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Because there were so many deaths and accidents during the cup races and because foreign cars did most of the winning, Vanderbilt withdrew the cup about 1908 and gave it to the American Automobile Association. It is now housed in the Washington office of that organization. However, so great an enthusiasm had been developed over auto racing in the United States that, since racing was no more, a group built an oval track at Indianapolis to feature such contests.

Meanwhile, Charles Glidden of Boston decided that the way to bring American cars to perfection was to put them to long and severe tests. In 1905 he originated the tours which bore his name. Any American, with any sort of car, was permitted to take part in such tours, which were continued for almost a decade, by which time American cars had reached such a high standard of performance, both as to speed and durability, it was not necessary to put them to further tests to find out what was wrong with them.

Since 1911 the 500-mile race held at the Indianapolis Speedway each Memorial Day has been the annual highlight of auto racing. The track is 2'h miles in circumference. The prize money to winning drivers has increased rapidly through the years until it is now well over $100,000 for each race. Speed records climbed, too.

Other speed records have been set on the hard sand of Daytona Beach and Bonneville, where the packed salt-bed was found to be ideal for velocity. The world record of 394.2 m.p.h. for a straightaway measured mile was set at Bonneville by John R. Cobb of England in September, 1947. Cobb was killed in Scotland while driving a jet-propelled speedboat at more than 200 m.p.h. in 1952.

Cobb, in his record run at Bonneville, also gained the distinction of being the first person to travel more than 400 m.p.h. on land. The Englishman drove at the rate of 385.645 m.p.h. for the mile and 388.019 for the kilometer on the southward journey. He increased his pace to 403.135 m.p.h. for the mile and 399.808 for the kilometer on the northward trip, the best times ever recorded in either category. Out of the two runs came new world records for the mile and the kilometer, the latter mark being raised to 393.8 m.p.h.
In the early years of the automobile in the United States, as well as Europe, the best possible advertising as to the merits of a car was to win some sort of race-speed, or reliability or endurance run-with a stock model. Thus, over a period of many years, most of the cars used in contests were stock models. However, when the demand came for speed and still more speed in road races and in the later-day speedway contests, the stock cars were no longer used. Special types, suitable only for racing, were constructed, although a' few retained some of the best features of the standard makes of cars.