User:Harrias/1904 Vanderbilt Cup
| 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 The race winner, George Heath, crossing the finish line. | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 8 October 1904 | ||
| Location | Long Island, New York | ||
| Course length | 28.44 miles (45.77 km) | ||
| Distance | 10 laps, 284.4 miles (457.7 km) | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Panhard & Levassor | ||
| Second | Clément-Bayard | ||
The 1904 Vanderbilt Cup was an automobile motor race held on October 8, 1904 on closed public roads on Long Island, New York. The race was organised by William Kissam Vanderbilt II, who was inspired by similar races in Europe which were motivating the car industry there to make advancements. The race lasted for over five hours and was won by a Long Island native, George Heath, who was driving for the French manufacturer, Panhard & Levassor. The only other official finisher, Albert Clément, was also driving a French car, his family's Clément-Bayard marque.
Background[edit]
Motor racing had started in France towards the end of the 19th century with a series of city-to-city races, typically based out of Paris, such as the Paris–Rouen race, often said to be the first motor race, and later the first three iterations of the Gordon Bennett Cup. French manufacturers thrived in the early events, but were soon joined by British and German marques.[1] William Kissam Vanderbilt II, who came from a wealthy American family, was an automobile enthusiastic who had already been a patron of many of the famous European races,[2] as well as setting a land speed record in 1902.[3] He established the Vanderbilt Cup in an effort to motivate American car manufacturers to improve and compete with their European counterparts.[4]
Course[edit]
- 30.24 miles in total, but minus the two controls 28.44 miles.[5]
Cars[edit]
Race report[edit]
Classification[edit]
| Rank | No. | Driver | Entry | Representing | Car | HP | Time/Laps | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | George Heath | Panhard & Levassor |  France
|
Panhard | 90 | 5:26.45 | |
| 2 | 12 | Albert Clément | Clément-Bayard | France
|
Clément | 90 | 5:28.13 | |
| DNF | 6 | Herb Lytle | Pope Motor Car Company |  United States
|
Pope-Toledo | 24 | 8 | Still running[5][a] |
| 16 | Charles Schmidt | Packard Motor Car Company | United States
|
Packard | 30 | 8 | Still running[5] | |
| 1 | Albert Campbell | S. B. Stevens |  Germany
|
Mercedes | 60 | 8 | Still running[5] | |
| 14 | Henri Tart | Panhard & Levassor | France
|
Panhard | 90 | 7 | Still running[5] | |
| 18 | William Luttgen | Isadore Wormser | Germany
|
Mercedes | 60 | 7 | Still running[5] | |
| 17 | Frank Croker | Frank Croker | United States
|
Smith & Mabley Simplex | 75 | 6 | Still running[5] | |
| 2 | Fernand Gabriel | R. E. Jarrige | France
|
De Dietrich | 90 | 6 (unref) | ||
| 4 | A. C. Webb | Pope Motor Car Company | United States
|
Pope-Toledo | 60 | 5 (unref) | ||
| 8 | Edward Hawley | E. R. Thomas | Germany
|
Mercedes | 60 | 3 | Mechanical failure[7] | |
| 15 | George Teste | Panhard & Levassor | France
|
Panhard | 90 | 3 (unref) | ||
| 5 | George Arents | George Arents | Germany
|
Mercedes | 60 | 1 | Crash[8] | |
| 11 | Maurice Bernin | W. G. Brokaw | France
|
Renault | 90 | 1 | Mechanical failure[8] | |
| 3 | Joe Tracy | C. A. Duerr | United States
|
Royal | 40 | 1 | Mechanical failure[8] | |
| 9 | Wilhelm Werner | C. G. Dinsmore | Germany
|
Mercedes | 90 | 1 (unref) | ||
| 19 | William Wallace | William Wallace |  Italy
|
Fiat | 90 | 0 | Mechanical failure[8] | |
| 10 | Paul Sartori | A. G. Vanderbilt | Italy
|
Fiat | 90 | DNS | Mechanical failure[7] |
Notes[edit]
- ^ Despite the race being called off due to spectators on the track after Heath and Clément had finished, while Lytle was still on his ninth lap, he continued to complete the entire 10 laps.
References[edit]
- ^ Burns 2006, chpt. 1.
- ^ Burns 2006, chpt. 2.
- ^ Northey 1974, p. 1162.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Cup: Topics in Chronicling America". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Other Races for Vanderbilt Cup Held Over Long Island Highways". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Brooklyn, New York. October 5, 1905. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Vanderbilt Cup is Baptized in Blood". The St. Paul Globe. Saint Paul, Minnesota. October 9, 1904. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Clement is in the Lead! One Driver is Killed!". Buffalo Evening News. Buffalo, New York. October 8, 1904. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Auto Road Race Won by American". The Chicago Sunday Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. October 9, 1904. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
Bibliography[edit]
- Burns, John M. (2006). Thunder at Sunrise: A History of the Vanderbilt Cup, the Grand Prize and Indianapolis 500, 1904–1916. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-7712-8 – via Google Books.
- Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Ward, Ian (ed.). The World of Automobiles : An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Motor Car. Vol. 10. London: Orbis. OCLC 317081688.