Robert J. Cummingham won the Cascadian Grand Prix in Tacoma at an average speed of 95.2kph, taking the victory at a canter ahead of Aaron Ruggles and Harold Roscarla-Lyons. Cummingham would receive a prize of $10,000 for the victory.
The start of the race was disastrous. Alois Karl Hammerschmidt and Walker Risewell came together on the opening lap at turn three, with the spinning Hammerschmidt running into the path of Risewell. Hammerschmidt miraculously was able to continue, but the damage to Risewell’s vehicle was terminal. Minutes later, a serious crash at the end of lap two resulted in the injury of many spectators who lined the circuit on the corner exit. The incident occurred when Frederick Morgan lost control of his vehicle and span into the crowd at the final corner. Luckily, the people managed to jump out of the way in time but they did not expect a second vehicle to have an accident at the same place moments later. The Frenchman Jean Baptiste Le Prestre de Vauban span at the exact same corner but many spectators failed to evade the car this time. Vauban himself was ejected from his car in the crash but suffered minimal injuries. Controversially, he rejoined the race after dusting himself off, which attracted jeering and shouts from the attending crowd as he sped around. The race continued despite the crash, with Cummingham managing his vehicle expertly as he pulled away out front.
Aaron Ruggles and Alden McNab were locked in a battle for second place, with Ruggles having a top speed advantage whilst McNab had the better drive from corners. Eventually, a spin from McNab would drop him down the order. Harold Roscarla-Lyons and Lawrence A. Wadsworth were also duelling on the dirt track, but Wadsworth would fail to find a way past as the race came to a close. Cummingham was cheered at the post-race ceremony for winning the race, but the crowd’s mood would turn as the race organiser Solomon Henderson presented Cummingham with the trophy. Nine spectators were injured in Vauban’s crash at the final corner, with one later dying on their way to hospital. Many in the crowd blamed Henderson directly for the crash due to his decision to allow spectators to stand “close to the action” on the grass verges surrounding the circuit. There was also extreme vitriol directed towards Vauban, who had finished the race albeit in a damaged and bloody car. As he walked through the paddock, some threw their tickets or drinks at Vauban in disgust. The Frenchman would later be arrested as he attempted to leave the circuit. A day later he was found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide, likely wracked by guilt over the death of the spectator. The race in Tacoma was mired in controversy and its impact on the American motorsport scene, whether that be positive or negative, will likely be debated for many years.
Elijah Hancock, Olympia Tribune
