July 3 and 4 and Sioux City on July 3. With the limited field of drivers it was impossible for all three meets to fill. Tacoma had Burman, Oldfield and Carlson from the ranks of cars. Drivers who finished at Sioux City at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday were unable to ship to Omaha, overhaul their cars and start by 12:30 noon on Monday. Result, a poor field and a poor race. There is no sanction out other than Des Moines until September. This gives the management the entire field to deal with. I have checked correspondence, contracts, telegrams and entries personally and know that the management has spent upward of $5,000 in addition to purses to secure good driversand that they have arranged for such drivers as O'Donnell, DePalma, Burman, Cooper, Alley, Chandler and that they have made a splendid offer to Resta. I know that they have not advertised a driver with whom they have not made arrangements. I know that they checked plans for the track and stand with Mr. Kennerdell and have followed many of his suggestions in building.
As an evidence of how the local management feels with reference to some recent racing events in the middle west, I want to quote the concluding paragraph from the letter sent to Mr. Kennerdell, of the A.A.A. contest board with the remittance to cover sanction fee. It is as follows:
"We are especially anxious for good class drivers because of the disappointment of the public at Omaha and want your earnest cooperation to prevent recurrence here. Omaha has hurt the racing game out here and Sioux City did not help it this year. We figure that to date we have obligated ourselves over $5,000 in addition to purses to secure drivers as above to overcome this. If you can assist us with Resta for the good it will do the game out here we will appreciate it. We know that you realize the disappointment of the people after Omaha and believe you will appreciate our efforts to overcome this and that we will have your cooperation."