1910 American Grand Prize

The 1910 American Grand Prize was a Grand Prix auto race held on closed public roads outside Savannah, Georgia on November 12, 1910. It was the second edition of the Automobile Club of America's American Grand Prize. The race was won by American David Bruce-Brown in a Benz.

1910 American Grand Prize
Race details
Date November 12, 1910
Official name II American Grand Prize
Location Savannah, United States
Course Public roads
Course length 27.8 km (17.3 miles)
Distance 24 laps, 668.1 km (415.2 miles)
Fastest lap
Driver Italy Felice Nazzaro Fiat
Time 13:42.0 on lap 7
Podium
First Benz
Second Benz
Third Marquette-Buick

Summary

After a successful race in 1908, the Automobile Club of America made plans with the rival American Automobile Association to hold the Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup together on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1909. However, only the Vanderbilt race was held, and the Grand Prize pushed back to 1910. After the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup saw the deaths of 2 riding mechanics and several serious spectator injuries, the Grand Prize was cancelled once again. A last-minute request by the Savannah Automobile Club saved the race for the year, but only gave one month to prepare the course. A shorter 17-mile (27 km) course was laid out, but due to the short notice, many European teams were not able to make the trip; only 6 European cars entered the event, down from 14 two years ago.

The race began at 9 AM, with cars leaving the start line at 30-second intervals. Victor Hémery, driving a Benz, led early. Arthur Chevrolet was second after lap 1, but would eventually be overtaken by the factory Benzes and Fiats before falling out of the race on lap 9. Felice Nazzaro took over second place and pushed hard to catch Hémery. After setting the lap record on lap 7, Nazzaro slid off the road into a ditch, bending his rear axle; he would retire a few laps later. Wagner assumed the lead, but he too would leave the road and strike a tree on lap 17. He resumed, but front axle damage later sent him into a cartwheel at speed, ending his race.

Ralph De Palma, Bruce-Brown, and Hémery took over the first three positions, within two minutes of each other. On the penultimate lap, De Palma cracked a cylinder in the last of the Fiats. At the finish, Hémery crossed the line first due to the staggered start, and as in 1908 was forced to wait for the next car to cross the line. In the end, Bruce-Brown finished just 1.42 seconds faster than Hémery.

Classification

David Bruce-Brown atop his Benz
Felice Nazzaro's Fiat
Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/Retired
1 15 United States David Bruce-Brown Benz 24 5:53:05.35
2 9 France Victor Hémery Benz 24 + 1.42
3 17 United States Bob Burman Marquette-Buick 24 + 18:18.14
4 4 United States Ralph Mulford Lozier 24 + 33:07.33
5 12 United States Joe Horan Lozier 6 24 + 36:57.37
6 14 United States Ray Harroun
United States Joe Dawson
Marmon 24 + 37:16.87
Ret 19 United States Ralph DePalma Fiat 23 Cylinder
Ret 10 Italy Felice Nazzaro Fiat 19 Rear axle
Ret 6 France Charlie Basle Pope Hartford 19 Piston
Ret 16 France Louis Wagner Fiat 17 Crash
Ret 18 United States Willie Haupt Benz 13 Crash
Ret 7 United States Harry Grant Alco 6 11 Gears
Ret 3 Switzerland Arthur Chevrolet Marquette-Buick 9 Crankshaft
Ret 13 United States Louis Disbrow Pope Hartford 9 Cylinder
Ret 8 United States Joe Dawson Marmon 5 Crankshaft
DNS 1 France Étienne Planche Roebling-Planche
DNS 2 United States Harry Grant Alco
DNS 5 G. Armstrong Mercedes
DNS W. H. Sharpe Sharpe-Arrow Fatal crash in practice
DNS United States Joe Matson Simplex Engine in practice

References

    • Nye, Doug (1978). The United States Grand Prix and Grand Prize Races, 1908–1977. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-14203-8.
    • Galpin, Darren. "II American Grand Prize". The History of Motorsport before World War I. pp. 132–133. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
    • Etzrodt, Hans. "Grand Prix Winners 1895–1949". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
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