1.
France
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
2.
Le Mans
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Le Mans is a city in France, on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department, Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region. Its inhabitants are called Manceaux and Mancelles, since 1923, the city has hosted the internationally famous 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance sports car race. First mentioned by Claudius Ptolemy, the Roman city Vindinium was the capital of the Aulerci, Le Mans is also known as Civitas Cenomanorum, or Cenomanus. Their city, seized by the Romans in 47 BC, was within the ancient Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis, a 3rd-century amphitheatre is still visible. The thermae were demolished during the crisis of the century when workers were mobilized to build the citys defensive walls. The ancient wall around Le Mans is one of the most complete circuits of Gallo-Roman city walls to survive, as the use of the French language replaced late Vulgar Latin in the area, Cenomanus, with dissimilation, became known as Celmans. Cel- was taken to be a form of the French word for this and that, and was replaced by le, gregory of Tours mentions a Frankish sub-king Rigomer, who was killed by King Clovis I in his campaign to unite the Frankish territories. As the principal city of Maine, Le Mans was the stage for struggles in the century between the counts of Anjou and the dukes of Normandy. When the Normans had control of Maine, William the Conqueror successfully invaded England, in 1069 the citizens of Maine revolted and expelled the Normans, resulting in Hugh V being proclaimed count of Maine. Geoffrey V of Anjou married Matilda of England in the cathedral and their son Henry II Plantagenet, king of England, was born here. The airfield was declared operational on 3 September and designated as A-35 and it was used by several American fighter and transport units until late November of that year in additional offensives across France, the airfield was closed. Le Mans has an old town and the Cathédrale St-Julien, dedicated to St Julian of Le Mans. Remnants of a Roman wall are visible in the old town and these walls are highlighted every summer evening in a light show that tells the history of the town. Arboretum de la Grand Prée Part of the former Cistercian abbey de lEpau, founded by Queen Berengaria, jardin des Plantes du Mans Musée de la reine Bérengère, a museum of Le Mans history located in a gothic manor house. Musée de Tessé, the arts museum of the city, displaying painting. Le Mans has an oceanic climate influenced by the mild Atlantic air travelling inland, summers are warm and occasionally hot, whereas winters are mild and cloudy. Precipitation is relatively uniform and moderate year round, at the 1999 French census, there were 293,159 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Le Mans, with 146,105 of these living in the city proper
3.
Circuit de la Sarthe
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The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe located in Le Mans, Maine, France, is a semi-permanent race course most famous as the venue for the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. The track also includes roads that remain open to the public most of the year. The circuit, in its present configuration, is 13.629 kilometres long, making it one of the longest circuits in the world, capacity of the race stadium, where the short Bugatti Circuit is situated, is 100,000. Le Mans is a race where up to 85% of the time is spent on full throttle, meaning immense stress on engine. Even with the modifications put in place over the years, the Sarthe circuit is known for being very fast. This classic configuration was 8.369 miles long and remained almost unaltered even after the 1955 tragedy and its frighteningly narrow pit straight was narrowed off to make room for the pits and was part of the road itself, without the road becoming wider just for the pits. The pit straight was about 12 feet wide and the race track, the pit area was modified at a cost of 300 million francs, the signalling area was even moved to the exit of the slow Mulsanne corner, and the track was resurfaced. With cars getting ever faster in the 1960s, criticism rose, especially when drivers were killed. Since 1965, a smaller but permanent Bugatti Circuit was added which shares the pit lane facilities, for the 1968 race, the Ford chicane was added before the pits to slow down the cars. The circuit was fitted with Armco for the 1969 race, one of the Porsche Curves was affectionately named Maison Blanche and a short straight with a slight kink and two chicanes before the pits named the Ford chicanes were all added. In 1979, due to the construction of a new public road and this redesign led to a faster double-apex corner as well as requiring the removal of the second Dunlop Bridge. In 1986, because of construction of a new roundabout at the Mulsanne corner and this created a right hand kink prior to Mulsanne corner. In 1987, a chicane was added to the very fast Dunlop curve where cars would go under the Dunlop bridge at 180 mph, the Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns. This layout allowed for a transition from the Le Mans circuit to the Bugatti circuit. This layout change would require the tracks infamous carnival to be relocated because the area it had once occupied became runoff. As part of the development, a new extended pit lane exit was created for the Bugatti Circuit and this second pit exit re-enters the track just beyond the Dunlop Chicane and before the Dunlop Bridge. Following the fatal crash of Danish driver Allan Simonsen at the 2013 race at the exit of Tertre Rouge into D338, the radius will be moved in approximately 200m for safety reasons with new tyre barriers at the exit. Le Mans was most famous for its 6 km long straight, called Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, a part of the route départementale D338
4.
Pole position
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In motorsport the pole position is the position at the inside of the front row at the start of a racing event. This position is given to the vehicle and driver with the best qualifying time in the trials before the race. This number-one qualifying driver is referred to as the pole sitter, historically, the fastest qualifier was not necessarily the designated pole-sitter. Different sanctioning bodies in motor sport employ different qualifying formats in designating who starts from pole position, often, a starting grid is derived either by current rank in the championship, or based on finishing position of a previous race. In contrast to contemporary motorsport, where only a participant is designated pole-sitter, prior to World War II. The term has its origins in horse racing, in which the fastest qualifying horse would be placed on the part of the course. Originally in Grand Prix racing, grid positions, including pole, were determined by lottery among the drivers, prior to the inception of the Formula 1 World Championship, the first instance of grid positions being determined by qualifying times was at the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix. Since then, the FIA have introduced many different qualifying systems to F1, between 1996 and 2006, the FIA made 6 significant changes to the qualifying procedure, each with the intention of making the battle for pole more interesting to an F1 viewer at home. Traditionally, pole was always occupied by the fastest driver due to low-fuel qualifying, the race-fuel qualifying era between 2003 and 2009 briefly changed this. Despite the changing formats, drivers attempting pole were required between 2003 and 2009 to do qualifying laps with the fuel they would use to start the race the next day. An underfuelled slower car and driver would therefore be able to take pole ahead of a better, in this situation, pole was not always advantageous to have in the race as the under-fueled driver would have to pit for more fuel before their rivals. With the race refueling ban introduced, low-fuel qualifying returned and these decisions are no longer in play. Since the reintroduction of the rule in 2011, this applies to the quickest first session time. Since 2014, the FIA has awarded a trophy to the driver who wins the most pole positions in the season, indicates that the driver won the World Championship in the same season. IndyCar uses four formats for qualifying, one for most oval tracks, one for Iowa Speedway, one for the Indianapolis 500, and another for road and street circuits. Oval qualifying is almost like the Indianapolis 500, with two laps, instead of four, averaged together with one attempt, although with just one session. At Iowa, each car takes one qualifying lap, and the top six cars advance to the race for the pole position. The result of the race determines positions 1–10
5.
Italy
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Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate and Mediterranean climate. Due to its shape, it is referred to in Italy as lo Stivale. With 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state, the Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated other nearby civilisations. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity. The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration, Italian culture flourished at this time, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. The weakened sovereigns soon fell victim to conquest by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria. Despite being one of the victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil. The subsequent participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in defeat, economic destruction. Today, Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and it has a very high level of human development and is ranked sixth in the world for life expectancy. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, as a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51 World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is the fifth most visited country. The assumptions on the etymology of the name Italia are very numerous, according to one of the more common explanations, the term Italia, from Latin, Italia, was borrowed through Greek from the Oscan Víteliú, meaning land of young cattle. The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War. Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus states this account together with the legend that Italy was named after Italus, mentioned also by Aristotle and Thucydides. The name Italia originally applied only to a part of what is now Southern Italy – according to Antiochus of Syracuse, but by his time Oenotria and Italy had become synonymous, and the name also applied to most of Lucania as well. The Greeks gradually came to apply the name Italia to a larger region, excavations throughout Italy revealed a Neanderthal presence dating back to the Palaeolithic period, some 200,000 years ago, modern Humans arrived about 40,000 years ago. Other ancient Italian peoples of undetermined language families but of possible origins include the Rhaetian people and Cammuni. Also the Phoenicians established colonies on the coasts of Sardinia and Sicily, the Roman legacy has deeply influenced the Western civilisation, shaping most of the modern world
6.
Ralph DePalma
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Raffaele Ralph De Palma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion who won the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2,000 races, DePalma won the 1908,1909,1910, and 1911 American AAA national dirt track championships and is credited with winning 24 American Champ car races. He won the Canadian national championship in 1929, DePalma estimated that he had earned $1.5 million by 1934 after racing for 27 years. He is inducted in numerous halls of fame and he competed on boards and dirt road courses and ovals. Born in Biccari, Apulia, Italy, DePalmas family emigrated to the United States in 1893, DePalma was immediately successful in car racing. In 1911, DePalma won the first Milwaukee Mile Championship Car race, however, he is still remembered for the dramatic manner in which he lost the 1912 Indianapolis 500. After leading the race for 196 of the 200 laps, his Mercedes cracked a piston and with only 2 laps remaining, he, at that time, only cars completing the full 200 laps received any prize money. This Mercedes remains on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. He went on to earn the U. S. national driving championship that year, after being impaled by a corn stalk, he was hospitalized for 11 weeks, he recovered and was back to racing the following spring. He entered the 1914 Indianapolis 500 but was not able to finish the course, DePalma had been let go by the Mercer Automobile Co. racing team in favor of Barney Oldfield. In a Mercedes Gray Ghost, he showed he was a tactician in beating Oldfields much faster car. He ended 1914 by winning his second U. S. national driving championship, the following year,1915, he drove to victory at 1915 Indianapolis 500 with a Mercedes 4.5 liter Gp car. DePalma was a competitor but one of the most popular racers with his fellow drivers and the fans because of his good sportsmanship. In June 1917 he lost to Barney Oldfield in a series of 10 to 25 mile match races at the Milwaukee Mile. On February 12,1919 at Daytona Beach, Florida, he drove a Packard to a speed record of 149.875 mph over a measured mile. International competition began following the adoption of the three liter engine limit in the U. S. and Europe in 1920, DePalma began the year driving for the French manufacturer, Ballot. His Ballot vehicle won the position for the 1920 Indy race and he led for many laps but bad luck dogged him in the race. However, DePalma did race his Ballot vehicle in the Elgin Road Race, then in 1921 DePalma traveled with other Americans to Le Mans to compete in the French Grand Prix
7.
Ballot (automobile)
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Ballot was a French manufacturer, initially of engines, that also made automobiles between 1919 and 1932. Édouard Ballot became well known as a designer of reliable engines and he helped Ettore Bugatti in developing his first engines. The Ballot brothers, Édouard and Maurice, founded their company beside the Boulevard Brune in south-central Paris, Edouard Ballot was a former naval officer, which explains the anchor that featured in the badges on the cars. Before World War I the factory concentrated on marine and industrial engines, the company was re-founded as Etablissements Ballot SA in 1910. There is little sign that Edouard Ballot himself took much interest in automobiles until December 1918 and that was the month in which he had a significant conversation René Thomas, a leading racing driver who back in 1914 had won the Indianapolis 500 race driving a Delage. Ballot was persuaded to build four 4. 8-litre cars that would carry the Ballot name and compete in the forthcoming Indianapolis 500 race, Ballots cars competed in the 1919 race, two of them finishing in 4th and 11th places. Ballot was sufficiently encouraged to return the next year, and in the 1920 Indianapolis 500 race a Ballot driven by René Thomas finished in 2nd place, a Ballot vehicle driven by René Thomas also finished second in the 1919 Targa Florio. More successes followed, on sides of the Atlantic. Ralph DePalma, an American national champion and winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500, finished second in the 1921 French Grand Prix, Goux went on to win the inaugural Italian Grand Prix at Brescia, Italy in 1921, driving a Ballot. Second place was taken by the team leader Jean Chassagne on a sister car, a Ballot with a straight-eight-cylinder 4. 9-litre engine competed in the 1921 French Grand Prix. As well as racing engines, the made a range of road engines which were fitted to their own production cars. The first of Ballots own road cars was the 1921 2-litre Ballot 2-litre sports tourer, in 1923 the Ballot 2 LT and a sport version, Ballot 2 LTS followed. By the time of the 19th Paris Motor Show in October 1924, the 2-litre sports tourer again appeared on the manufacturers stand at the show The car still used a four cylinder overhead camshaft 1,994 cc engine, and it sat on a 3,110 mm wheelbase. It was priced, in base form, at 33,000 francs. From 1927, eight-cylinder engines were used, in 1931 the company was taken over by Hispano-Suiza. Swift decline followed, the last model was practically a Hispano-Suiza, and only the chassis was provided by Ballot
8.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
9.
Jimmy Murphy (racing driver)
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James Anthony Murphy was an American race car driver who won the French Grand Prix in 1921, the Indianapolis 500 in 1922, and the American Racing Championship in 1922 and 1924. Muphy was born in San Francisco, California, on Minna Street and his parents were Irish immigrants who owned a fuel and feed store which fronted on Mission Street behind the family home on Minna. Murphys mother died during the April 181906 San Francisco earthquake, Murphys father left him in the care of his cousin, San Francisco firefighter Lt. Tom Murphy, and his wife Catherine. In Southern California Murphy attended Huntington Park High School and commuted to and he became an expert rider and mechanic and, a few months short of graduation, opened a garage with a friend, developing a clientele of motorcycle and automobile owners from the Los Angeles area. Murphy began his career as a riding mechanic, back in the days when racing cars carried a driver. He rode in winning driver Eddie ODonnells Duesenberg at the 1916 Corona road race, their car achieving a speed of 85 miles per hour. Murphy rode with some of Americas greatest drivers of the time, including Ralph DePalma, Harry Hartz, Eddie Rickenbacker, Peter DePaolo, after the war, Murphys career as a driver was spotted, but he showed promise to those who knew the racing game. To everyone surprise, Murphy won that February 14,1920 race and he went on to win regularly and became a popular champion on the circuit. The next time an American driver would win a Grand Prix in an American-built car would be 46 years later, additionally, in 1967 Gurney became the second American driving an American built car to win at LeMans when he won LeMans that year also. So since the 1921 French Grand Prix was raced on the LeMans course, the feat of an all-American Grand Prix victory has not been repeated, nor it is likely to be. Murphys mechanic in that race was none other than Ernie Olsen who also rode with Murphy in the 1922 Indianapolis 500. In 1922, Murphy won the Indianapolis 500, in the Le Mans winning car and he also became National Champion that year. Murphy won the final Universal Trophy Cup Race, beating Milton, in 1923, Murphy placed second in the National Championship, even missing several races to go to Europe and race for Los Angeles race car builder, Harry Miller. He placed third in the Italian Grand Prixat Monza that year, Mussolini gave Jimmy two German Shepherd dogs as Jimmy loved dogs. Murphy finished third in the Indy 500, and by the last weeks of the season, Murphy died in a race promoted by a friend, at the Syracuse, New York fairgrounds dirt track on September 15,1924. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1998, although not an accomplished dirt racer, he agreed to appear at a race promoted by a friend, at the Syracuse, New York fairgrounds dirt track on September 15,1924. As he charged for the late in the race, his car slid sideways. A large piece of the rail was pushed through Jimmys chest, james Anthony Murphy was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles, in the ODonnell family plot
10.
Duesenberg
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Duesenberg Motors Company was an American manufacturer of race cars and luxury automobiles. It was founded by brothers August and Frederick Duesenberg in 1913 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the brothers moved their operations to Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1916 to manufacture engines for World War I. Cord added Duesenberg to his Auburn Automobile Company, with the market for expensive luxury cars severely undercut by the Depression, Duesenberg folded in 1937. In 1913, brothers Fred and Augie Duesenberg founded Duesenberg Motors Company, Inc. on University Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, to build engines, the brothers were self-taught engineers and built many experimental cars. Duesenberg cars were considered some of the best cars of the time, in 1914, Eddie Rickenbacker drove a Duesy to finish in 10th place at the Indianapolis 500, and Duesenberg won the race in 1924,1925, and 1927. The fledgling company sidestepped into aviation engine manufacturing when Colonel R. C. Bolling, the end of World War I stopped this project before it could ever mature. In 1921, Duesenberg provided the car for the Indy 500. In 1923, Jimmy Murphy became the first American to win the French Grand Prix when he drove a Duesenberg to victory at Le Mans. At the end of World War I, they ceased building aviation and marine engines in Elizabeth, New Jersey at the corner of Newark Avenue, was established in 1920 to begin production of passenger cars. The plant was located on a 17-acre site on West Washington street at Harding street until 1937, although the Duesenberg brothers were world-class engineers, they were neither good businessmen nor administrators, they were unable to sell all the units of their first passenger car, the Model A. This had the Duesenberg Straight-8 engine, the first mass-produced straight eight engine in the U. S, the Model A was a lighter and smaller vehicle than the competition. It was among the most powerful and the fastest cars of its time, among the celebrities who purchased this model were Tom Mix and Rudolph Valentino. The model experienced various delays going from prototype to production, deliveries to dealers did not start until December 1921. Sales lagged and the goal of building 100 Duesenbergs each month proved far too high, in 1922 no more than 150 cars were manufactured, and only 650 Model As were sold over a period of six years. The brothers continued to create excellent engines for cars, boats, on March 8,1920, these men became president and vice president of the Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Corporation of Indianapolis. Fred was chief engineer and Augie his assistant, and both were salaried as employees, van Zandt quit after a year, and business went from bad to worse in 1923. In 1924 the company went into receivership, but somehow it survived that year, in 1925, the firms name was changed to Duesenberg Motors Corporation and Fred assumed the title of president. Fred and August struggled to keep the company, but to no avail, Model X Duesenbergs are very rare
11.
Podium
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A podium is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι, in architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many public speakers. Common parlance has shown a use of podium in American English to describe a lectern. In sports, a type of podium is used to honor the top three competitors in such as the Olympics. In the Olympics a three-level podium is used, traditionally, the highest level in the center holds the gold medalist. To their right is a lower platform for the silver medalist. At the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, however, the Silver, in many sports, results in the top three of a competition are often referred to as podiums or podium finishes. In some individual sports, podiums is a statistic, referring to the number of top three results an athlete has achieved over the course of a season or career. The word may also be used, chiefly in the United States, as a verb, to podium, meaning to attain a podium place. Podia were first used at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario and subsequently during the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the winner stands in the middle, with the second placed driver to his right and the third place driver to his left. Also present are the selected by the race organisers who will present the trophies. In many forms of motorsport, the three top-placed drivers in a stand on a podium for the trophy ceremony. The recordings are versions of the national anthems, ensuring the podium ceremony does not exceeded its allocated time. Should a driver experience problems with his car on a lap in Formula One. The drivers will generally refrain from spraying if a fatality or major accident occurs during the event. Also, in countries where alcohol sponsorship or drinking is prohibited, alcoholic beverages may be replaced by other drinks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the highest level of stock car racing in the United States, does not use a podium in post-game events or statistics. Instead, the team celebrates in victory lane, and top-five
12.
Jules Goux
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Jules Goux, was a Grand Prix motor racing champion and the first Frenchman, and the first European, to win the Indianapolis 500. Influenced by the Gordon Bennett Cup in auto racing, Jules Goux began racing cars in his early twenties. Success came in 1908 on a set up on roads around Sitges, near Barcelona, Spain, when he won the Catalan Cup. Because of his success, along with Georges Boillot, he was invited by Peugeot Automobile to race for their factory team. As part of a design team led by Paul Zuccarelli and Ernest Henry. Jules Goux won the 1912 Sarthe Cup at Le Mans driving a Peugeot, Goux won the race, becoming the first French person to ever do so. Goux reportedly consumed four bottles of champagne while driving in the Indy 500 and was quoted as saying, Without the good wine. The following year, World War I broke out in Europe, at wars end, Goux returned to European Grand Prix motor racing. In 1921, driving for Ballot Automobile, he finished third in the French Grand Prix then won the inaugural Italian Grand Prix at Brescia, for the next few years his racing career was marked by repeated problems and he did not return to the winners circle until 1926. That year, driving for Bugatti in a T39A model, he won both the French Grand Prix at Miramas and the European Grand Prix at the Circuito Lasarte, Spain
13.
Grand Prix motor racing
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Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car. Grand Prix motor racing eventually evolved into formula racing, and Formula One can be seen as its direct descendant, each event of the Formula One World Championships is still called a Grand Prix, Formula One is referred to as Grand Prix racing. Motor racing was started in France, as a result of the enthusiasm with which the French public embraced the motor car. Manufacturers were enthusiastic due to the possibility of using motor racing as a window for their cars. The first motoring contest took place on July 22,1894 and was organised by a Paris newspaper, the Paris–Rouen rally was 126 km, from Porte Maillot in Paris, through the Bois de Boulogne, to Rouen. Count Jules-Albert de Dion was first into Rouen after 6 hours 48 minutes at an speed of 19 km/h. He finished 3 minutes 30 seconds ahead of Albert Lemaître, followed by Doriot, René Panhard, in 1900, James Gordon Bennett, Jr. the owner of the New York Herald and the International Herald Tribune, established the Gordon Bennett Cup. He hoped the creation of an event would drive automobile manufacturers to improve their cars. Each country was allowed to enter up to three cars, which had to be built in the country that they represented and entered by that countrys automotive governing body. International racing colours were established in this event, in the United States, William Kissam Vanderbilt II launched the Vanderbilt Cup at Long Island, New York in 1904. Some anglophone sources wrongly list a race called the Pau Grand Prix in 1901 and this may stem from a mistranslation of the contemporary French sources such as the magazine La France Auto of March 1901. The name of the 1901 event was the Circuit du Sud-Ouest, the Grand Prix du Palais d’Hiver was the name of the prizes awarded for the lesser classes. The Grand Prix de Pau was the name of the awarded for the Heavy class. Thus Maurice Farman was awarded the Grand Prix de Pau for his victory in the Circuit du Sud-Ouest driving a Panhard 24 hp. In L’Histoire de l’Automobile/Paris 1907 Pierre Souvestre described the 1901 event as, dans le Circuit du Sud-Ouest, à l’occasion du meeting de Pau. ” The only race at the time to carry the name Grand Prix was organised by the Automobile Club de France. The circuit used, which was based in Le Mans, was triangular in shape
14.
Motorsport
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The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two-wheeled motorised vehicles under the banner of motorcycle racing, and includes off-road racing such as motocross. Four- wheeled motorsport competition is governed by the Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile. In 1894, a French newspaper organised a race from Paris to Rouen and back, in 1900, the Gordon Bennett Cup was established. Closed circuit racing arose as open road racing, on roads, was banned. Brooklands was the first dedicated motor racing track in the United Kingdom, following World War I, European countries organised Grand Prix races over closed courses. In the United States, dirt track racing became popular, after World War II, the Grand Prix circuit became more formally organised. In the United States, stock car racing and drag racing became firmly established, motorsports ultimately became divided by types of motor vehicles into racing events, and their appropriate organisations. Open-wheel racing is a set of classes of vehicles, with their wheels outside of. However, in North America, the IndyCar series is their pinnacle open-wheeled racing series, more recently, new open-wheeled series have been created, originating in Europe, which omit the Formula moniker, such as GP2 and GP3. Former Formula series include Formula 5000 and Formula Two, the formula regulations contain a very strict set of rules which govern vehicle power, weight and size. In the United States, Indy Car is a class of single seat paved track racing and its premier race is the Indianapolis 500. Enclosed wheel racing is a set of classes of vehicles, where the wheels are primarily enclosed inside the bodywork of the vehicle, sports car racing is a set of classes of vehicles, over a closed course track, including sports cars, and specialised racing types. The premiere race is the 24 Hours of Le Mans which takes place annually in France during the month of June, sports car racing rules and specifications differentiate in North America from established international sanctioning bodies. Stock car racing is a set of vehicles, that race over a speedway track, while once stock cars, the vehicles are now purpose built, but resemble the body design and shape of production cars. NASCAR was organised in 1947, to flat track oval racing of production cars. Daytona Beach and Road Course was founded where land speed records were set on the beach, touring car racing is a set of vehicles, modified street cars, that race over closed purpose built race tracks and street courses. Motorsport was an event at the 1900 Summer Olympics
15.
Jean Chassagne
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Jean Chassagne was a pioneer submariner, aviator and French racecar driver active 1906-1930. Chassagne finished third in the 1913 French Grand Prix, won the 1922 Tourist Trophy and he was second in the 1921 Italian Grand Prix with a Ballot, and set speed records and won races at Brooklands and hill climbs internationally. Chassagne was also associated with the Bentley Boys, who are described as having captured the spirit of the times, larger than life, their restless and often reckless love of speed and adventure complemented the big green Bentleys from Cricklewood perfectly. As a result of his association with Bentley Motors, Chassagne Square in Crewe was named in his honour. Chassagne applied to serve as a pilot during the Great War but under the request of the British Admiralty he joined Sunbeam to advise, develop, Chassagne raced well into his forties with Bentley and others in Le Mans and elsewhere. His first Grand Prix was the very first French Grand Prix in Le Mans 1906 and his last was in 1930, during which period he also was responsible for numerous speed records. He was also involved in the development and testing of racing cars, namely Grand Prix Sunbeams, Jean Chassagne was not born into wealth, and competing at the cutting edge of technology could not have been easy. Despite this, he retained a “twinkle in his eye and un air fortement sympathique” throughout his life, born 1881 July 26 and was brought up at La Croisille-sur-Briance, Haute-Vienne, Limoges, France and later in Burgundy, France in modest circumstances. His father, a trainer, was killed in a riding accident when Jean Chassagne was still young. He attended L’Ecole Professionnelle de St Leonard de Noblat followed by the highly regarded L’Ecole des Arts et Métiers which was formative in his life at the cutting edge of motorised racing. In 1900 November 29 Jean Chassagne joined the French Navy, submarines were very much at the forefront of naval marine technology at that time. Chassagne continued working at Darracq as a mechanic for two years until 1908 acting as riding mechanic during the heroic pioneering age of racing to Hanriot, Hautvost and Demogeot. In 1908 Chassagne travelled to the USA for the American Grand Prize, Savannah, development, assembly and testing of the first Hanriot Monoplanes, Reims followed and in August 1910 Chassagne received his pilot licence certificate no.160. He subsequently participated in events including the ‘Baie de Seine’ estuary crossing, winning the Liege altitude & speed prizes. Chassagne crashed in Deauville due to engine problem but escaped only a few splinters from the wooden frame in his thighs. That year Jean Chassagne met Louis Coatalen, joined the Sunbeam racing team, in 1909 the British Sunbeam firm engaged the energetic and ambitious Breton Louis Hervé Coatalen, as a Chief Engineer. Racing enthusiast Coatalen was to transform the Wolverhampton firm to become the foremost British exponents of motor racing internationally at the highest echelons and it was Coatalen who in 1912 engaged his countryman Jean Chassagne as part of his winning racing team. In 1912 Coatalen entered a team of four race modified 12/16 Sunbeam cars to compete in the Coupe de lAuto which was run concurrently with the historic 1912 French Grand Prix de l’ACF at Dieppe
16.
Sunbeam Motor Car Company
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Sunbeam Motor Car Company Limited was a British motor car manufacturer with its works at Moorfields in Blakenhall, a suburb of Wolverhampton in the county of Staffordshire —now West Midlands. Its Sunbeam name had been registered by John Marston in 1888 for his bicycle manufacturing business, Sunbeam motor car manufacture began in 1901. The motor business was sold to a newly incorporated Sunbeam Motor Car Company Limited in 1905 to separate it from Marstons pedal bicycle business—Sunbeam motorcycles were not made until 1912, in-house designer Coatalens enthusiasm for motor-racing — racing improves the breed — accumulated expertise with engines. Sunbeam manufactured their own aero engines during the First World War and 647 aircraft to the designs of other manufacturers, engines drew Sunbeam into Grand Prix racing and participation in the achievement of world land speed records. In spite of its cars and aero engines by 1934 a long period of very slow sales had incurred continuing losses. Sunbeam was unable to repay money borrowed for ten years in 1924 to fund the Grand Prix racing programme, there was a forced sale and Sunbeam was picked up by the Rootes brothers. Manufacture of Sunbeams now old-fashioned cars did not resume under the new owners, in 1954 they dropped the word Talbot leaving just Sunbeam. Sunbeams name continued to appear on new cars in 1982 under the ownership of Peugeot or Groupe PSA, John Marston, the London-educated son of a sometime mayor of Ludlow and landowner, had been apprenticed to Edward Perry, tinplate-works master and twice mayor of Wolverhampton. In 1859 aged 23 Marston bought two other manufacturers in Bilston, four miles away, and set himself up on his own account. On Perrys death Marston bought his Jeddo Works in Paul Street Wolverhampton, left Bilston, an avid cyclist in 1887 he established his Sunbeamland Cycle Factory in his Paul Street premises manufacturing and assembling pedal bicycles he branded Sunbeam. His Sunbeam trademark was registered in 1893, in 1895 a company, John Marston Limited, was incorporated and took ownership of John Marstons business. The Sunbeam trademark was registered for motor-cars in 1900, rugby-educated Thomas Cureton 1863—1921 began as his apprentice then became Marstons right-hand man in the cycle works and the cautious advocate of a motor-car venture. Their board of directors did not favour it but Marston and Cureton continued their project, between 1899 and 1901 Sunbeam produced a number of experimental cars driven about Wolverhampton but none was offered for sale. The first announcement of their new autocar was in the 22 September 1900 issue of The Autocar, dimensions, weight 10 cwt, overall measurements 84 inches by 57 inches. Described as a sociable it carried two passengers sitting close together facing the roadside from above a central belt-drive, to begin with they faced opposite roadsides. This layout provided propinquity while maintaining propriety and their driver at his tiller sat behind them his body facing the opposite roadside. Wheels were arranged in a diamond formation, the Sunbeam Mabley was a limited success, several hundred sold in 1901 and 1902 at £130. Listed in February 1904 its specification was, four cylinders 80 ×120 mm.1527 cc engine designed to run at 1,000 rpm, four-speed gearbox, in February 1904 the 12-horsepower car was given a six-cylinder 16-horsepower stablemate
17.
Louis Wagner
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Louis Wagner was a French Grand Prix driver who won the first ever United States and British Grands Prix. Wagner was also a pioneer aviator, Wagner was born in Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, Seine-Saint-Denis. He began racing cars while in his teens and claimed victory in 1903 driving a Darracq in a voiturette class race at the Circuit des Ardennes at Bastogne, Belgium. Competing in the United States, Wagner won the Vanderbilt Cup of 1906 driving a Darracq model 120 over a Long Island racecourse and he finished 5th in the 1907 Kaiserpreis in Germany but the following year in Savannah won the first ever United States Grand Prix driving a Fiat. Driving a Mercedes, Wagner finished second to Christian Lautenschlager in the 1914 French Grand Prix at Lyon and he competed in the 1919 Indianapolis 500 driving a Ballot but went out with a broken wheel on lap 45. In 1924 he drove for the Alfa Romeo team, in a P2 alongside Antonio Ascari, in 1926, Wagner teamed up with Robert Sénéchal to drive a Delage 155B to victory in the first ever British Grand Prix. In August he won the Grand Prix de la Baule in a Delage 2LCV, in addition to Grand Prix racing, Wagner also competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. Wagner began flying airplanes in 1910 and he worked for the Hanriot company flying their monoplanes. In the long opening credits of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the driver of the original Chitty car wins race after race. Louis Wagner died in 1960 at the age of 78 in Montlhéry, list of pilots awarded an Aviators Certificate by the Aéro-Club de France in 1910 Louis Wagner wins the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
18.
Republic of Ireland
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Ireland, also known as the Republic of Ireland, is a sovereign state in north-western Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, which is located on the part of the island. The state shares its land border with Northern Ireland, a part of the United Kingdom. It is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the Celtic Sea to the south, Saint Georges Channel to the south-east, and it is a unitary, parliamentary republic. The head of government is the Taoiseach, who is elected by the Dáil and appointed by the President, the state was created as the Irish Free State in 1922 as a result of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It was officially declared a republic in 1949, following the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, Ireland became a member of the United Nations in December 1955. It joined the European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union, after joining the EEC, Ireland enacted a series of liberal economic policies that resulted in rapid economic growth. The country achieved considerable prosperity between the years of 1995 and 2007, which known as the Celtic Tiger period. This was halted by a financial crisis that began in 2008. However, as the Irish economy was the fastest growing in the EU in 2015, Ireland is again quickly ascending league tables comparing wealth and prosperity internationally. For example, in 2015, Ireland was ranked as the joint sixth most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index and it also performs well in several national performance metrics, including freedom of the press, economic freedom and civil liberties. Ireland is a member of the European Union and is a member of the Council of Europe. The 1922 state, comprising 26 of the 32 counties of Ireland, was styled, the Constitution of Ireland, adopted in 1937, provides that the name of the State is Éire, or, in the English language, Ireland. Section 2 of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 states, It is hereby declared that the description of the State shall be the Republic of Ireland. The 1948 Act does not name the state as Republic of Ireland, because to have done so would have put it in conflict with the Constitution. The government of the United Kingdom used the name Eire, and, from 1949, Republic of Ireland, for the state, as well as Ireland, Éire or the Republic of Ireland, the state is also referred to as the Republic, Southern Ireland or the South. In an Irish republican context it is referred to as the Free State or the 26 Counties. From the Act of Union on 1 January 1801, until 6 December 1922, during the Great Famine, from 1845 to 1849, the islands population of over 8 million fell by 30%
19.
Kenelm Lee Guinness
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Kenelm Edward Lee Guinness MBE was an Irish-born racing driver of the 1910s and 1920s mostly associated with Sunbeam racing cars. He set a new Land Speed Record in 1922, also an automotive engineer, he invented and manufactured the KLG spark plug. A member of the Guinness brewing family, and a director of the company, he lived and died in Putney Vale, Guinnesss interest in motor racing began whilst at Cambridge University, as riding mechanic to his elder brother Sir Algernon Guinness. His first major race as a driver was the 1907 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy and his Darracq retired early, owing to axle failure. This involvement with the closely related Sunbeam, Talbot and Darracq marques continued throughout his career, in the same year he also took part in the Belgian Grand Prix at the Circuit des Ardennes. Around this time he acquired space in a pub, The Bald Faced Stag in Putney. From 1913 he was a driver for Sunbeam, along with Henry Segrave. Sunbeams engine designer, Louis Coatalen, became a friend and assisted his motor-racing career and this continued in 1914,1921,1922,1923 and 1924 alongside such famous drivers as Jean Chassagne. As for many racing motorists of this era, he had interests in automotive engineering, in this case being the inventor of the KLG spark plug. His experience in the 1912 Manx Tourist Trophy led him to develop a more reliable spark plug, the innovation of the KLG spark plug was its use of mica as an insulator. This mica was stacked in sheets and compressed by the electrode being tightened on a thread. These insulators gave more performance than the porcelain ceramics used by others. Production of these began in a small way at The Bald Faced Stag, supplying other racers including Segrave. KLG plugs developed a reputation for reliability in aircraft use and were in great demand during the First World War. At the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Navy, but his work on spark plugs was considered to be valuable to the war effort. In 1919 he sold world distribution rights to Smiths, then sold up completely in 1927, kLGs reliability was particularly attractive to the land speed record contenders and their many-cylindered aero-engines, often with dual ignition systems. Segraves 1, 000HP Sunbeam required 48 spark plugs, a mis-fire amongst which could be difficult to detect. The KLG organisation now Robinhood Engineering Works outgrew its pub and moved into a purpose-built Art Deco building, the building was eventually demolished and an Asda store now stands on the site
20.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
21.
Henry Segrave
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Sir Henry ONeil de Hane Segrave was an early British pioneer in land speed and water speed records. Seagrave, who set three land and one record, was the first person to hold both titles simultaneously and the first person to travel at over 200 miles per hour in a land vehicle. He died in an accident in 1930 shortly after setting a new water speed record on Windermere in the Lake District. The Segrave Trophy was established to commemorate his life, Segrave, who was a British national, was born on 22 September 1896 in Baltimore, Maryland to an American mother and an Irish father. He was raised in Ireland and attended Eton College in England, in 1914 he gained a commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. In January 1916 he joined the Royal Flying Corps where he served as a fighter pilot and he sustained wounds in 1915 and 1916. Segrave became a commander as a temporary captain in July 1916. After the war, he transferred to the Royal Air Force Administrative Branch in 1919, after the conclusion of the war, British motor manufacturers were starting to build more reliable and faster vehicles. Although motor racing was in its infancy, Segrave would soon become a winning driver. In 1921 Segrave won the first long-distance car race to be run in Britain, the 200-mile Race, which was organised by the Junior Car Club for 1,500 c. c. light cars, was held at Brooklands in Surrey. Segrave won in a Darracq-made Talbot that were marketed as Talbot-Darracqs, in the same year Segrave competed in his first ever French Grand Prix, Darracq was reorganised as part of the S. T. D. In the 19221922 French Grand Prix, Segrave was forced to retire in his Grand Prix Sunbeams 1922 because of chemical burns, when he won the 1923 French Grand Prix in a Sunbeam, he became the first Briton to win a Grand Prix in a British car. In 1924 he won the San Sebastian Grand Prix at Circuito Lasarte, after a further win at Miramas in France, he retired from racing to concentrate on speed records. On 16 March 1926, Segrave set his first land speed record of 152.33 miles per hour using Ladybird and this record was broken a month later by J. G. Parry-Thomas driving Babs, a car with a 27-litre 450 hp V12 Liberty aero engine. A year later he became the first person to travel over 200 miles per hour when he regained the speed record at the Daytona Beach Road Course on 29 March 1927. Using Mystery, a 1000 HP Sunbeam, he recorded a speed of 203.79 miles per hour, on 11 March 1929, Segrave set his final land speed record again at Daytona Beach. Using a new car designed for him by Captain Jack Irving, the Golden Arrow, which was never used again, has only 18.74 miles on the clock
22.
Joe Boyer
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Joseph Boyer, Jr. was a co-winner of the 1924 Indianapolis 500. He was born on May 12,1890, in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Detroit, at the 1924 Indianapolis 500, Boyer participated in two different cars during the race. In his original entry, he qualified 4th, on the 109th lap he was relieved. His relief driver went on to race until lap 176, when the car crashed in turn 1, on lap 111, Boyer climbed into the car of Lora Lawrence Corum, driving relief for Corum. Boyer charged to the front of the field, and led the last 24 laps in Corums car, Corum and Boyer were scored as co-winners, the first time in Indy 500 history that designation had been assigned. He died on September 2,1924, from injuries sustained in a crash at Altoona Speedway in Tyrone, Pennsylvania the day before. Joe Boyer was my Great Uncle and he was the son of Benjamin Boyer and Anna Bodie. Benjamin owned Boyer Lake and sold the lake when it turned out to be rich in high quality iron ore, the man who bought it renamed it the Helen mine. Benjamin went on to search for gold after his wife died and farmed out the children to friends, Benjamin was Henry Fords best friend and owned the farm next to him. Benjamin went on to two large gold mines. His sons became wealthy and had their own businesses, the haunted shacks machine shops, a chemical company, a candy company, Joe Boyers auto repair shop. Joe Boyer funded Burrows adding machine invention, after winning the Indy 500, Joe Boyer did an exhibition race in Altoona, PA in the same year. The race took place on a board track, during the race Joe Boyer crashed. He sustained a head injury and his legs were pinned in the car. They removed his legs to him from the car. He hung in and died two weeks later
23.
Mathis (cars)
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Mathis was a firm in Alsace that produced cars between 1910 and 1950, founded by Émile Mathis born Strasbourg, died Geneva. Originally, Émile Mathis was a car dealer in Strasbourg, Alsace, handling Fiat, De Dietrich and Panhard-Levassor. Two models were designed for him by the young Ettore Bugatti, current for 1905-06, it was built in 28,40, and 98 hp forms, all being Mercedes-like cars with chain drives. Designer and racing-driver Dragutin Esser then created two cars of 2025 cc and 2253 cc which were built under license from Stoewer, there was also a Mathis-Knight model. During World War I, Mathis was sent by the German government to Switzerland to buy tyres and after one of these trips he went to France, after the war Alsace became part of France and he was able to return to his factory. After the war, the production increased quickly and soon became No.4 in France making more than 20,000 cars in 1927. Mathis attempted to compete with Citroën, the SB model of 1921 was followed by a six-cylinder model in 1923 and an eight-cylinder in 1925. From 1927, Mathis followed a one-model policy, not surprisingly, the next year saw the Emysix, with a 2288 cc six-cylinder. In 1930 there was an attempt to co-operate with William Crapo Durant. Their ambitious plan was to make 100,000 cars in Durants Lansing, however, Durant ran out of money before production could begin so Mathis stayed in France. The American company was Matam, Mathis-America, a short-lived model named FOH in 1931 had a 3 Litre straight-eight-cylinder engine. More modern and successful was the 1445 cc Emyquatre in 1933, emyhuit came too late to prevent Mathis from a fast decline. Automobiles Ford S. A. Françaises operations became uneconomic with the erection of tariff barriers in 1932 against imported components. Ford and Mathis entered protracted and uncomfortable negotiations, in 1934 a joint venture of Ford and Mathis emerged. Matford, which copied the style of contemporary British Ford models, the last models featured a V-shaped windscreen. The plant at Poissy that opened in 1940 was not a Matford plant but a Ford of France plant, Mathis was left with his Strasbourg plant which was still relatively new but which had been largely destroyed by bombing. Mathis concentrated, initially, on rebuilding the plant, and this seems to have been more or less completed by 1948. Having spent the war in United States, Mathis was not well connected with the political class
24.
Poland
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Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe, situated between the Baltic Sea in the north and two mountain ranges in the south. Bordered by Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, the total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometres, making it the 69th largest country in the world and the 9th largest in Europe. With a population of over 38.5 million people, Poland is the 34th most populous country in the world, the 8th most populous country in Europe, Poland is a unitary state divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, and its capital and largest city is Warsaw. Other metropolises include Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk and Szczecin, the establishment of a Polish state can be traced back to 966, when Mieszko I, ruler of a territory roughly coextensive with that of present-day Poland, converted to Christianity. The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025, and in 1569 it cemented a political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin. This union formed the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, one of the largest and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe, Poland regained its independence in 1918 at the end of World War I, reconstituting much of its historical territory as the Second Polish Republic. In September 1939, World War II started with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, followed thereafter by invasion by the Soviet Union. More than six million Polish citizens died in the war, after the war, Polands borders were shifted westwards under the terms of the Potsdam Conference. With the backing of the Soviet Union, a communist puppet government was formed, and after a referendum in 1946. During the Revolutions of 1989 Polands Communist government was overthrown and Poland adopted a new constitution establishing itself as a democracy, informally called the Third Polish Republic. Since the early 1990s, when the transition to a primarily market-based economy began, Poland has achieved a high ranking on the Human Development Index. Poland is a country, which was categorised by the World Bank as having a high-income economy. Furthermore, it is visited by approximately 16 million tourists every year, Poland is the eighth largest economy in the European Union and was the 6th fastest growing economy on the continent between 2010 and 2015. According to the Global Peace Index for 2014, Poland is ranked 19th in the list of the safest countries in the world to live in. The origin of the name Poland derives from a West Slavic tribe of Polans that inhabited the Warta River basin of the historic Greater Poland region in the 8th century, the origin of the name Polanie itself derives from the western Slavic word pole. In some foreign languages such as Hungarian, Lithuanian, Persian and Turkish the exonym for Poland is Lechites, historians have postulated that throughout Late Antiquity, many distinct ethnic groups populated the regions of what is now Poland. The most famous archaeological find from the prehistory and protohistory of Poland is the Biskupin fortified settlement, dating from the Lusatian culture of the early Iron Age, the Slavic groups who would form Poland migrated to these areas in the second half of the 5th century AD. With the Baptism of Poland the Polish rulers accepted Christianity and the authority of the Roman Church
25.
Louis Zborowski
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Count Louis Vorow Zborowski was an English racing driver and automobile engineer. His father, William Eliot Morris Zborowski was also a racing driver and his mother was a wealthy American heiress, born Margaret Laura Astor Carey, a granddaughter of William Backhouse Astor, Sr. and Margaret Rebecca Armstrong of the prominent Astor family. She had been Madame de Stuers before her divorce and marriage in 1892 to Eliot Zborowski, after the death of his father in 1903, in 1910 his mother bought the Higham Park estate at Bridge near Canterbury in Kent. Paying £17,500 to the executors of the estate of London banker William Gay, mrs. Zborowski immediately commissioned a £50,000 refurbishment of the house from the architect Joseph Sawyer. Zborowskis career as a racing driver encompassed a wide experience of marques. He was a patron of Aston Martin, and raced for them at Brooklands. Zborowski designed and built four of his own racing cars in the stables at Higham Park, assisted by his engineer and co-driver Captain Clive Gallop, the first car was powered by a 23,093 cc six-cylinder Maybach aero engine and called Chitty Bang Bang. A second Chitty Bang Bang was powered by 18,825 cc Benz aero engine, a third car was based on a Mercedes 28/95, but fitted with a 14,778 cc 6-cylinder Mercedes aero engine and was referred to as the White Mercedes. These cars achieved success at Brooklands. Another car, also built at Higham Park with a huge 27-litre American Liberty aero engine, was called the Higham Special, after Zborowskis death the Higham Special was purchased by J. G. Parry-Thomas to make bids on the speed record. Designer/driver Thomas improved the car and christened her Babs, parry-Thomas successfully took the Land Speed Record at over 170 mph at Pendine Sands. Thomas second attempt on the location in 1927 turned out fatal. At over 100 mph a rear wheel collapsed, turning over the car, Babs has been restored and can be seen either at the Pendine Sands museum of speed in the summer months or in the Brooklands Museum during other months of the year. In the 1923 Indianapolis 500 Zborowski drove a Bugatti and he drove in the 1923 Italian Grand Prix at Monza in a car designed by American engineer Harry Arminius Miller, the single-seat American Miller 122. Zborowski joined the Mercedes team in 1924 but died in one of their cars and he was just 29 years old. Zborowski was a railway enthusiast and a 15 in gauge railway circuit and this line was part of the inspiration behind the joint decision by Zborowski and his racing friend Captain J. E. P. Howey to construct a long-distance passenger-carrying railway line in the same gauge, Zborowski ordered a steam locomotive from Bassett-Lowke, which ran on the Higham Railway in 1924
26.
Dario Resta
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Dario Resta, nicknamed Dolly, was an Italian Briton race car driver. He was the winner of the 1916 Indianapolis 500, dario Resta was born in Faenza, Italy but was raised in England from the age of two. He began racing there in 1907 when he took part in the Montagu Cup and he set a record of 95.7 mph in a half-mile run a few years later. After competing in Grand Prix motor racing in Europe, including the 1913 French Grand Prix, in early 1915 he was brought to the United States by Alphonse Kaufman, an America importer of Peugeots, to drive Kaufmans Peugeot EX3. In February he won the United States Grand Prix at San Francisco followed by a victory in the Vanderbilt Cup. After leading during the stages of that years Indianapolis 500, he finished second to Ralph DePalma when his car skidded. Resta then drove his blue Peugeot to victory in the inaugural 500-mile race on the track at the Chicago Speedway on 26 June 1915. The race received eighteen pages of coverage in the 1 July 1915, with World War I raging in Europe and the United States entering the war in 1918, races were reduced to a minimum. During 1918 Resta drove a Peugeot at a race in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, during this time Resta became an American citizen, dedicated his time to his business and moved his family to Bakersfield, California. During his time in California, Resta created a racing track at Buttonwillow, California. In 1923 Resta returned to racing at the age of 39, making his first appearance in Beverly Hills, next, he made another attempt at Indianapolis but was forced out of the race after 225 miles. Racing again in Europe, Resta finished 3rd in the Penya Rhin Grand Prix and he drove for Sunbeam in the 1924 season with team mates Henry Segrave and Kenelm Lee Guinness. Dario Resta was killed in England on 2 September 1924 at the age of 42 when his car crashed at Brooklands while trying for a new speed record. Resta was driving a Sunbeam when a belt on his car broke on the second lap, the car crashed through a corrugated iron fence on the Railway Straight and caught fire. This accident also hospitalized his riding-mechanic, Bill Perkins, causing him to miss the San Sebastian Grand Prix a few weeks later, Perkins was Sunbeam driver Kenelm Lee Guinnesss regular mechanic and so was substituted by Tom Barrett. Guinness suffered a crash during this race, in which Barrett was killed
27.
Ugo Sivocci
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Ugo Sivocci was an Italian race car driver. Born in Salerno, Sivocci started his career with bicycle racing. After World War I, he worked as a mechanic in Milan. Being a friend of Enzo Ferrari, he was hired by Alfa Romeo in 1920 to drive Alfa in three-man works team, with Antonio Ascari, with the HP 20-30 ES Sport he finished 2nd in the Parma - Poggio Berceto race. In 1923 he began to drive the Alfa Romeo RL, in the same year, he won the Targa Florio with RL Targa Florio which was his major racing achievement. The race was a success for Alfa Romeo as second. In the same year Sivocci was killed while testing Merosis new P1 at Monza, on the same day of the accident, a press release of the engineer Nicola Romeo announced the withdrawal of other Alfa Romeo cars competing. Sivoccis car was painted with the green cloverleaf on a background that was to become Alfas good luck token. His car was carrying number 17, which was never assigned to Italian racing cars. Parma - Poggio Berceto race 1921, 2nd Circuit of Mugello 1921, 4th Targa Florio 1922, 9th Targa Florio 1923, 1st Ugo Sivocci biography Tutta la storia di Ugo Sivocci
28.
Fiat Automobiles
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Fiat Automobiles S. p. A. is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy, a subsidiary of FCA Italy S. p. A. which is part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Fiat Automobiles S. p. A. was formed in January 2007 when Fiat reorganized its automobile business, Fiats main market is Europe, mainly focused in Italy. Historically successful in citycars and supermini sector, currently Fiat has a range of models focused on two segments. Fiat does not currently offer any large family car, nor an executive car - these market segments have, to some extent been covered by the Lancia and Alfa Romeo brands, which Fiat also owns. Fiats share of the European market shrank from 9.4 per cent in 2000 to 5.8 per cent in the summer of 2004, at this point Sergio Marchionne was appointed as Fiats chief executive. By March 2009 their market share had expanded to 9.1 per cent, Fiats built their five-story Lingotto plant in 1915 through 1918, at the time it was Europes largest car manufacturing plant. Later the Mirafiori plant was built, also in Turin, to prepare for production of the all-new Fiat 128, Fiat opened their Rivalta plant in October 1968. Until the 128 entered production, the plant was used to build versions of the 850 and 124 as well as parts for the Fiat Dino. Fiats 2014 range of car engines comprised eleven units, eight petrols. The second generation Punto was a seller in the UK after its October 1999 launch. The original Fiat 500 had been one of the few competitors for the iconic Mini during its 1960s heyday. Fiat has invested for a time in South America, mainly in Brazil. They built their first Brazilian car plant in the Greater Belo Horizonte city of Betim in 1973, recently a brand new model developed in Brazil has been launched, the Fiat Uno. Other European models are imported to Brazil, Fiat 500. Some others are still in production, Punto, Idea, Bravo, Fiat has a long history in the United States. In 1908, the Fiat Automobile Co. was established in the country and a plant in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. began producing Fiats a year later, like the Fiat 60 HP and the Fiat 16-20 HP. These luxury cars were produced long before Chrysler Corp. was formed in 1925 from older manufacturers that were acquired by Walter P. Chrysler, the New Jersey factory was closed when the U. S. entered World War I in 1917. Fiat returned to North America in the 1950s, selling the original 500, Fiat 600 Multipla, Fiat 1100, Fiat 1200, for example the Fiat 124 Sport Spider and the Fiat X1/9
29.
1914 French Grand Prix
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The 1914 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Lyon on 4 July 1914. The restriction on Grand Prix cars for 1914 included an 1,100 kg maximum weight, christian Lautenschlager won at an average speed of 65.665 mph. The fastest lap was set by Max Sailer, at an speed of 69.780 mph. The Grand Prix was a contest between the French Peugeots and the German Mercedes and this was the last Grand Prix before the First World War, and took place less than a week after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. An estimated crowd of over 300,000 watched thirty-seven cars start in pairs with a gap between each pair. Sailer led by 18 seconds at the end of the first lap, Sailer retired with a blown engine on lap six. Georges Boillot took over the lead and retained it for the next twelve laps, at one point he led by over four minutes. The Mercedes drivers each made one stop during the race for new Continental tyres and this contrasted with the poor wear of the Dunlop tyres used by Peugeot and Boillots eight stops for tyres. Boillots many stops allowed Lautenschlager to pass Boillot on lap 18, by the end of that lap, Lautenschlager had opened up a lead of over 30 seconds. Boillot dropped out during the final lap, ferenc Szisz, the winner of the first French Grand Prix in 1906, had to retire from the race through injury. On the 11th lap Szisz was forced to stop to change a wheel, during the wheel change, he was hit by another car and suffered a broken arm. This was the last Grand Prix before World War I started, and racing did not resume until 1919
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French Grand Prix
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The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de lAutomobiles annual Formula One automobile racing championships. It was one of the oldest motor races in the world and it ceased shortly after its centenary in 2008 with 86 races having been held, a victim of finances and unfavourable venues. It is also one of four races to have held as part of the three distinct Grand Prix championships. The power of original organiser, the Automobile Club de France, the Grand Prix name referred to the prize of 45,000 French francs to the race winner. The franc was pegged to the gold at 0.290 grams per franc, dieppe in particular was an extremely dangerous circuit-8 people in total were killed at the 3 French Grands Prix held at the 79 km circuit. The 1906 race was the first ever Grand Prix, which was an event that originated from the Gordon Bennett races that had started in 1899. This race was run on a 66-mile closed public road circuit starting at the western French town of Le Mans, through a series of villages and back again to Le Mans. Hungarian Ferenc Szisz won this very long 12-hour race on a Renault from Italian Felice Nazzaro in a Fiat, where laps on this took around an hour. The 1913 race was won by Georges Boillot on a one-off 19-mile circuit near Amiens in northern France, Amiens was another extremely deadly circuit-5 people were killed during its use during pre-race testing and the race weekend itself. The 1914 race, run on a 24-mile circuit near Lyon is perhaps the most legendary race of the pre-WWI racing era and this was a hard-fought battle between the French Peugeots and the German Mercedess. Although the Peugeots were fast and Boillot ended up leading for 12 of the 20 laps the Dunlop tires they used wore out badly compared to the Continentials that the Mercedes cars were using. Boillots four-minute lead was wiped out by Christian Lautenschlager in a Mercedes while he stopped an incredible eight times for tires. Although Boillot drove very hard to try to catch Christian Lautenschlager, he had to due to tire failure, and Mercedes finished 1-2-3. Bugatti made its debut at the 1922 race at a 8.3 mile one-off public road circuit near Strasbourg near the French-German border- which was close to Bugattis headquarters in Molsheim. It rained, and the circuit was in a dreadful condition. This race became a duel between Bugatti and Fiat- and Felice Nazzaro won in a Fiat, the 1923 race at another one-off circuit near Tours featured another new Bugatti- the Type 32. This car was dubbed the Tank, owing to its streamlined shape. This car was fast on the straights of this public road circuit-
Jimmy Murphy
Jimmy Murphy
Ralph DePalma
Jules Goux
Kenelm Lee Guinness
Henry Segrave
Louis Zborowski