Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/02
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I think I read, in the articles that surrounded the Long Beach Grand Prix this year, that Dan Gurney and Phil Hill talked about how it was usually a lap or so before they could get their seat belts fastened after the start of LeMans! I was saddened to hear that Phil Hill has Parkinson's Disease. I met him in San Francisco in, I think, 1965. They were holding a road race in the parking lot of Candlestick Park and he was driving one of the Ford GT roadsters that was entered. I remember I got to sit in the car (it had right-hand drive) and that the clutch throw was about 1/2" or so. The only racing car I have ever sat in. Somewhere I have a picture of the car - I took about a zillion. Adam On 5/1/06, Peter Dzwig <pdzwig@summaventures.com> wrote: > Philippe, Arche, > > Quoting from Brain Laban's book, "Le Mans 24 Hours, The complete story... > > "In 1925 the start was held for the first and only time on the Mulsanne > Straight...The pits and start-line grandsatnd moved with it because the > owner of > the land normally used had asked for too much money as the crowds > continued to > grow. This meant that it was Hunaudieres that witnessed the birth of ...the > running Le Mans start. > > as The Motor colourfully described it, 'As the loudspeaker gave out the > final > warnings the competitors' cars were parked diagonally down the right-hand > side > of the road wioth the hoods folded and strapped down and with doors shut. > The > drivers stood tense and expectant on the other side of the course. Slowly > the > minutes ticked by until, with the dropping of a great flag and a stentorian > "Partez!" from gargantuan loudspeakers the drivers raced for their cars, > erected > their hoods with all possible speed, leaped in, depressed the starter > button, > and roared off'" > > The race continued to start in this way until 1970. > > I presume that the diagonal parking was caused by the limited space on the > road/shoulder at that point after the stands and pits had been put in > place. > > Cars not only had to run with hoods, they had to be driven for a fixed > distance > with the hoods up. All repairs in the early days had to be effected by the > driver and he was not allowed to receive outside assistance on pain of > disqualification. That went for refuelling too. > > It was after all originally envisaged as a strict test of the usability of > the > cars for daily use, where a "works team" would not be to hand! In fact the > winner of the Rudge-Whitworth Cup (the main prize) was only determined over > three races held in consecutive years. This is part of the reason that > there are > so many classifications for efficiencey. > > Peter Dzwig > > Arche, Harvey wrote: > > > Philippe wrote, re: Lemans start - > > > > Loved this warp back in time, Arche. > > > > I've always wondered: what is the reason for/origin of this typical > > > > start procedure: running to the car, etc instead of a grid start? > > > > > > > > Some one else may know for certain, but I believe that, under the rules > > for these classes of automobiles at the time, cars had to be startable > > without outside ignition help- ie: had to have battery, ignition switch, > > and starter motor built-in. Essentially they were jumped up road cars. I > > believe they were also required to have at least a nominal trunk and > > carry a spare tire. The race began from an absolute dead stop. Also- > > what a spectacle! > > > > Arche > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >