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600 cu in (7,390 to 9,830 cm)—these cars ran 10 laps. The unlimited grand prize race was open to any qualifier who thought they could race 12 laps and win. Each of the cars was started a few minutes after the previous one. Fleming's winning car held an engine that displaced 299.44 cu in (4,906.9 cm), making it a lightweight contender. He won the first 7-lap event and appeared to be in first place at end of the 10-lap event, even though he was not driving a heavyweight car and thus was not entered in this event. He continued in first place to finish the 12-lap grand prize course.
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simultaneous events of increasing numbers of laps intended to be 9, 14 and 19. As in 1909, the first starter was a lightweight car with the least engine displacement, followed every few minutes by a car with greater displacement. The lightweight cars ran 9 laps and the heavy cars ran 14 laps. The unlimited grand prize race was to go 19 laps but it was stopped at 15 because of darkness.
72:. An estimated 250,000, 280,000 or 300,000 people watched the nearly four-hour race. A 24-page race program was published with photographs, advertisements, and a diagram of the race circuit. An article written by Mrs. Frederick J. Linz was included: "Women as well as Men can Motor". First prize was $ 2,000.
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driven by
Charles Soules who was reported by one newspaper as having clocked in at 18:19 for the 21.18-mile circuit to yield 69.4 mph (111.7 km/h). Another reporter showed Fleming's Pope-Hartford making the fastest lap at 19 minutes flat, a speed of 66.66 mph (107.28 km/h). Second
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Several injuries were sustained by spectators who crowded the course, forcing drivers to run a narrow gantlet at some points in the race. Post-race criticism observed that civilian police protection of the course was insufficient compared to 1909's
National Guard protection. Newly seated California
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went off the road on
Stanley Avenue near Foothill Boulevard and gravely injured a man who was standing next to his wife-to-be watching the race. She was unharmed. The driver and his mechanic were bruised. Near the southern limit of the racecourse in Hayward, a dog sat down in the middle of the road
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In 1911 the circuit was shortened to 10.923 mi (17.579 km), roughly describing the shape of a quadrilateral with four right-angle turns. The course was described as "tortuous" for the driver, "filled with turns and grades which require frequent gear shifting." The race consisted of three
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Unusually, the racecourse held three different race events. The first starters were the lightest cars, limited to an engine displacement of 231 to 450 cu in (3,790 to 7,370 cm)—these cars ran 7 laps. The second group were heavier cars limited to an engine displacement of 451 to
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machine that
Fleming used to increase his lead to more than one lap over the closest competitor. His average speed of 64.51 mph (103.82 km/h) set a new record for a road race, slightly higher than the most recent results of the Santa Monica Road Race and the
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The grandstands and start/finish line were placed on
Foothill Boulevard around Fairfax Avenue and 55th Avenue because Foothill was a long straightaway at that area. In the grandstands could be seen well-known people such as senator
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refused to call up the
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lost a wheel retaining ring while cornering; the metal ring broke the skull of a male spectator, who succumbed several weeks later. Frank Free driving a
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in a
National car averaging 66.8 mph (107.5 km/h). The Panama-Pacific Road Race, a "free-for-all" unlimited event, was won by
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One spectator death and several injuries occurred because of accidents at the race. A fatal incident happened when a
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car averaging 57.3 mph (92.2 km/h). The heavyweight race, called the St. Francis Hotel Trophy, was won by
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Jack
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84:. The fastest lap of the day may have been produced by car number 15, a
36:. The races were held in concert with the Portola Festival celebrating
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various
Alameda County roads, 10.923 mi (17.579 km) circuit
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various
Alameda County roads, 10.923 mi (17.579 km) circuit
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various Alameda County roads, 10.923 mi (17.579 km) circuit
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The winner of the lightweight race, called the Oakland Trophy, was
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421:. Vol. 106, no. 146. October 24, 1909. p. 37.
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place went to Harris "Harry" Hanshue in car number 13, an
539:. Vol. 24. Chilton. March 2, 1911. pp. 640–641.
471:. Vol. 21, no. 71. October 23, 1909. p. 1.
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Photograph of 1909 race, taken on Foothill Blvd, Oakland
32:, in 1909 and 1911, the start/finish line positioned in
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The main race in 1909 ran under the auspices of the
28:was an automobile race spanning several cities of
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413:"World's Record Is Broken in Great Race"
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481:Oakland Portola Road Race program, 1909
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54:Automobile Club of Southern California
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68:—two communities south of Oakland in
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510:"Road Race Victim Prepares to Marry"
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492:"Victim of Flying Auto Tire Dies"
432:"Remarkable Auto Race Records".
703:Auto races in the United States
438:. January 16, 1910. p. 3.
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718:1909 in sports in California
713:1911 in sports in California
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665:. UltimateRacingHistory.com
643:. UltimateRacingHistory.com
621:. UltimateRacingHistory.com
468:The Bakersfield Californian
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663:"Panama-Pacific Road Race"
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498:. December 15, 1909.
599:. ChampCarStats.com
516:. January 29, 1910.
164:in a 30-horsepower
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360:Bert Dingley
353:February 22
324:Charlie Merz
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188:Race results
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170:Charlie Merz
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553:|work=
239:October 23
148:racing his
110:Howard Hall
62:San Leandro
697:Categories
388:References
555:ignored (
545:cite book
375:02:29:30
337:02:17:20
328:National
301:01:42:54
263:03:58:15
180:Governor
369:163.845
331:152.922
242:various
219:Starting
91:Apperson
295:98.307
257:254.16
86:Stearns
66:Hayward
58:Melrose
34:Oakland
291:Mercer
226:Miles
201:Venue
166:Mercer
150:Mercer
106:Sunset
95:Lozier
574:(PDF)
229:Laps
221:Cars
198:Date
195:Year
671:2012
649:2012
627:2012
605:2012
557:help
349:1911
313:1911
275:1911
235:1909
207:Car
137:1911
114:Knox
64:and
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24:The
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