DUESENBERG LOOKS OVER MOTOR TRACK

Declares Des Moines Speedway Will Be Fastest One-Miler in the World.

EXPECTS A NEW RECORD.

Has Not Yet Decided Whether He Will Enter His Cars Here.

Fred Duesenberg, formerly of Des Moines, builder of the famous Duesenberg gasoline motor, pronounced the Des Moines speedway to be the fastest onw mile track in the world. Mr. Duesenberg was in Des Moines yesterday, principally to look over the track and to decide whether he will enter cars in the 300 mile speed derby on July 31. Incedentally he was visiting with his numerous friends here.

"The world's one mile track record should be established on the Des Moines track," he said. "I am positive that the one lap record for a mile track can be set here, and I see no reason why a driver cannot establish a mark for 100 miles on the track here that will not be eclipsed on any mile track now in existence."

Good for Fast Clip.

"The Des Moines track is good for a 120 mile an hour clip. It is built right. The curves are properly constructed and the stretches are smooth. The turns, of course, are a little rough, but they are not as rough as most of the turns on most of the board tracks."

"The Des Moines track seems to be considerably faster than the one at Omaha, though it is claimed they were built according to the same plans."

Duesenberg cars have been entered in nearly all of the big automobile races this year, and they have acquitted themselves to the satisfaction of their designer. "We have been unfortunate in having to shift drivers frequently, but have been in the money in most of the events which we have entered," he said. He has not yet decided whether he will enter the Des Moines speedway contest.

Spark Plugs Weak.

Mr. Duesenberg gave some interesting information about racing cars and racing speeds. He asserted that the only reason racing car motors cannot hold up under a sustained speed of 100 miles an hour nowadays, is that there is not an American made spark plug that will stand the strain.

"That was what was the matter withour team at Omaha," he said. "The boys started out to burn up the track. They were intent on making an average of 100 miles an hour for the race. They started too fast and their plugs went bad."

"Rickenbacher (who won the race driving a Maxwell) used plugs of an English make, but no more of those can be bought in this country now. At least I coudn't find any. That's the reason he did a little better with his motor."

Many European Orders.

The Duesenberg factory, which is located in St. Paul, has handled several small orders for motors to be used in army dirigibles and aeroplanes. "If we had been able to handle big contracts, delivering 500 motors at a crack, we could have all the foreign business a big factory could handle," he said. "Agents from across the water are after our engines, as I suppose they are after the product of most gasoline engine factories."

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