RACING NEWS.

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The Grand Prix de Juan-1es Puis.

This extremely sporting race over the Garoupe circuit on the Riviera provided yet another victory for Bugatti, the successful driver this time being Chiron. The entry list was a good one, as it included nine Bugattis, six of which driven by the French ace Chiron, the Englishman W. G. Williams, Bret, Trutschler, Drefus, and Ceresato, actually started. After them the next most formidable team were the three Amilcars, driven all by well-known drivers—Andre Morel, C. Martin and Jean Moriceau. Four Salmsons were driven by d’Havrincourt, Martinatti, Jourdan and Signoret ; de Joney and Carasso drove B.N.C.’s and Benoist had a little car called a Tony.

Chiron took the lead at the outset, but was displaced by Bret, who held it until the 25th lap, when he was put out by a broken valve spring. His place was taken by Williams, who, however, was passed by Chiron, the latter never afterwards losing the lead, and finally winning at 52.5 m.p.h. for 190. In the 1,100 c.c. class, Moriceau proved the winner on his Amilcar at 48.9 m.p.h. The final order was as follows :

i. Chiron (Bugatti).

2. Williams (Bugatti).

3. Dreyfus (Bugatti).

4. Moriceau (Amilcar).

5. Signoret (Salmson).

6. Martinatti (Salmson).

7. Benoist (Tony).

The Circuit of Pozzo. The race over the Pozzo circuit, which was run off

race over was run at the end of March, resulted in yet another victory for Bugatti. The race was run over a distance of 193 miles, and was won by Nuvolari on a 2-litre Bugatti at 72.3 m.p.h. The winner in the 1,5oo c.c. class was Maggi on a Maserati, who was second in the general classification, while the third man home was Clerici, whose Salmson won the 1,100 c.c. class. The fastest lap was made by Nuvolari at 83.24 m.p.h. The complete list of finishers is as follows :—

I. Nuvolari (2-litre Bugatti).

2. Maggi (1,500 c.c. Maserati).

3. Clerici (i,roo c.c. Salmson).

4. G. Fagioli (1,500 c.c. Bugatti).

5. Cattaneo (r,roo c.c. Amilcar).

6. Alvera (2-litre Bugatti).

7. L. Fagioli (1,500 c.c. Maserati).

8. Saccomanni (r,roo c.c. Amilcar).

The French Grand Prix for Sports Cars.

It is a sign of the times that after the failure to secure sufficient entries for the Grand Prix for racing cars of the international racing class and for the Coupe de la Commission Sportive race on a fuel consumption basis, the French Grand Prix for sports cars has attracted no fewer than fifty entries. In the first group, with engines of more than 3 litres capacity, Monsieur C. T. Weymann has entered a car which has not yet been named, but which will probably be his Hispano-Suiza, which lately won its match against the Stutz at Indianapolis, or else the Stutz which he bought after the race. Besides this, the Peugeot Company has entered one of their 4-litre sleeve valve cars, of which the driver has not yet been named, while Morain will drive a similar machine. Laly will run, as usual, on an Aries, while Bouriat and Stoffel, both well-known le Mans drivers, will handle one a car not yet named, and the other a Chrysler, a second Chrysler being driven by de Vere.

In the second group, up to 3 litres, there are no fewer than eight Bugattis. Two of these have been entered by the Nerka sparking plug company, and one of them will be driven by Louis Chiron, the well-known Bugatti driver, who is head of the Nerka racing department, while the driver of the second car has not yet been named. W. G. Williams has also entered a Bugatti, and the other drivers will be Drouet, Velitchkovitch, Lehoux, Simon and Madame Jennky. Their rivals in this class will be the veteran, Arthur Duray, on a 3-litre Aries, Rost, the daring aviator and driver, on a Georges Irat, entered, like the Aries, by its manufacturers, Besaucele on. his Ballot, Pierre Mesuil on a 6-cylinder Bignan, Bocca on a Lancia Lambda, Lormand on a 6-cylinder Erskine, and Bussinere, the le Mans driver, on a car which has not yet been named.

Bugattis also predominate in the 1,500 C.C. class, in which five have been entered. One will be driven by J. C. d’Ahetze, who will also start as No. i in the Bugatti Grand Prix, and another by Charavel, who usually races under the name of ” Sabipa.” Gaupillat and Dreyfus will also drive their own cars, ‘while the fifth has been entered by Velitchkovitch, who is driving in the 3-litre class, and has not yet selected the driver of his 1,5oo c.c. machine. The sole rival of the Bugattis in this class is Dore, who finished second in last year’s Coupe de la Commission Sportive race, and who, as usual, will handle a Corre la Licorne. In the 1,100 C.C. class, Lombard has entered a team of three cars, to be driven by Desvaux, the ex-Salmson driver, Guy and Christian. Two Salmsons have also been entered by the firm, but their drivers have not yet

been nominated, while Gauthier, Signorel, d’Abbadie d’Arrast, d’Havrincourt and Laval will drive their own cars of this make, seven Salmsons being entered in all. Two de Coneys, whose drivers have not yet been named, have been entered by the firm, Louis Rigal, the wellknown Peugeot driver, will handle a small Aries, Charles Moran a Rally, Brisson, the le Mans Lorraine driver, an Alphy, Billiet a B.N.C., Simas a d’Yrsan, while the remaining car entered by I,epicard has not been named as yet and neither has its driver.

Finally, in the separate race for 750 C.C. cars, the jovial de Rovin will drive one of his own productions, Siran will appear as usual on a d’Yrsan, Marcel Violet will drive a car as yet unnamed, but which is sure to be extremely ingenious, while one of his Sima-Violets will be handled by Trennet.

To judge from this entry list in fact, the race, which will be run on 1st July over the Comminges circuit, described in a recent issue, will be a great success, and, as in the case of the Brescia 1,000 miles race, we have only to deplore the lack of any British entries.

THE BRESCIA THOUSAND MILES RACE.

RESULT.

I. Campari-Ramponi (I,50o c.c. Alfa-Romeo), 19h. 14m. 53-4/5S.

2. MaZZOtti-Rosa (2-litre 0.M.), I9h. 22M. 22-2/5S.

3. Strazza-Vara,110 (2,-litre Lancia), 19h. 37m. 37-2/5s.

The second Brescia 1,000 Miles Race, which was run on ist and 2nd April last, proved even more successful than its predecessor. Owing to the really marvellous organisation of the Fascisti, this magnificent race over a circuit L000 miles round—from Brescia to Rome and back another way to Brescia—was a complete success. No fewer than ioo entries were received, and of these 83 started, while the countries represented were Italy, France and America, England being the only important motor manufacturing country not represented, which was a great pity. In the I,Ioo c.c. division no fewer than twelve 9 h.p. Fiats were entered, against a baby Peugeot, three Salmsons, an Amilcar and the little Italian S.A.M. In the 1,500 C.C. class, eight of the new 6-cylinder Alfa

Romeos, with two overhead camshafts, competed against two Maseratis, two Ceiranos, two Bugattis and_a Fiat. 0.111.’s dominated in the 2-litre class with 13 cars, against another Maserati, three Bugattis, four Italas, and an Ansaldo. In the 3-litre division, 17 Lambda Lancias were entered, with three Bugattis, three Alfa-Romeos, two Ansaldos, a Talbot (Darracq), a Bianchi and a Diatto. The 5-litre class consisted of four Chryslers, two la Salles, a big Alfa-Romeo (4i-litre), and a Paige ; while the only entry in the 8-litre class was a 36/220 h.p. Mercedes driven by Prince Paul of Greece and Prince Charles zu Schaumburg-Lippe, which, however, did not start.

Among the better known drivers, Campari, winner of the French Grand Prix in 1924, drove one of the 1,500 c.c. Alfa-Romeos, Minoia and Morandi, winners of this race last year, had a la Salle and an O.M. respectively. Brilli-Peri, Bordino and Nuvolari all drove 2.3-litre Bugattis, while Materassi was at the wheel of his Chrysler. Last year we remarked on the fact that in a race for

cars. of all sizes, the winner was an O.M. of only 2-litres capacity. This year, however, an even smaller car, the 1,500 c.c. Alfa-Romeo,. proved the victor. It seems, in fact, to be definitely proved that for fast touring, including mountainous country—for the course took the competitors over the Appenines—a small car has very definite advantages over a larger one, even if the latter has a higher maximum speed. For behind the little Alfa-Romeo came a 2-litre 0.M., while the third place was gained by a Lancia, which only just misses the 2-litre category.

The performance of the Alfa-Romeo was nevertheless magnificent, for, besides gaining first place, cars of this type were fourth and fifth in the general category, while they gained the first seven and the tenth place in the 1,500 c.c. class, the whole team thus finishing. The sports 1,500 c.c. Alfa-Romeo with two camshafts has, in fact, made a great name for itself in this race, and their performance in the Essex 6-hours’ race and the Tourist Trophy will be watched with interest. In the smallest class of all the little Fiat repeated its performance of last year by capturing the first two places ; while the S.A.M. was third. The 0.M., if

unable to win the race outright this year, nevertheless gained the first eight places in the 2-litre class, while in the 3-litre division the Strazza-Varallo Lancia was, of course, the winner, while Brilli-Peri and Lumini were second on the 2.3-litre Bugatti, Lancias occupying the next three places. The performance of the big cars was on the whole disappointing, for in the 5-litre class the winning la Salle, driven by Minoia and Balestrero, both ex-members of the O.M. team, was only fifteenth in the general classification, while the two Chryslers, which were runners-up, did not make very good times.

The Moroccan Grand Prix.

‘I he Moroccan Grand Prix, which was run at Casablanca on t5th April, included classes for both sports and touring cars. In the 1,100 c.c. sports class the entries consisted of a Salmson and a Derby, and something of a curiosity in the form of an Lioo c.c. Bugatti, of the type which won the Alsatian Grand Prix in 1926. Of these, however, only the Salmson started. In the 1,500 c.c. division, a larger Bugatti had to compete against three Citroens, two Renaults and two ChenardWalckers. A third Bugatti in the 2-litre class had three more Chenard-Walckers as its rivals, while in the 3-litre class the three Renaults were unopposed.

Among the racing cars, Rost drove a 3-litre Georges Irat and Cuvillier a big 5-litre Panhard. Bugatti was represented by three 2-litre cars, and a 1,500 c.c. machine, while a 1,500 c.c. Chenard-Walcker and an Atnilcar were the remaining starters in this class. The race was for a distance of 444 miles, and in the racing class all the competition lay between the Georges Irat and the Bugattis. Of the latter, Lehoux took the lead at the outset, but went out before the end of the race, which was finally won by his team-mate Meyer at 92.113 m.p.h., which is claimed as a record for any road race. Rost, on the Georges Irat, was second. Among the sports cars, the Renaults won the 3-litre and 1,5oo c.c. classes, while the Chenard-Wakker was the only finisher in the 2-litre division. Results :—

I. RACING CARS.

I. Meyer (2-litre Bugatti), 92.113 m.p.h.

2. Rost (3-litre Georges hat).

3. Mario (1,500 C.C. Bugatti).

4. Cuvillier (5-litre Panhard et Levassor).

5. Vaugelas (1,500 C.C. Chenard et Walcker).

6. Benitah.(r,-roo c.c. Amilcar).

II. SPORTS CARS (3-LITRE).

I. Liocourt (Renault), 69.1 m.p.h.

2. Bailly (Renault).

3. Courtin (Renault).

III. SPORTS CARS (2-LITRE).

1. Cornaggliotto (Chenard et Walcker m.p.h.

IV. SPORTS CARS (1,500 C.C.).

i. Quatreson (Renault), 57.5 m.p.h.

2. Cazal (Renault).

3. Radigon (Salmson).

4. Eyraud (Bugatti).

55.?

Hispano-Suiza versus Stutz at Indianapolis.

Nearly twenty-nine years ago an argument took place as to the relative merits of French and American cars, and the result of that discussion was the series of Gordon Bennet races, for which all countries were allowed to enter a team of cars. Of these events, four were won by France, one by England, and one by Cermany. Thus it was proved as conclusively as possible that at the beginning of the century France led the world in automobile production.

Last year the same argument came up again. This time it all arose from the apparently harmless remark of a man who said that he could get from point to point quicker in his Cadillac than in his Rolls Royce, because he was more used to driving the former. But as the result of the ensuing discussion Mr. Moscovics, of the Stutz Company, betted S25,000 that one of his firm’s cars would go further in 24 hours on Indianapolis track than a Boulogne Hispano-Suiza, which M. Charles Weymann chose to represent France.

The result of the ensuing contest, which took place on the 18th and r9th April, was that M. Weymann won his bet. Unfortunately, the contest did not turn out to be as exciting as had been hoped. The Stutz had trouble in the early stages, and at the end of six hours the Hispano was nearly 120 miles ahead. At the end of 19 hours the Stutz had to retire altogether, the Hispano being then some 6o0 miles to the good, but the French car continued for the remaining five hours, and averaged over 70 m.p.h. for the two rounds of the clock.

The Hispano, in fact, thoroughly lived up to its reputation and Weymann and his companion driver, Robert Bloch, drove a very fine race on the unfamiliar Indianapolis track.