Today Grand Prix motor racing is celebrating its centennial. The first official race was held near Le Mans, France, on 26 June 1906. The starting field of 32 cars raced over a 64-mile course; eleven cars remained after 12 laps, split over two days. The winner was Ferenc Szisz, driving a 90hp Renault. Szisz was able to save time changing tires: Michelin had created detachable rims for his car, and it took only 2-3 minutes to change a tire, rather than the usual 15 minutes. Talk about high tech!

While we are on the subject, check out the bio of the youngest-ever Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (1841-1914). A newspaper publisher (founder of what today is the International Herald Tribune) and sports enthusiast, Commodore Bennett played a signifcant role in the early days of motorsport as well.

Of course, by 1906 the America's Cup had been in existence for 55 years. In addition to the original 1851 race around the Isle of Wight there had been 12 defenses.

So happy birthday to GP motor racing, a relative spring chicken vis-à-vis the America's Cup -- the oldest trophy in international sports.


Crew of the yacht Reliance, the largest sloop ever built. In 1903, at the
dawn of GP motorsport, Reliance won the 12th defense of the America's
Cup against Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock III.