Text and photos with autorisation of Bibliothèque national francais, gallica.bnf.fr, www.gallica.bnf.fr, compiled by motorracinghistory.com, translated by DeepL.com
La Vie au Grand Air, Volume 9, No. 389, June 6, 1906
BEHIND THE WHEEL – HÉMERY
By C. FAROUX
Hémery, winner of the last Circuit des Ardennes and the Vanderbilt Cup, is not the reckless daredevil that people commonly believe him to be. His defining qualities are calculated daring, composure, and decisiveness. These qualities make him one of the two or three best French drivers.
HE IS the man in the spotlight, and for a variety of reasons, he is now known to all. Winner of the last Circuit des Ardennes, he was disqualified in Brescia; triumphant in the Vanderbilt Cup, a few weeks ago he had a run-in with the organizers of the Florida Meeting. For some, the case is clear: Hémery completely lacks education and manners; for others, he is simply hot-headed, but no one would deny his remarkable professional qualities.
Short biography
Hémery was born in Le Mans, so he will be racing in the Automobile Club de France Grand Prix in his home country, on roads that are familiar to him because he has traveled them hundreds of times, by all modes of transportation: on foot, by car, and by bicycle. This is certainly a good omen, although Hémery does not need this advantage to be considered one of the favorites in the 1906 speed trial.
Our hero is twenty-nine years old today; La Vie au Grand Air has made his features famous. He is familiar to all regulars at major sporting events, with his rough features, clear eyes, and energetic jaw. This combination, crowned by a mop of curly hair, gives a striking impression of firmness and obstinacy. His language is abrupt, his manner jerky: this Hémery is a fine example of a strong-willed man.
His career has been rapid: he started out in the automobile industry, which he loved passionately, working at the Bollée factories. The Le Mans region has produced a number of champions in motor racing, Henry Fournier being not the least among them. Hémery, who quickly became an excellent worker, came to Paris in 1899 and joined the Darracq factories. He soon caught the attention of his superiors, such was his instinctive mechanical aptitude.
Hémery’s beginnings.
Working in the testing department, his astonishing skill caught the attention of the big boss. In early 1902, Mr. Darracq entrusted him with a light car, which Hémery drove in the Circuit du Nord. From that moment on, there was virtually no major race in which this excellent driver did not compete… and often at the finish line.
He competed in Paris-Madrid, raced in three consecutive Circuit des Ardennes events—his triumph in 1905 is still fresh in everyone’s memory—and competed in both Coupe Florio events, making his debut in a large car in the first, he almost qualified in the final qualifying rounds, and finally ended his season with a fine victory in the second Vanderbilt Cup.
In the meantime, Hémery competed in countless mile and kilometer races on flat and uphill courses, almost always with success, winning the Ventoux race in 1904—he was driving a light car at the time—and setting a whole series of records, from the kilometer and mile to 150 kilometers, which he covered in 1:48 in 1902 on the road from Salon to Arles.
Finally, we know that on December 10 last year, the lead driver of the Darracq team superbly broke the kilometer record in a 200-horsepower eight-cylinder car, which we have described in detail. At the recent Florida Meeting, this same car had the opportunity to demonstrate its overwhelming speed superiority over all other racing cars powered by internal combustion engines.
A fine string of successes.
Just a year ago, although all connoisseurs appreciated Hémery’s value as a driver, our hero still lacked the recognition of a major victory to gain popular favor. Since then, he has more than made up for it with his admirers. Although in the French qualifiers, the vagaries of the race robbed him of any hope of triumph, despite an exceptionally fast pace over the first 100 kilometers, he went on to prove that he was in no way to blame.
At the 1905 Circuit des Ardennes, he took first place, triumphing over the formidable Panhard team. His race was all about speed and consistency.
This first triumph, combined with the undeniable qualities of the astonishing Darracq cars, made Hémery the big favorite for the Florio Cup, raced on the Brescia circuit. He shared the honors of the odds with Lancia and Rougier.
This race in Brescia, with its abundance of neutralizations and long uncertainty about the final result, remains the model of its kind… Not to be imitated. For a long time, it was believed that the winner would be Durav or Lancia, or Hémery, Dietrich, Darracq, or Fiat. To everyone’s surprise, Raggio, whom no one had considered, was proclaimed the winner. Some competitors, perhaps more irritated by the wait for the results than by their efforts, gave in to their tempers. Hémery was the most impetuous and lost control to the point of insulting the officials. Hot-headed but good-hearted, the Darracq driver, who was not one to hold a grudge, immediately regretted his outburst, but a penalty was necessary, and Hémery was disqualified.
The Vanderbilt Cup was approaching, and Mr. Darracq was saddened to see his best man deprived of the race. He emphasized the sincerity of Hémery’s regrets, asked for leniency, and ultimately won his case. The winner of the Ardennes crossed the Atlantic.
We know all about the beauty and significance of his victory. I believe that Hémery, after Lancia’s unfortunate retirement, played with Heath like a cat with a mouse. Among other things, he treated himself to a pass on the inside of a right-angle turn that sent a shiver down the spines of the spectators.
What’s the man worth.
Both professionally and privately, it seems to me that Hémery is not judged fairly. He is too often considered a reckless daredevil. Certainly, anyone passing through Suresnes during the test period and seeing Hémery driving through the narrow streets at over 60 miles per hour would think he had lost his mind. He is simply skilled and confident in his car because he has lovingly fine-tuned it himself. In racing, contrary to popular belief, Hémery is cautious. His caution does not exclude daring, but this daring is coldly calculated. Few drivers have the same degree of firmness in their steering that characterizes his driving; few know how to make quick decisions with the same spontaneity and accuracy. His energy and composure are beyond question, and I consider him to be one of the two or three best French drivers.
C. FAROUX.
Hémery
The winner of the Circuit des Ardennes and the Vanderbilt Cup is the man everyone is talking about at the moment. In the world of motor racing, there is a strong belief that Hémery will play a leading role in this season’s events.