A short summary of 1902 Paris-Vienna’s first race day in France
Text and jpegs by courtesy of hathitrust.org www.hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracinghistory.com
MOTOR AGE Vol. II, No. 2 – Chicago, July 10, 1902
FIRST DAY OF PARIS-VIENNA
Leaders Cover Part of Journey at 77 Miles an Hour – Fournier’s Bad Luck – Darracq Makes Fine Showing
Paris, June 27. – (Special correspondence.) – The first day’s racing in the Paris-Vienna is over. The day has been remarkable for the wonderful success of the Panhard and the ill-fortune of the Mors. The day’s run was to Belfort, about 253 miles. The first six arrivals were Panhards, the operators being as follows: De Knyff, Henry Farman, Jarrott, Maurice Farman, Teste and Pinson. The eighth arrival was also a Panhard, driven by de Crawhez. The seventh arrival was a Mercedes, operated by Zborowsky. Each of the first six men covered the distance in less than 5 hours, DeKnyff’s time being 4:16:30 2-5.
The troubles of the Mors commenced about 7 miles from the start when Rolls ran into and demolished a tree and so injured his machine that he could not continue. Fraignac butted a railroad barrier and Keene followed suit, both machines being placed hors de combat. Fournier, who secured pride of place and was the first starter, was in the lead, about 5 minutes ahead of DeKnyff, until he arrived at Troyes, 97 miles from the start. There he ran over a huge nail, or a piece of sharp iron which had the appearance of having been prepared for the occasion and lacerated one of his tires. By the time he had made a repair the other competitors were so far ahead that he considered it useless to continue and so abandoned the contest. Baron de Caters, on a Mors, arrived tenth and Vanderbilt on a machine of the same make, in twenty-fifth position. Edge, on his Napier, was eleventh.
In the light vehicle class, the Darracq finished first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and tenth. A Gorbron-Brillié was second and Louis Renault, on a machine of his own make, third. In the voiturette class Oury, on a Renault, was first and another Renault was third.
The second machine was a Darracq, ridden by Guillaume, Bardeau, Osmont, Lazon, Bardin and Hallex, all on De Dions, finished in the order named in the motor tricycle class and among the motor bicyclists a Werner, ridden by Bucquet, was first, Posdenick, on a Laurien-Klement, made in Austria, second and another Werner third.
The actual times made by the thirty-five machines which made the best records for the day were as follows:
Hour. Min. Sec.
DeKnyff, Panhard 4 16 30 2-5
H. Farman, Panhard. 4 18 1 3-5
Jarrott, Panhard 4 26 9 3-5
M. Farman, Panhard. 4 28 45
Teste, Panhard 4 45 48 2-5
Edmond, Darracg 4 46 58
Pinson, Panhard 4 50 2
Rigolly, Gobron-Brillie 4 53 4 2-5
L. Renault, Renault. 5 1 49 2-5
Zborowsky, Mercedes 5 1 50 2-5
Baras, Darracq 5 3 24 4-5
DeCrawhez, Panhard. 5 4 14
Hemery, Darracq 5 10 25
Giraud, C. G. V. 5 10 25 3-5
Max, Darracq 5 16 12 1-5
Baerteaux, Panhard 5 21 49 2-5
Marcellin, Darracq 5 29 57
M. Renault, Renault. 5 31 5 2-5
Collin, Darracq 5 47 13 1-5
Thery, Decauville 5 48 55 2-5
Salleron, Richard 5 53 35 3-5
Wherle, Darracq 5 55 13 4-5
DeCaters, Mors 6 3 18
Edge, Napier 6 3 28 4-5
Chanliaud, Serpollet 6 9 14 4-5
Forest, Mercedes. 6 9 18 3-5
Dernier, Gobron-Brillie. 6 12 44 3-5
Leys, Panhard 6 13 36 3-5
Bellamy, Mercedes 6 14 28
Bardeau, DeDion-Bouton tricycle. 6 17 2
A. Fournier, Gobron-Brillie. 6 17 10 2-5
Oury, Renault 6 19 44 2-5
Guilliaume, Darracq 6 23 25 1-5
Chauchard, Mercedes 6 26 9
Barbaroux, Clement 6 26 35 3-5
Bauge and Lamberjack, celebrated motor cyclists, stationed themselves on a favorable road, about 20 miles outside of Paris, and took up positions an eighth of a mile apart to time some of the faster men and ascertain the rate of speed at which they were traveling. The first man of note to come along was Fournier who covered the distance at the rate of a mile in 48 seconds. DeKnyff and H. Farman did even better, each covering the stretch in 5 4-5 seconds, or at the rate of a mile in 46 3-5 seconds. The next best was Edge, traveling at 51 seconds to the mile. DeKnyff and Farman were therefore traveling over this particular stretch of road at a speed of over 77 miles an hour.
