MRL PRE-WAR SPORTS CARS ‘ BRDC 500 ’
Friday 09:31 - 09:58 RACE 4 Saturday 11:25 - 12:05
It is incredible to think that the first motor ‘ race ’ was staged in June 1894 , when 21 starters set off on the road from Paris to Rouen for what is more accurately described as an 80-mile reliability trial . The prize was awarded to Georges Lemaitre in the first of a fleet of Peugeots - the pioneering French marque which would win the Le Mans in 1992 , ’ 93 and 2009 and is currently testing its Hypercar for a fresh racing assault next year , the centenary of the world ’ s most celebrated sportscar race .
The UK ’ s fascination with racing really took off when industrialist Hugh Locke-King opened Brooklands , the world ’ s first purpose-built race circuit , in July 1907 . Motor manufacturers such as Napier , Sunbeam , Talbot and Vauxhall used the 2.7-mile Surrey speedbowl to prove - and improve - their products .
But in May 1923 the Le Mans 24 Hours had brought unprecedented focus and an aspirational quality to the sport . Andre Lagache / Rene Leonard scored the maiden victory as French Chenard & Walcker ’ s cars finished first and second on the Circuit de la Sarthe . A Bentley placed fourth , driven by John Duff / Frank Clement , sowing the seeds of the Cricklewood concern ’ s landmark victory with the same crew the following year . France countered in ’ 25 and ’ 26 when Lorraine- Dietrichs were victorious .
Bentley thundered back in ’ 27 when Sammy Davis / Doc Benjafield took the chequered flag 20 laps clear of a Salmson . Woolf Barnato ’ s subsequent hat-trick , with Bernard Rubin , Tim Birkin and Glen Kidston respectively in 4 1 / 2-litre and Speed Six models , closed an era in which average speeds rose from 57.2mph to 75.3mph . Like Peugeot , Bentley returned to win at Le Mans , albeit under Audi ownership in 2003 with its magnificent Speed 8 .
The big race ’ s fertile British Racing Green period was not quite over , for the 5th Earl Howe upgraded from an Alfa Romeo 6C to a potent 8C in which , with Birkin , he won in 1931 , the year in which Rolls-Royce took over failing Bentley . This triggered a run of four successes at Le Mans for the Milanese manufacturer ’ s machines . Earl Howe , who started racing in his mid-40s and became president of the BRDC raced widely until the start of World War 2 .
In Britain the Royal Automobile Club ’ s Tourist Trophy races , first run on the Isle of Man in 1905 when John Napier emerged victorious on an Arrol-Johnston , subsequently saw wins for Rolls-Royce , Rover , Napier Hutton and Sunbeam machinery . The TT moved to Ards in Northern Ireland in ’ 28 , Irishman Kaye Don winning in a little supercharged Lea-Francis Hyper . Rudolf Caracciola ( Mercedes-Benz SS ) and the great Tazio Nuvolari ( Alfa Romeo 8C and MG KA Magnette ) added their names to the grueling event ’ s roll of honour on which the Riley marque from Coventry featured with Freddie Dixon and Charles Dodson .
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