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 (1904-10-08)
Location	Long Island, New York
Course length	28.44 miles (45.77 km)
Distance	10 laps, 284.4 miles (457.7 km)
Podium
First	George Heath	Panhard & Levassor
Second	Albert Clément	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

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. 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, as well as setting a land speed record in 1902. He established the Vanderbilt Cup in an effort to motivate American car manufacturers to improve and compete with their European counterparts.

Course

• 30.24 miles in total, but minus the two controls 28.44 miles.

Classification

Final standings

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
	16	Charles Schmidt	Packard Motor Car Company	United States	Packard	30	8	Still running
	1	Albert Campbell	S. B. Stevens	Germany	Mercedes	60	8	Still running
	14	Henri Tart	Panhard & Levassor	France	Panhard	90	7	Still running
	18	William Luttgen	Isadore Wormser	Germany	Mercedes	60	7	Still running
	17	Frank Croker	Frank Croker	United States	Smith & Mabley Simplex	75	6	Still running
	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
	15	George Teste	Panhard & Levassor	France	Panhard	90	3 (unref)
	5	George Arents	George Arents	Germany	Mercedes	60	1	Crash
	11	Maurice Bernin	W. G. Brokaw	France	Renault	90	1	Mechanical failure
	3	Joe Tracy	C. A. Duerr	United States	Royal	40	1	Mechanical failure
	9	Wilhelm Werner	C. G. Dinsmore	Germany	Mercedes	90	1 (unref)
	19	William Wallace	William Wallace	Italy	Fiat	90	0	Mechanical failure
	10	Paul Sartori	A. G. Vanderbilt	Italy	Fiat	90	DNS	Mechanical failure

Bibliography

• 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.