1910 Grand Prix season

In the end only eight cars started, and their fears were justified: The three voiturettes cruised to victory, with Georges Boillot first, ahead of team-mates Giosue Giuppone and Jules Goux.

Lion-Peugeot arrived with two new models for the race: the tall, 280mm-stroke two-cylinder VX5 for Goux and Giuppone, while Boillot had a four-cylinder version.

Tragically though Giuppone was killed testing the new car two days before the race, when he crashed trying to avoid a cyclist on the road.

[13] The Playa del Rey, Los Angeles Motordrome was opened on 8 April as the USA’s first board speedway.

[8][14] Louis Chevrolet’s Marquette-Buick led for most of the race, until he crashed on lap 9, killing his riding-mechanic Charlie Miller.

This attracted the attention of (Fiat Automobiles|FIAT) and Benz who sent their drivers Felice Nazzaro and Louis Wagner for the former and Victor Hémery for the latter.

They also got top American drivers for their other cars: Ralph DePalma (FIAT), David Bruce-Brown and Willie Haupt (Benz).

From fifteen starters, the European cars took control but a series of issues stymied them: Hémery burst a tyre, Nazzaro and Haupt had accidents, Wagner had broken suspension and DePalma’s engine expired.

In the end Hémery crossed the line first, but it was Bruce-Brown who won on time-elapsed, finishing a bare 1.5 seconds ahead – to the joy of the local spectators.

[8][16] At the end of the year, Ray Harroun was crowned AAA National Champion after victories at Playa del Rey, Indianapolis and Atlanta.

[8][17] In March Barney Oldfield took the 21-litre Blitzen Benz to Daytona Beach and set a new Land Speed Record of 212.02,930.66 km/h (1,821.03 mph).