1903 Gordon Bennett Cup

April 2024 CUST Pre-1906 Grand Prix seasons Gordon Bennett Cup 1903 7 2 y 1903 IV Coupe Internationale United Kingdom Jenatzy 1903 Gordon Bennett.jpg County Carlow, County Kildare, and Queen's County, Ireland 40 & 51.88 64 & 83.5 3 & 4 327.5 527 Public roads Camille Jenatzy BEL Mercedes Belgium Rene de Knyff FRA Panhard France Henri Farman FRA Panhard France The 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup, formally titled the IV Coupe Internationale, was a motor race held on 2 July 1903 on the Athy Circuit, a circuit consisting of closed roads in Leinster, Ireland. The race consisted of seven laps, alternating for six laps over a shorter circuit to the west of Athy and longer circuit to the east, before a final lap on the longer circuit to make the total distance 527 km mi on. The event is often referred to as "the race that saved motorsport" and was the first to be held on a closed circuit.Gordon Bennett Route https://www.gordonbennettclassic.ie/test-homepage/ Gordon Bennett Route March 31, 2026 This shift toward safer, closed-circuit formats came immediately after the deadly Paris–Madrid race of 1903, which had resulted in numerous fatalities and led organizers to seek more controlled environments for motor racing.From the Archive: Motor Racing https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/archive-motor-racing Institution of Mechanical Engineers March 31, 2026 British driver Selwyn Edge had won the 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup, which meant that the rights to host the race fell to the Automobile Club of Britain and Ireland. As racing on British roads was illegal, legislation was passed to allow the race to take place on roads in Ireland, which was then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Britain was to attempt to defend the Gordon Bennett Cup against France, Germany, and the United States, with each country was represented by three entries, with the car that finished the race in the shortest time winning the race on behalf of his country. The race was won by Camille Jenatzy driving a Mercedes and representing Germany, in a time of six hours and 39 minutes, at an average speed of 79.2 km/h. Rene de Knyff and Henry Farman, both driving Panhards and representing France finished in second and third places, taking a little over ten minutes longer to complete the course than Jenatzy. Race report thumb|right|Circuit map for the 1903 Gordon Bennett Trophy On Thursday, 2 July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup was the first international motor race to be held in Ireland, an honorific to Selwyn Edge who had won the 1902 event in the Paris-Vienna race driving a Napier. The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the British Isles, and their secretary, Claude Johnson, suggested Ireland as the venue because of public hostility to motoring in Great Britain. The editor of the Dublin Motor News, Richard J. Mecredy, suggested an area in County Kildare, and letters were sent to 102 Irish MPs, 90 Irish peers, 300 newspapers, 34 chairmen of county and local councils, 34 County secretaries, 26 mayors, 41 railway companies, 460 hoteliers, 13 PPs, and the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Patrick Foley, who pronounced himself in favour. Local laws had to be adjusted, so the "Light Locomotives (Ireland) Bill" was passed on 27 March 1903 permitting the race to go ahead. Kildare and other local councils drew attention to their areas, while Queen's County declared "That every facility will be given and the roads placed at the disposal of motorists during the proposed race." Eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in shamrock green, which thus became known as British racing green, although the winning Napier of 1902 had been painted olive green.http://forix.autosport.com/8w/gbt03.html Forix 8W Britain's first international motor race Brendan Lynch 2003-10-22 2024-04-04Forix 8W http://forix.autosport.com/8w/gbennett.html The Gordon Bennett races – the birth of international competition Leif Snellman Summer 2001 2024-04-04 There was considerable public concern about safety after the 1901 Gordon Bennett Cup, in which at least eight people had been killed, and severe accidents during the 24 May 1903 Paris-Madrid race where more than 200 cars competed over a distance of 800 mi km 0 but which had to be halted at Bordeaux because there had been so many accidents. To allay these fears the 1903 race was held over a closed course which had been carefully prepared for the event, and was marshalled by 7,000 police officers assisted by troops and club stewards, with strict instructions to keep spectators off the roads and away from corners.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-the-paris-madrid-and-gordon-be/144785006/ The Paris-Madrid and Gordon-Bennett Races The Times London 8 May 26, 1903 2024-04-04 Newspapers.comhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-knights-on-the-tiles/144785092/ Knights on the tiles The Daily Telegraph London 76 July 9, 2005 2024-04-04 Newspapers.com The route consisted of two loops in a figure eight, the first a 52 mi on loop including Kilcullen, The Curragh, Kildare, Monasterevin, Stradbally, and Athy, followed by a 40 mi on loop through Castledermot, Carlow, and Athy again. The race started at the Ballyshannon cross-roads (53.0853 N 6.82 W) near Calverstown on the contemporary N78 heading north, then followed the N9 north; the N7 west; the N80 south; the N78 north again; the N9 south; the N80 north; the N78 north again. The official timekeeper of the race was Mr. T. H. Woolen of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Ninety-one Chronographs for timing the race were supplied by the Anglo-Swiss firm Stauffer Son & Co. of La Chaux-de-Fonds and London. Competitors were started at seven-minute intervals and had to follow bicycles through the "control zones" in each town. The 328 mi km 0 on race was won by the famous Belgian Camille Jenatzy, driving a Mercedes in German colours.Leinster Leader, Saturday, 11 April 1903Bleacher report, The Birth of British motor racing It was "inferior in terms of horse power", but suited to Jenazy's driving style, and he turned in a spectacular performance.http://www.grandprixhistory.org/story.htm Grand Prix History – Organized Racing & The First Grand Prix Dennis David Sports Car Digest 2010-11-01 2024-04-04 His purse for the win was £8,000. thumb|Commemorative monument to the race in the Moat of Ardscull Classification right|frame|Magazine spread showing three Gordon Bennett Cup Teams in 1903: German Mercedes (top), USA Wintons and Peerless (middle) and British Napiers (bottom) PosDriverstarting forConstructorTime/Retired 1 Belgium Camille Jenatzy BEL Germany Mercedes 6:39:00 2 France René de Knyff FRA France Panhard 6:50:40 3 France Henry Farman FRA France Panhard 6:51:44 4 France Fernand Gabriel FRA France Mors 7:11:33 DSQ United Kingdom Selwyn Edge GBR Great Britain Napier 9:18:48 Outside assistanceRetBelgium Pierre de Caters BEL GermanyMercedesAxleRetUnited States 1896 Percy Owen USA USAWinton?RetUnited States 1896 Alexander Winton USA USAWinton?RetUnited States 1896 James Foxhall-Keene USA GermanyMercedesAxleRetUnited States 1896 Louis Mooers USA USAPeerless?RetUnited Kingdom Charles Jarrott GBR Great BritainNapierSteering/CollisionRetUnited Kingdom J.W. Stocks GBR Great BritainNapierCollisionSource:Beaulieu, p. 204 References 3 Bibliography Douglas-Scott-Montagu Edward The Gordon Bennett Races 1963 Cassell & Company Ltd. Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu London Category:Gordon Bennett Cup (auto racing) Gordon Bennett Cup Gordon Bennett Cup Category:July 1903 sports events in the United Kingdom Category:Auto races in Ireland