1910 American Grand Prize

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1910 American Grand Prize
Race details
DateNovember 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 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Felice Nazzaro Fiat
Time 13:42.0 on lap 7
Podium
First Benz
Second Benz
Third Marquette-Buick

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.

Contents

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 David Bruce-Brown Savannah 1910.JPG
David Bruce-Brown atop his Benz
Felice Nazzaro's Fiat FeliceNazzaro1910.jpg
Felice Nazzaro's Fiat
PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/Retired
115 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg David Bruce-Brown Benz 245:53:05.35
29 Flag of France.svg Victor Hémery Benz 24+ 1.42
317 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Bob Burman Marquette-Buick 24+ 18:18.14
44 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Ralph Mulford Lozier 24+ 33:07.33
512 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Joe Horan Lozier 6 24+ 36:57.37
614 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Ray Harroun
Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Joe Dawson
Marmon 24+ 37:16.87
Ret19 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Ralph DePalma Fiat 23Cylinder
Ret10 Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Felice Nazzaro Fiat 19Rear axle
Ret6 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Charles Basle Pope Hartford 19Piston
Ret16 Flag of France.svg Louis Wagner Fiat 17Crash
Ret18 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Willie Haupt Benz 13Crash
Ret7 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Harry Grant Alco 6 11Gears
Ret3 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Arthur Chevrolet Marquette-Buick 9Crankshaft
Ret13 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Louis Disbrow Pope Hartford 9Cylinder
Ret8 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Joe Dawson Marmon 5Crankshaft
DNS1 Flag of France.svg Étienne Planche Roebling-Planche
DNS2 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Harry Grant Alco
DNS5 Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg G. Armstrong Mercedes
DNS Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg W. H. Sharpe Sharpe-Arrow Fatal crash in practice
DNS Flag of the United States (1908-1912).svg Joe Matson Simplex Engine in practice

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References

    Grand Prix Race
    1910 Grand Prix season
    Previous race:
    1908 American Grand Prize
    United States Grand Prix Next race:
    1911 American Grand Prize