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 mi)
Distance 24 laps, 668.1 km (415.2 mi)
Fastest lap
Driver 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 David Bruce-Brown Benz 24 5:53:05.35
2 9 Victor Hémery Benz 24 + 1.42
3 17 Bob Burman Marquette-Buick 24 + 18:18.14
4 4 Ralph Mulford Lozier 24 + 33:07.33
5 12 Joe Horan Lozier 6 24 + 36:57.37
6 14 Ray Harroun
Joe Dawson		 Marmon 24 + 37:16.87
Ret 19 Ralph DePalma Fiat 23 Cylinder
Ret 10 Felice Nazzaro Fiat 19 Rear axle
Ret 6 Charlie Basle Pope Hartford 19 Piston
Ret 16 Louis Wagner Fiat 17 Crash
Ret 18 Willie Haupt Benz 13 Crash
Ret 7 Harry Grant Alco 6 11 Gears
Ret 3 Arthur Chevrolet Marquette-Buick 9 Crankshaft
Ret 13 Louis Disbrow Pope Hartford 9 Cylinder
Ret 8 Joe Dawson Marmon 5 Crankshaft
DNS 1 Étienne Planche Roebling-Planche
DNS 2 Harry Grant Alco
DNS 5 G. Armstrong Mercedes
DNS W. H. Sharpe Sharpe-Arrow Fatal crash in practice
DNS Joe Matson Simplex Engine in practice
gollark: I try and listen for the characteristic buzzing of incoming apioforms, d6.
gollark: The door... is too big?
gollark: Maybe try putting the macguffin down on the floor then closing the door?
gollark: *4*d6? Oh bee.
gollark: OH ÆPIOFORMS

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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Galpin, Darren. "II American Grand Prize". The History of Motorsport before World War I. pp. 132–133. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
    • Etzrodt, Hans. "Grand Prix Winners 1895–1949". Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
    Grand Prix Race
    1910 Grand Prix season
    Previous race:
    1908 American Grand Prize    		 United States Grand Prix Next race:
    1911 American Grand Prize
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