Ear on Chicago; Round and Round We Go: Sports Car Club

That's a sports car you heard, the kind of car that you're seeing more and more of as the years pass. It could have been the car you looked down into as you were waiting for a traffic light. It could have been the blur of color that swished past you out on the country last Sunday. Or it could have been that snarling little foreign -built bucket of bolts that you were staring at dumbfounded at the hardiness of its occupants. How can they put up with so much? The man was at the wheel, remember? It was just 20 above, yet the top was down and his cap was pulled down snugly to his ears. Red -cheeked eyes watering, you can tell that he's a sports car driver from way back. So is his wife, sitting next to him, muffle to the eyelids blue with cold but smiling. She doesn't dare to frown. This evening we're going to put this strange breed of driver under our ear on Chicago microscope and see just what they do with their cars. Sports car people have the habit of banding together into clubs. There are five of such clubs here in Chicago. Clubs that more or less help them to share their relatively new way of life.

Ford is a way of life that sports car driving. We're going to cover a typical sports car event. It's called a rally, not a race, a rally, with an E. More about the theory of it later, but now we're going to visit the event itself. With our guide, Mr. Larry Whiteing, who is one of the founders of the sports car movement here in the Midwest, having begun in about 1946 and snowballing to the present. Let's join Larry in the five club trial balloon rally. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We're out at the Adler Planetarium parking lot. That is in the flight pattern of Chicago's very famous Meg's field attending the first five car or a malgum -nated rally of the five sport car clubs around the city of Chicago. The cars you will see out here, very from the very expensive, very fast 300 SL Mercedes -Benz, the TCMGs, the German Volkswagen, the little Triumph TR -2s and Heli -Hundreds, all sorts of imported and domestic sports

and sports -type cars. The people are as varied in dress as the color of the cars. We see many of them in the famous little Australian Loden Coda. Good rally thing with the tops down. Believe it or not, we have a day of about 34 or 5 degrees out here in Chicago, and many of them have their tops down, which is up probably within view now around 70 of these well handling, fast little imported sports cars. The Helis and Volkswagen are probably most in profusion at this point. The object of this is to find out and also to have fun finding out that we can have four or five sports -car clubs joining each other in a rally of this nature. We have a little engine tuning going on here in the background. The boys making sure that their engines are running right,

that they use no more fuel and they absolutely must. Just as a matter of interest, we'll talk to this gentleman over here. Pardon me, sir. What is your name? Dick Tampellum. This is a very nice little 1948 or 49 TCMG, is it not? 48 TC. Good. It's in very beautiful shape. It's done in a metallic green and quite a snotty little exhaust there. There are other people around here, some young kids. Are you out here taking in your first sports car event? Not the first one, no. This is many, many, many. That's a little healy -hundred of that you're driving. What is your name, sir? Gibbs. Kurt Gibbs. Kurt Gibbs, and this is your wife, Kurt? No, it's, uh, I'm sure you're charming young lady, but my wife. Well, she certainly is. What is your name? Dorothy Maniki. Very nice to see you, Dorothy. I hope you enjoy the day out here very much. The drivers are getting ready now and their driver's meeting for the garaging tests. Now let's move over to the first event of the five club rally. Here

on a long strip of clear pavement, there is a marked course which is called the alley. It's just as wide as a conventional alley and at the end marked out with little flags which represent a garage. The object of this little test is to find out how skillfully a driver can enter this garage area, backing round and entering its stern first. His navigator then must leave the car slamming the door to mark the end of the time period. As in all sports car outings, emphasis is put on skill. The average speed that will be obtained today is about 15 miles an hour for this event, though the engine you'll be hearing will sound a lot faster. Some of the cars like the one that just went through the Chrysler 300 are big. Now a little Volkswagen going through. Coming now into the garaging area, going backwards in between the balloons and flags just a little out of shape. She might, she just made it. The navigator now running to jump out. That is the time. Twenty and eight tenths seconds. There

are many competitors ready to run. A little bell rings at the starting line. TDMG now pulls up, making the swinging loop forward, going backwards into the garaging area, which is about three inches to spare on either side. Just a little out of the straight line. He makes it. He's just about ready. He gets in. The navigator now running to jump out. The little gal jumps and slams the door. Twenty one seconds. These trials probably are as important as the actual speed trials. It proves that the driver has full control over his car. Can do the practical things such as parking on the street. Anything else one would need to do well. I'm a little faster one now. Maybe even a little over energy, spinning around a little green MG. Top down today. A little cool. Straight into the garaging trial. Probably the best time so far. The navigator jumps out. And the time is 18 seconds. Probably the fastest time of the day

so far. Very good times there. At an event that wasn't without excitement. While the tests were going on and times recorded, our guide stepped over to chat with a member of the Chicago Park District Police Force, who had been to tail to help out with the traffic arrangements. Officer Mason, what do you think of the general caliber and style of driving and the deportment of these people today? That's been excellent. Those I've come in contact with. I often wondered if it was the way the car handled or they all had good drivers. Well, I think some of them are good through long experience. Do you think this type of thing will teach our American people how to drive a little better so that they're safer and their lives are I think it will. I think so too. I think a constant improvement is a good thing. Thank you very much for helping us today. All right, see you soon.

Now the rally actually begins. The contestants have passed the first hurdle. And if they're not completely as one with their cars by now, having successfully or unsuccessfully garage them, they'll never be. Just what is a rally in the first place the word is spelled R -A -W -L -Y -E. The rally is a direct import from the European continent. It's a contest in which the participants usually team up with another enthusiast, often their wives, for the purpose of a guided tour. The companion is called a navigator and he or she is charged with the responsibility of reading the directions printed in a route book, which has given the contestants at the starting line. More often than not, the route book, while containing complete directions, is written purposely in such a way as to confuse the inattentive. It might be noted that it is here that the poor navigator is often subject to much verbal abuse from the rally driver. The purpose of the rally

and the route book is to carry the car and driver over a course that consists of regular public roads to a given destination within a given amount of time. Always there is an average speed given, an average speed which is always below the speed limits. The routes are devious and every rallyist becomes apparently hopelessly lost at least once. At several points throughout the route, there are hidden checkpoints at which the rallyist must stop to have his time recorded and his speedometer checked. In almost every car you'll see an array of complicated equipment, slide rules, average speed calculators, a variety of maps, and now and then an electric calculator borrowed from the office. But in spite of all precautions, many get lost and are penalized many points for their errors. It goes without saying that a compass is essential. As for the driver and his car, safety is the watchwork. Or as the sports car club motto has it, sportsmanship demands safe driving. Within the closely knit clubs of sports

car enthusiasts, the weather eye is always open for the member who might endanger the sport through unsafe conduct on the highways, and one so doing may suffer severe penalties for any traffic violation. But now the rally is beginning, and some 86 cars are lined up, impatiently waiting for the signal to begin. Some of the drivers are making last minute checks on their delicately tuned engines, snapping down side curtains and checking heaters, reassuring wise that they won't be hollered at this time. Here's the starting line. All right, now we're getting ready to give driver instructions as they pull away one at a time into the rally position, a little black T2MG is coming up right now. Ready to receive his instructions. May I see your score card please? Get your number and you're starting odometer. Good

shape. Here you go. Your heart card please? No. It will be 119 30. You have 15 seconds. Okay, thank you. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go. Another car proceeds away now from the checkpoint. Each one has handed his instructions started out on the rally. They're hitting they know not where until they open their instruction book. These events are for accuracy of driving, not speed. As each car pulls up for their instructions 30 seconds apart leaving to go on this the first five car club rally of Chicago and they're given the absolute instruction sheet which is sealed until they leave. The starter

counts out the number of seconds and they go purely for the accuracy from point to point. Now one more car blows off. We're now in the mobile unit running alongside of one of the contestants. Number 57, a little red MG. He proceeds to the first stop sign stops of course and moves on around the Adler Planetarium. They're now driving a little splashing of water as we come out here from the Adler Planetarium onto Chicago's a great outer drive. They don't know it yet but in their sealed instructions are the circuitous ways of getting to the Navy pier. We know of course but they do not that we're going to Chicago's Navy pier for checkpoint number one. They're given a prescribed route, a prescribed time to do it in which

if they are early or late they get demerits against their score. We're again alongside of these two young boys who have their tap down today. They look a little cool going through the puddles on this slushy day as they pull now into the stream of traffic heading towards the furniture mart on Chicago's outer drive. We're now crossing the Chicago River on the outer drive curves of the rally contestants are all around us now pulling into the first checkpoint at the Navy pier, the little MGs, the porches and the heli -hundreds very much like red and blue beetles dotting the landscape. We're getting a little closer now in the unit coming down into Ohio street on Chicago's outer drive where we will turn east into the first checkpoint that is the place where they check in with their little root books and have them stamped plus or minus the time and if they are on their route there are also secret checkpoints that are put in places that they do not know to show that

they have passed on their prescribed route. The balloons are much in evidence at the checkpoint showing that it is set up ready to run as the contestants pull in to get their books stamped. The busiest young man in Chicago this morning is we get out of the mobile unit as the man manning checkpoint number one in the five car club rally. What is your name? My name is Fetzer. Do you live in Chicago? No, I live in suburb. I live out morals park. What is your job exactly today? Well at this checkpoint we catch these cars coming through and we ride in the official time and that way we score there. In other words if they are early or late you get them right on the spot with a watch and it never lies. That's right we use the watch and that penalize with coming in early while they have a greater penalty for coming in early than if they're late. In other words if they speed too much the penalty is greater than if they're slow. That's right we encourage them not to speed. The purely safety accent on this whole thing. That's very fine. Contestant number one now. Doc Eilers in that very beautiful little 300 S .L. Mercedes Benz. That's the car with the go

-wing doors that come up out of the roof. He is the first contestant now to arrive. His estimated time of arrival on the sheet is 147. He's a little ahead of schedule now for which he will be penalized at one point per second. The go -wing doors now come open as number one comes in. One car number one. Rival time 145. The normal amount of argument between checkpoint and driver. Contestant number two with the number four on the windshield now pulling up to the checkpoint. A very beautiful new 2300. How's it going boys? Good. All the stopwatches I notice the instrument panel carries quite a full complement of stopwatches to commenters and everything else. The

third car is now that we're getting to bunch up a little as they arrive almost simultaneously giving the checkpoint operator quite a forehand to job if they had another hand that'd be a lot better off here. In comes now three little cars one overshooting the checkpoint. The little Volkswagen a white convertible pulls in with their checking. This is a whole family all at once. I'm trying to plug in the other car. Let's see. 150. Right now as they pull in the checkpoint behind that a little sunbeam Talbo Roadster pulling. The Porsche overshot a little bit. These portioned Volkswagen are the famous German rear engine cars. The air cooled engine flat four in the rear designed by the late Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. Now comes an MG the first one in the rally pulling

in. You having fun young lady? Yes I am. Wonderful. What's your name? Joyce Grote? You from Chicago Joyce? No I'm from Oak Park. Let's see a board today. A little TFMG now pulls up to the line. We're running over with the test and the scorecard comes out. Are you on schedule gentlemen? No we're losing it. I'll show you that in the rally today. What is your name sir? Doug Taylor. Where are you from Doug? You're off your side. Good boy. Anyway, pulls off now right within seconds of his schedule. Probably as close as anybody we've seen today.

Oh here's a young man that came in a little behind schedule. What's wrong around I got lost. You got lost. Well I don't know the screwy instructions. Can't you read the instructions? No I can't. Well I mean I can read I can read English. Oh you must be able to put up all the things. Down there on the south side I bet I went around a block about 14 times. Completely lost. Oh I don't think so. I think you're just a little lighter. I'm running. You're going right down my way. Give me a check me and I want to get out of here. Okay you go on there. Drive away sir. Now we've seen the first checkpoint. It's been hidden quite well from view and marked only

by brightly colored balloons in honor of the name of the event the trial balloon rally. The cars are still coming in. Drivers and navigators sometimes a little miffed with the organizers for dealing them such devious directions and they're off again one after another heading doggedly for the second checkpoint located in another obscure and surprising place. Meanwhile the usual heavy Sunday afternoon traffic continues to pour down the famed Chicago Outer Drive and only supreme driving skill will enable the contestants to maintain that low average speed in a 40 to 45 mile an hour lane of impatient outer drivers. Now pulling into Evanston's Lake Park at Church Street and Sheridan Road the second checkpoint on the five car club rally. As we pull in now a group of cars are already in progress. The

checkpoint is in full operation and people are frankly running around checking each other in. They seem to be a little off schedule in a few cases. The intervals are a little more than 30 seconds apart. Some of them bunching up a little now. Here's Mr. John Ziprick the head of the checkpoint here in Evanston. John Howes have been going this morning. They pretty much on schedule. All a few of them are way off. I think they took a detour. I mean a few minutes after watch minutes almost a half an hour after an hour. Of course it is a little confusing going to Sunday. Traffic. Sure is. We've been trying to follow some of the contestants down. Good morning. What is your name young lady? Home God read. Are you from Chicago? Yes. You have a lot of fun on this rally. Very much. Is this your husband over here? Yes it is. Wonderful. How long have you kids been competing in sports car rallies? Oh about two years. Well now you have to get on it away right away. Of course keep your schedule don't you? Yes. Are you right on it? Just a bit. See you later.

But now another car and another drives up to the second checkpoint. And here's a little eavesdropping on a typical couple who somewhere along the way have missed the boat. Your name? Quine. Joe Quine. Let's see you sir. You're enjoying yourself having this rally. Oh you're not doing all a little family disagreement here. We sometimes run into these things on rallies. One four seven five seven seven five seven. A little uh squabble. I hope that you two are still speaking very happily when we reach the end of this rally. I sure do. Okay. Nice to see you Darwin. See you again soon. The Black Hawk Sports Car Club are busily checking the cars in. They're no longer in order and many having made a wrong turn or missing a landmark some time back are late and tempers are hot. Here too we meet a member of the constabulary as Mr. Whiting Chats with him about driving as

an art. Good morning officer. What is your name sir? Lieutenant Peterson. Lieutenant Peterson of the Evanston Police Force. That's right sir. To the young men and women of all ages here seem to be acting pretty well driving carefully and doing things as they should. As I've observed the number of these cars on the highway and I've noticed as I drove south that there was more and more of them and I realized that there must have been some program going on. I followed them to the route down to the south salute limits and turn around and came back over the same route and I observed them all the way along the line and they were all conforming to the normal speed of traffic. There was no cutting in and out or racing. They were just driving along with normal weather. You think Lieutenant the training drivers like this to abide by rules and drive carefully will help us any and our crusade for safe driving. Any training that will help us will be beneficial to the other people that are on the highway. Well thank you sir. I appreciate your kind comments. I'm pulling now

into the Lakefront Park or about five cars in the rally all at once. The checkpoint operators to say the least are a little frantic running out now waving quickly to pull the cars in a red TDMG pulls in as does the very pretty nationally. Gentlemen of course with their top -downs a little cold today. What is your name sir? Bob Loudon. Bob are you from Chicago? Mororo. Are you running the first rally you've run or are you running right a few of wonderful? I would club you with by the MG Card Club. Well progressed back here a little bit to an MG. What is your name sir? Thomas Brand. Are you from Chicago Town? Yes sir. I am. How are you having fun on the rally today? Great deal of fun. I'll let you go now. I'll get you after you get underway. We're now pulling in on highway 41 about 10 miles north of

Lake Forest Illinois and the final rendezvous in the last checkpoint for the five car inter -Chicago rally. The drivers are now pulling in to finish some of them on their schedule some of them off. The checkpoint operators having been out here all day in the cold are now checking the cars in the time men giving the chronograph readings as the times of the cars come in. Right up here. Right up here. All right what's the time on the ring? Hey Jag coming in a little fast now trying to lose no time at all to keep on his rally schedule. Nice he had a pretty good ride today. Excellent ride. What's your name sir? Tom Fox. Where are you from? Chicago. Okay is this your first rally? Yes it is and we've certainly enjoyed our ride sitting next to here. Well this is my future bride of about 20 days. I think she likes the rally. She enjoyed herself. We're on if you have a lot of fun in here today. Joder? John? How are you enjoying yourself today? Very nice. Oh wonderful. We're looking

forward to many more. Good. Good to see you. Can you keep on your schedule pretty well today? I'll tell you if you're with us. All righty. Now the cars have been parked in orderly rows while some of the heartier souls gather near the finish line to see how the others fared. An air of relief hangs over the little knot of enthusiasm as the scorecards are rushed to the crew working upstairs. Some have long hard stories to tell about a misleading bit of advice in their outbooks. Some tell of being hopelessly held up by a freight train and complain loudly and most eloquently to the judges for a revision of the rules. Others stand about looking longingly at the polished machinery of their companions. But most seek refreshment at the end of a trying day and speculate about how they would have had it in the bag if it hadn't been for well enough said. Unlike many automotive sporting events in the United States, sports car events such as this are purely amateur

in nature. There is no cash prize or similar award. The awards would seem simple, consisting of gold -plated cups for the first three places and ribbons for the runners -up. Why then do they compete? Why do they risk the enmity of their wives? Why run the concert of Sunday drivers and conventionally -troid cars in seemingly tiny, rickish and fragile foreign cars? For the sport, it's just for the sport. And what's fun about it? It could possibly be traced to the love that some folks have for fine machinery of being close to a car and driving it just for the love of driving. Often in this day of automation, we are carried past the simpler things. The sports car isn't practical. It won't carry more than two people nor would it keep out the rain. You've got to shift gears by hand and often loudly and some of them will jar your spine with its mountings. But they're fun and when driven with finesse, as safe as any car you'll find.