Hide Article Text (OCR)
COBB LEAVES BASEBALLFOR ONE DAY AND DRIVES RACE AUTO ON SPEEDWAY.ScLiRGreat Baseball Player Would Become Speed Demon If Opportunity Wat Afforded in Long Race.!eTy Cobb, the champion batsman of, the American League and th* famous star of the Detroit Baseball Club, is' a speed demon. The famous Tyms demonstrated his prowess at thewheel of a racing automobile at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, recently, when he turned a mile in .a National “40” in 52 seconds, with “Brick”; Owens, the American Association umpire, riding in the mechanician’s seat. The weather was inclement and the track was rather damp, but the nervy outfielder sent the big car over the minutes flat or at the rate of seventy* rate.While Cobb was not after Barney Oldfield’s fast mile of 35.63, made on■the big brick oval, he did turn some: fast miles. The course was wet and' made it all the more hazardous to attempt fast time, but this did not deter the “Georgia Peach” and after two trips around the track with “Happy Johnny” Aitken, the star of the Na-i tionai racing team, Ty took the wheel1 and started after the speediest milei he could reel off. IThe Speedway management made| an exception for the famous diamond! star and the National Company took a*ScMSiLJ*Slt;V DYfaiaawlco:U£bNnew roadster off the floor, and the!cJuit0nhnithni*t,rolcdifkisV-leblue finish of the car excited the miration of the crack outfielder. Clad in the habiliments of a professional “speed demon,” the fans would hardly! have recognized Jennings’ star as be! crouched behind the big wheel. Ty! made one circuit of the track to get! accustomed to handling the car andi then waved the timers to catch him! on his next trip. Considering that thej car, in automobile parlance, “was! green” Ty’s feat of going the two and; one-half miles in 2:20 shows that he' was hitting it up some, although, as; he expressed it, “it was fun—not half so hard as judging a long fly. •Tiring of driving a car, with all the parts necessary to make a finished' car, Cobb signified his desire to try, out a test car, but not until he had turned a mile in 55 seconds in the* roadster. Three test cars were on the track, but none of them had been limbered up and the car turned over to Cobb had not done twenty miles after, coming off the floor, but the fact that the motor was stiff did not cause the’ diamond “speed demon” to hesitate and he clambered into the test car. Ty made a mile in 55 seconds, which, considering the stiffness of the motor, was making good time.It was not long until “Brick” Ow-; ens caught the fever and when Cobb halted in front of the grand stand again, Owens agreed to trust his life with Cobb if Cobb would agree to “let her out” as Owens expressed it. This was what Ty was aching to do and let it out he did.To show that he was a real “speed maniac” Cobb let the motor oat enough to rip the treed of the right rear tire on the back stretch, and as Owens expressed it, “Why it looked like he was trying; to put on a new necktie.” By this time it was growing dark and much to Cobb's regret he was unable to continue reeling off the miles and he had to' leave the future stellar work on the track to the racing stars entered in the big Memorial Day event at tbo Speedway.This was Cobb's first experience holding the wheel of a high-power car on a track, although he has driven fast cars for a number of years. Last year Tyrus was carded to meet Nap Rucker, the Brooklyn pitcher, in a match race, but President Navln, of the Detroit Club, intervened aid the event was called off. Cobb kept his plans for the Sweedway carefully guarded and but of the proposed trip. ..cJlt;Ia1tfi1I
Newspaper Details
North Vernon Plain Dealer
North Vernon, Indiana, US
Thu, May 18, 1911
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 27 May 2019
Other Publications Near North Vernon, Indiana
North Vernon Weekly Sun
North Vernon Banner
North Vernon Sun
North Vernon Banner Plain Dealer
North Vernon Republican
