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Show Eyston Maps , Final Plans For BigRuh Break in Weather Is Principal Fear of British Racer . By FRANK K. BAKER Telegram Sports Editor BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS, Oct. 27 Workmen rushed prep- rations on the track and timing tim-ing facilities here today as Captain Cap-tain George Eyston readied his . (even-ton Thunderbolt for an assault upon the world's land ipeed record of 301.1292 miles an hour. Meanwhile, the British driver, impatient to be under way on his long delayed crack at the record, eyed the sky apprehensively apprehen-sively in hope that ideal weather will continue. A road crew was on the flats at dawn this morning dragging the straightaway with meticulous meticu-lous care, and another crew speeded up its efforts to establish estab-lish a telephone line the full length of the track. Timing fraps were being installed at both ends of the measured mile and the kilometer, but the timing tim-ing force headed by A. C. Pills-bury Pills-bury of Los Angeles was deeply deep-ly concerned about the efficiency efficien-cy of the light ray or electric eyes being put into place. Ray l ae Is New The use of the light ray is a new thing in maximum speed racing. The ray has been used with fine effect on the different race tracks of the country and has been extremely ex-tremely successful in timing the endurance en-durance runs here on the salt flats. Mechanical traps have always been used in the straightaway runs, though, both here and at Daytona Beach. Fla. In their setup a wire is stretched across the track about two inches above the ground and attached to a spring so that the auto presses it down in passing. Engineers have found it difficult, however, to obtain a wire that can withstand the tension necessary in keeping the wire suspended above the track for a span of nearly 200 feet, as is necessary on th track here. Wire Break Wire traps have been known to .break on race tracks and one such failure struck a pilot in the head. Captain Eyston has, therefore, refused re-fused to use the mechanical traps. In their attempt to give him the s;ifer electric ray. the timing authorities au-thorities of the American Automobile Automo-bile association contest board must yet prove that It will really work-Never work-Never before have two electric rays been placed a mile apart in handling one timing operation, according ac-cording to Harold Harper, chief electrician elec-trician with the A. A. A. crew. Loss of electrical impulse has always al-ways been a troublesome factor in timing the events here on the salt, and even if th timers can build up their power sufficiently, they still must make sura that it will b sensitive sen-sitive enough to denote the passing of the captain' car at five miles a minute. Tents Must Be Made Test must, therefore, b made later today or early Thursday to prove the efficiency of the ray before be-fore the Briton can really go after the record. There Is grave doubt that the Briton will ever be able to use a mile and a haMf of the course at the extreme north end of the track. It is still slippery and mushy and far too soft to support his seven-ton Juggernaut. Tha genial captain declared early this morning that he "absolutely needed that track to gain momentum." The captain declared himself willing today to gimble on "getting something" by saying he would go Immediately if there is a threat of a sudden storm. |