In this december article, the latest amendments to the Cup rules are published, together with the important notice that by January 1 at the latest, participants are to register to particpate in the competition.
Text and photos with courtesy of hathitrust hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracingistory.com.
THE AUTOMOTOR AND HORSELESS VEHICLE JOURNAL – Vol. IV, No. 39, December 15th, 1899
THE GORDON BENNETT CUP.
FOREIGN NOTES
ALL challenges for the Gordon Bennett cup must be lodged with the Automobile Club de France before January 1st next. Sportsmen wishing to compete should at once put in their challenge through the Automobile Club of Great Britain, in whose name all applications must be made.
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GORDON BENNETT CUP RULES.
– The Sports Committee of the Automobile Club of France have now published officially the rules attaching to any challenge for this trophy. They are practically identical with the draft as published by us in our November issue (p. 63).
The only alterations are as follows:-
Art. II reads: – The recognised clubs are: The Automobile Club of Belgium, the Automobile Club of Austria, the Automobile Club of Switzerland, the Automobile Club of Turin, the Automobile Club of Great Britain, the Automobile Club of America, and the Automobile Club of Germany. Any club not inscribed on this list and desiring to be represented thereon, must be admitted by the consent of the majority of the clubs above-named, on condition that this majority shall include as consenting parties the club or clubs of the same country. In this case the name of the said club will be added to the list, and it will enjoy all the prerogatives of the recognised clubs. It is, nevertheless, understood that, on the proposition of one club, any other club may, by a majority, be erased from the list.
Art V (ex-Art. IV‘). — The exact date shall be fixed by common consent of the interested clubs before February 1st of each year.
Art. XVII of the rules is replaced by the following: – Art. XVII.— After confirmation of the results of the race, the cup must be handed to the victor within a fortnight. In case of a dead heat, and awaiting the settlement of any question concerning the dead heat, the cup will remain in possession of the club which previously held it.
In Art. XVIII there is one slight modification to be noted, The suggestion was that the „walk-over“ race was to be completed within 24 hours. The amendment states that it must be completed within a maximum time fixed by the Committee.
Art. XXII becomes Art. XXIV, and two new articles are added to the draft.
Art. XXII.-The cost of transporting the vehicles and their accessories, fuel, &c., shall be defrayed by the owners of the said vehicles, or by the clubs they represent.
Art. XXIII.-The expenses connected with the members of the Committee, instituted under Art. X, shall be provided for by the clubs which they represent. The costs of organising the race (remuneration and expenses of the timekeepers, posters, expenses during the race, &c.), shall be undertaken by the club holding the cup. After the trial the said costs shall be equally divided between the holding club and those clubs which have sent it a challenge. It is understood that the 3,000 francs deposited by challenging clubs which have not taken part in the race, as stipulated in Art. III, will be paid by the said holding club to the expense fund.