THE TUNISIAN SIX-HOUR RACE

THE TUNISIAN SIX-HOUR RACE

ON the day before the Grand Prix of Tunis, the 28th March, there was run off over the new circuit of Carthage a 6-hour race for ” touring ” cars, which proved a highly successful event. The ” touring ” cars, as a matter of fact were even further removed from the average person’s idea of a motor car of this type than usual, and the elaborate rules which had been drawn up with regard to coach-work, wings, exhaust systems, ballast, etc., seemed to have been entirely disregarded by many of the competitors. However, perhaps as a result a good entry list was secured, and twentyfive cars finally started, divided into three classes as follows : CLASS I. Castelbarco and Dreyfus (Maserati) ; Czaikowski (Bugatti) ; Ey

sermann (Buick) ; Rey (Bugatti) ; Moll (Lorraine-Dietrich) ; Corsini and Benincioni (Alfa-Romeo) ; Gallay (Bugatti).

CLASS H. Golay and Eberhardt (Bugatti) ; Joly and Vella (Bugatti) ; Fischer and Fuchs (Bugatti) ; Pietrangeli (AlfaRomeo) ; Vincenti and Brand (Bugatti) ; Cutlaia (Bugatti).

CLASS III. Pouppar and Wassylenko (B.N.C.) ; Germain (Rosengart) ; Batta (Chenard-Walcker) ; Rallo and d’Aietti (Chenard-Walcker) ; Gaillard (ChenardWalcker) ; Piontirollo (:Bugatti); Chandelon and Puna (Bugatti) ; Satlepoulos (Arailcar) ; Gueganff (Amikar) ; Costa (Fiat) ; Marret (Salmson) ; Giraud-Cabantons (Salmson). The start was given in the manner customary in races of this type, the cars being drawn up at the side of the road, and the drivers on being given the signal having to run to their cars, start the engine and get away. The first to move off was a magnificent 5-litre Bugatti, but at the end of the first round the first car to appear was the Maserati, which was in fact a 2k-litre straight-eight supercharged racer equipped with mudguards. It stopped however, to change plugs both at the end of the first and second rounds, but nevertheless it was so much the fastest car in the race that it did not lose the lead. Behind it a terrific battle was being waged between Corsini on the Alfa-Romeo and the Bugattis driven by Czaikowski, Joly and Gallay, while Marret on the Salmson led in the smallest class. There seemed however to be no catching the Maserati, and at the end of three hours (half-time), the order of the leaders, with the distances covered was as follows :

1. Castelbarco (Maserati), 358 km. 900 ; 2. Joly (Bugatti), 340 km. 500 (leading Class H) ; 3, Czaikowski (Bugatti), 337 km. 400; 4, Corsini (Alfa-Romeo), 336 km. 500; 5, Gallay (Bugatti), 326 km. 900; 6, Pietrangeli (Alfa-Romeo), 308 km. 800; 7, Marret (Saltason), 305 km. 100 (leading Class III) ; 8, Golay (Bugatti), 302 km. 400; 9, Moll (Lorraine). 301 km. 200; 10, Fischer (Bugatti), 293 km. 700. During the fourth hour Joly (Bugatti) retired, and. Corsini, having passed Czaikowski moved up into second place. Joly suffered extremely bad luck as his withdrawal was due to his exhaust pipe coming adrift, and the car, although mechanically quite fit to continue, was forced to retire by the rules. Soon afterwards Czaikowski’s Bugatti caught fire and was also withdrawn, but on the whole the number of retirements was extremely small as the course was not really fast enough to put an extreme strain on engines. The class winners with the distances covered at the end of six hours were as follows :

CLASS I. 1. Castelbarco and Dreyfus (Maserati), 707 km. 200. (Average speed 73 .71.11.P ./1-) •

2. Corsin.i and Bellinciono (Alfa-Romeo) 679 km. 395.

3. Moll (Lorraine-Dietrich), 595 km. 015.

4. Eydermann (Bugatti), 572 km. 586.

CLASS II.

1. Pietrangeli (Alfa-Romeo), 622 km. 492.

2. Golay and Eberhardt (Bugatti)„ 621 km. 252.

CLASS III.

1. Marret (Salmson), 584 km. 720.

2. Gaillard (Chenard-Walcker), 570 km. 666.

3. Rano and d’ Aielti (Chenard-Walcker) 567 km. 966.

4. Batta (Chenard.-Walcker), 561 km. 766.

5. Piontirollo (Bugatti), 537 km. 288.

6. Costa (Fiat), 530 km. 725.

7. Germain (Rosengart), 439 km. 660.