FURIOUS PACE SET BY CONTESTANTS IN BIG 100 MILE RACE

Spectators Wild With Excitement Witness Desperate Efforts of the Seven Speed Demons.

By "Buddy"

O'Donnell's time for the first 10 miles was 10 minutes and 23 1/4 seconds. O'Donnell is in the lead at the end of the 44th lap.

Lead colored clouds that threatened to spring a leak at any minute kept Secretary Holcombe and other members of the Tri-State Fair Association in an uneasy state during the morning hours today and up to the time scheduled for Burlington's first 100-mile auto race. The expected puncture, however, failed to materialize. It no doubt had the effect of diminishing the attendance to some extent. As many people were no doubt holding back in the fear that it would rain, it was decided to postpone the race forty minutes to give them a chance to witness the opening of the contest.

The start of the race was made at 2:50 o'clock; with Burman holding the pole. A furious pace was initiated and Tom Alley grabbed the pole from the veteran in the first round. In two more laps, O'Donnell, Alley's team mate, passed Burman and took second place. Ball in his Buick was lapped by Alley in the fifth round.

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The stage is set and the staccato reports of the racing motors is arousing the echoes of the west end of this city. The hundred-mile auto race is on. Burman arrived in Burlington an hour late this morning and Ball came touring into town at an early hour today in his Buick special. The other drivers had been here some time and were ready for the starter's flag promptly at 2:30 o'clock.

Burman got a late start today as he was forced to change his gear ratio after arriving in Burlington. The train on which the "Speed King" and his big Peugeot arrived got to Burlington about 10 o'clock and from that time until shortly after noon Burman and his mechanician were busily engaged in preparing the car for the race.

All In Earnest.

The air of frivolity that had been hanging over the garage during the early part of the week all had gone this morning. There was an altogether different atmosphere present. The drivers were on a high tension and were handing out their instructions in a manner that admitted of no whys or wherefores. The mechanics seemed to realize this and, indeed, they were acting in much the same manner.

The Du Chesneau was one of the first to give the track a real test this morning. He made a couple of turns and stopped at his pit for a trifling adjustments. He was there only a short time when he started out again. On the second round he took with him one of the members of the Gazette reportorial staff and made some fast time. He turned several of the laps a trifle better than 35 seconds and stated at the end of the tryout that records were sure to fly this afternoon. The car was working like a charm and left nothing for him to do but await the starter's signal for the beginning of the long grind.

Real Crowds at Noon.

The real crowds did not begin coming until about noon. The manner of reserving the entire sections instead of each seat brought out a number of people an hour earlier than they would otherwise have come. They were not bored by being forced to sit there a couple of hours before the start of the races, however, as there was one of the cars on the track almost all the time.

Dusenbergs Were Late.

The Duesenberg team did not get to the grounds until rather late. When they did come they made some fast laps for the benefit of the rail birds and by so doing won a following that stuck to them throughout the long grind. Cooper was there with his Sebring before the start of the race and made some laps precariously close to the world's record time of 32 seconds. He was a favorite from the minute he came on the track as his past record of a long line of misfortunes was well known to all.

Burman the Lion.

It was in Burman that the people placed their confidence. His ability as a driver and his sportsmanlike qualities were known to all. His Peugeot was the marked car from the time of its first appearance and every time the great Bob circled in front of the stands there was round after round of applause. Burman made some sensational spurts to try out his new gear ratio and apparently was satisfied as he drew up to his pit.

The brake tests worked out fine for all concerned. The requirements of the Triple A were known to the drivers and all of them had placed their machine so that it could not be dropped out of the race for which there had been such extensive preparations made.

Ball and his Buick were the dark horses for the contest. No one seemed to know much about the car or the driver and it might have been on that account that he was not given any particular attention. His car too closely resembled the frequently seen "remodeled speedster" to excite any particular interest and he was allowed to plow around the track without eliciting much applause.

A Fine Crowd.

The crowd was an ideal one. The wet weather made the largest portion of the infield impassable and the cars were not allowed there. This was the only phase of the contest that was not altogher pleasant but people seemed to have made up their minds to enjoy themselves and the race and on that account there were surprisingly few complaints heard.

The officials held a consultation with the drivers before starting them. The men were given their final instructions and were told to live up to the rules and laid down at the drivers' meeting last evening at the Iowa State Bank building. The men were cautioned about going into the turns and and were told of the various other things that would occur to no one other than the people who have followed the auto racing game for years.

The Program.

The signal that called all the cars to the wire was given promptly at two o'clock. Starter Lowry and Referee Ireland gave some parting words of warning and advice to the men.

Shortly after calling the drivers to the wire the extra employees were sent back to the pits and photographers took pictures of the men and and the drivers. Some of the drivers and most of the mechanicians were laughing at the time, but the smiles on some of the faces were a trifle grim.

The brake test was held at 2:15 and at 2:25 the drivers and mechanicians took their places in their cars and placed the machines in the position in which they were to start. The choice of positions was given the car that first entered and this afternoon it was Cooper, in his Sebring, who held the pole place.

The preliminary lap started shortly before the half hour, and after the cars had taken the one turn around the course were sent away by Starter Lowry in the first race ever staged on the Burlington Tri-State fair race course.

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