Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume III

328 ENGINEERING WONDERS OF THE WORLD. THE CAR WHICH WON THE GORDON-BENNETT RACE OF 1903. BARAS ON ONE OF THE DARRACQ RACERS OF 1904. On this car he held for over a year the world’s flying kilometre record, at the rate of 105 miles an hour. These were the first heavy lacing cars built by tbe Darracq firm, and were not very successful in the long-distance races. also the principal driver of th© German team, and had a fierce duel with Théry, who won for France by about ten min- utes. Of the two, the German car—a 90 horse- power Mercedes—was the more powerful; but Théry had a sympathetic and regular method of driving, which gave him the ad- vantage over his rival, although the latter knew the course far better, having prac- tised regularly for weeks beforehand. This practising has become a very important point in racing. When fifths of a second are valuable, it is of the greatest importance to know exactly the highest speed at which every bend and corner may be taken without disaster, and conse- quently the driver who kpows his circuit by heart stands a very good chance in the race if his car is fast enough. At this point in the de- velopment of the racing vehicle the building of such cars became a science to itself. Abnor- mal speeds over long distances try the engines to the utmost, and it was found that it was no longer sufficient to put a powerful engine into a chassis that came just within the weight limit, and enter it for the great races. Such had hitherto been standard practice, but by degrees the manufacturers found that they Practical Results of Racing. JENATZY ON A 120 HORSE-POWER RACER OF 1905. The Cup having been won for Germany by Jenatzy, the Gordon-Bennett race of 1904 took place on a circuit starting from Homburg, in the Taunus. Jenatzy was on this occasion