FAMOUS AUTO DRIVERS PASS THROUGH HERE
All Stop at the Michelin Tire Factory at Milltown, for the Michelins Are Their Favorite Tires—Busy at the Works.
Many New Brunswick folk have noticed this week the almost daily passing through the city of automobiles, answering closely to the description of the imaginary Spanish torpedo boats that were not off the coast of Maine during the early days of the Spanish-American War.
Certainly, these automobile crafts are “long, low, and rakish” in appearance and show, too, every evidence of being built for speed. But few realize that some of the world’s most famous automobile pilots were at the wheels, as the uncharted shoals of numberless breakers and many rocks in Albany street were skillfully avoided during the stormy passage to Milltown.
Chevrolet Holds Big Record
First in importance of these great visiting automobile drivers comes Louis Chevrolet, who was here on Tuesday with a lightweight Buick car that he will pilot in the Fairmont Park race in Philadelphia on Saturday.
This particular Buick is a new car, but on another of the same model, Chevrolet broke all world’s stock car records for sustained speed at Riverhead, Long Island, last Wednesday, when he averaged 70 miles an hour over the 113-mile circuit.
Chevrolet, a heavy-set, smiling Alsatian, came to this country seven or eight years ago as an employee of the De Dion Bouton Motorette Company, then building light De Dion cars in Brooklyn. When the De Dion company discontinued in America, Chevrolet went back to France and later returned with the Fiat automobile people. This was at the time that the original agency of Hollender & Tangemann was first opened in New York. Chevrolet has now become one of the world’s best-known drivers. He drives with his head and not only with his hands. He understands “the game,” is fearless, and wins frequently.
Another Hero of Auto Racing: “Bobby” Burman
“Bobby” Burman, hero of many hard-fought speed battles, was also in New Brunswick the other day. Burman set a new 100-mile world’s track record at New Orleans last February. At Lowell, Mass., last month, he won the Vesper Trophy contest, and at the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August, he captured the 250-mile race for the Indianapolis Trophy. During the season, he has won any number of minor contests and will unquestionably make a creditable showing in Philadelphia on Saturday. Burman, as well as Chevrolet, drives a Buick car.
Strang Wins Many Contests
Yesterday, Louis Strang, now pilot of a big red Isotta car, went through New Brunswick en route to Philadelphia via Milltown. Strang won the famous Briarcliff race in Westchester County, New York, last year, as well as the Lowell Stock Car contest, while he finished second in the fast Motor Parkway Sweepstakes. At Indianapolis in August of this year, Strang won the 100-mile race and established at the same time new world’s track records for 50 and 100 miles. Strang went through this entire series without a stop for repairs, supplies, or tires, which by the way were Michelins, made right here in our busy suburb of Milltown.
Michelin Tires on Road and Track
It is a matter of local pride that all the world’s important road and track contests are won on Michelin tires. Michelins are generally recognized as possessing superior qualities of speed and endurance. Chevrolet, Burman, Strang, Ralph de Palma, George Robertson, in fact, all the great racing car pilots, will not enter a speed contest on any other tires. Almost daily, these famous drivers are approached by rival tire manufacturers who offer them all sorts of inducements to use their equipment, but rather than risk life or limb by accepting any of the attractive propositions offered, these well-known speed kings stick to Michelins and willingly pay for them. Michelin tires are never given away under any circumstances.
Michelin Factory Busy
In an interview, Sales Manager Libby of the Michelin company states that speed and endurance contests of all kinds have done more to develop tires to their present state of perfection than all the slow, old-fashioned tours ever held. Mr. Libby asserts that automobile tires are obliged to sustain harder usage in a 300-mile road race than in a whole season of ordinary touring. He attributes the success of the Milltown factory largely to the fact that an ever-increasing number of automobile owners are satisfied to use the tires that stand up best in real tests of quality and durability, such as those developed in fast track races or long-distance road contests. Such tires are found to be invariably best for ordinary service on family cars driven at moderate speed.
