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	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat
Time	13:42.0 on lap 7
Podium
First	David Bruce-Brown	Benz
Second	Victor Hémery	Benz
Third	Bob Burman	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 DePalma, 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	Charles 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

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.

External links

• American Grand Prize Races historical marker