It was only 10 years after the first automobile, a 1903 “Curved-Dash” Oldsmobile from Jerome which actually only drove from Jerome Junction after taking the train there.
Still, “much interest [was] created” when the Frontier Days Committee announced that it was increasing the cash prize money for the automobile race to $250 for first, and $150 for second place, (approximately $8000 and $4800 in today’s money.) The Weekly Journal-Miner explained that the extra prize money would ‘guarantee the entry of at least two cars from Tucson, two cars from Phoenix, and one car from Jerome”; to race against a lone entry from Prescott.
The race would be held over a course that would become both popular and celebrated in the early days of racing in Arizona: a roughly 44 mile circuit called the Prescott Loop. The starting and finishing line was on Gurley Street across from the Plaza. The cars would travel east to Mt. Vernon, where they would turn north and head to Jerome Junction. From there they would race to the American Ranch, over Blair’s hill, through Miller Valley to Grove street, then left once again on Gurley.
Along with the extra prize money came extra distance as the autos would be tested by going over the Loop twice this year. “The turns at Grove and Gurley, and at Gurley and Mt.Vernon will tax the skill of the drivers to the utmost,” the paper declared. The most difficult turn was considered to be on Blair’s hill due to an obstructing rock, but a crew was going to “shoot-away” the worst the obstruction.
After hearing about the race, a tourist from Los Angeles asked if he could be an entrant. “As a result,” the paper reported, “the committee [announced] that the race would be open for all,” and a $15 entrance fee would be charged, (about $480 today!)
“The event has been planned as to insure a continuous thrill,” the paper described. Cars would start at five minute intervals “so as to ward against any fatalities in case of an accident.” Additionally, after the last car started, it would not be long before the first car would pass and start its second lap. The course was guarded by members of Prescott’s Auto Club, and motorcycle club. “Gurley Street in the downtown section [was] roped off…and a watch…kept at Miller Valley. As soon as a car passes that point, word will be sent via telephone into Prescott and warning will be given from the fire bell. This will insure that the streets will be clear so that the machine can go down on its way at full speed.”
Before the cars took to the Loop, however, a motorcycle race was run once around the course. Paul Keating came in first taking the $30 prize (which is worth almost $1000 today.) His average speed was a shade faster than 44 MPH. Twenty-two seconds later, Roy Bending crossed the finish line netting a prize of $20 (nearly $650 today.) Although the motorcycle race wasn’t quite as popular as the automobiles, “these riders also received their share of applause [from the crowd],” a later edition of the Journal-Miner told.
Then came the cars, with only six entering the race. (All of the manufacturers of these vehicles went out of business long ago):
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| Studebaker |
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| Pope-Hartford |
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| Chalmers |
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| Perry |
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| Stearns-Knight |
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| Elmore |
The first to start the course was the Studebacker, followed five minutes later by a Pope-Harvard car which came to the race from Phoenix with a storied reputation for having already “travelled over 100,000 miles on all kinds of roads,” the paper explained. Despite the immense amount of miles driven for a car of that period, the Pope-Harvard was the only automobile that suffered no mechanical problems during the contest. Largely for this reason, the workhorse car finished first with a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, 37 seconds.
The Elmore suffered the loss of its timer and one of its cylinders, but Albert Hatz nursed it to the finish line to get the second prize purse. His time was registered as “three hours and more.”
The other four autos suffered even worse and did not arrive back in town until “several hours after the sun had passed the meridian.” At that point, long after the crowd left and all the cash prizes were awarded, it seems no one cared the slightest about what order they eventually arrived.
The fun story of early car love and automobile racing. It was the inaugural running of the Arizona Gazzette Cup-- Only 1 car was able to drive back to Prescott, Arizona!
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SOURCES:
Weekly Journal-Miner, 7/2/1913; Pg. 6, Cols. 4-5
Weekly Journal-Miner, 7/9/1913; Pg. 8, Cols. 3-4.
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