1902 ARDENNES CIRCUIT

1 9 0 2

32 Charles Jarrott
C. Jarrott
Panhard-Levassor

28 Fernand Gabriel
Société de Elctr.et d'Autom. Mors
Mors

27 William K. Vanderbilt jr
W. K.Vanderbilt jr.
Mors

1902 ARDENNES CIRCUIT RACE

Bastogne (B), 31 July 1902 (Thursday).
6 laps x 85.4 km (53.07 mi) = 512.4 km (318.4 mi)

No.	Driver	Entrant	Car	Type	Engine		Weight

	Heavy Car Category - 700 to 1000 kg
1	Baron Pierre de Crawhez	P. de Crawhez	Panhard-Levassor	70 hp	13.7	S-4
4	Evance Coppée	SA des Atteliers Germain	Germain	30 hp	1.5	S-4	915	kg
5	Roerlink Wattecamps	SA des Atteliers Germain	Germain	30 hp	1.5	S-4	945
12	Camille Jenatzy	Camille Jenatzy	Jenatzy	60 hp	1.5	S-4	1000
13	Baron Pierre de Caters	Société de Elctr.et d'Autom. Mors	Mors	60 hp	7.4	S-4
17	Fernand Charron	Charron, Girardot et Voigt	CGV	60 hp	7.4	S-4
18	Léonce Girardot	Charron, Girardot et Voigt	CGV	60 hp	7.4	S-4
19	Francois Giraud	Charron, Girardot et Voigt	CGV	60 hp	7.4	S-4			DNS - did not start
21	Claude Loraine Barrow	De Dietrich et Cie	De Dietrich	24 hp	4.2	S-4	980
22	Edward T. Stead	De Dietrich et Cie	De Dietrich	24 hp	4.2	S-4	965
27	William K. Vanderbilt jr.	W.K. Vanderbilt jr.	Mors	60 hp	9.2	S-4	999
28	Fernand Gabriel	Société de Elctr.et d'Autom. Mors	Mors	60 hp	9.2	S-4	985
29	"Augières"	Société de Elctr.et d'Autom. Mors	Mors	60 hp	9.2	S-4
30	Lucien Hautvast	Co. Belge de Construction Automb.	Pipe	24 hp	7.2	S-4
31	Georges Heath	G. Heath	Panhard-Levassor	70 hp	13.7	S-4	1000
32	Charles Jarrott	C. Jarrott	Panhard-Levassor	70 hp	13.7	S-4	1000
51	Count Elliott Zborowski	Count L. Zborowski	Mercedes Simplex	40 hp	6.6	S-4	998
69	Jean-Marie de Crawhez	J.M. de Crawhez	Panhard-Levassor	70 hp	13.7	S-4

	Light Car Category - 400 to 700 kg
2	Gaston Guders	SA Est. Panhard et Levassor	Panhard-Levassor	24 hp	6.5	S-4
6	Jaques Déchamps	Atteliers H Déchamps	Déchamps	20 hp		S-4	700
11	Léon Chisogne	SA des Atteliers Germain	Germain	20 hp		S-4	695
15	Ernst Kuhling	Atteliers Vivinus SA	Vivinus	20 hp		S-4
34	Albert Roland	Sté Gobron-Brillié	Gobron-Brillié	18 hp		S-4
35	Louis Rigolly	Sté Gobron-Brillié	Gobron-Brillié	18 hp		S-4	695
36	Count de Langril	L. Desmarais et Morane	Delahaye	16 hp		S-4	668
37	Perrin	L. Desmarais et Morane	Delahaye	16 hp		S-4	658
38	Henri Tart	Clément et Cie	Clément-Bayard	20 hp	2.0	S-4
40	Barbaroux	Clément et Cie	Clément-Bayard	20 hp	2.0	S-4
43	Léon Dernier	Sté Gobron-Nagant	Gobron-Nagant	18 hp		S-4
44	Victor Courard	Sté Gobron-Nagant	Gobron-Nagant	18 hp		S-4
53	René Hanriot	H. Deckert	Deckert	12 hp		S-4
54	"de la Touloubre"	Sté Decauville	Decauville	18 hp	4.2	S-4
55	Metayer	Sté Decauville	Decauville	18 hp	4.2	S-4
56	Léon Théry	Sté Decauville	Decauville	18 hp	4.2	S-4
57	Marot	Sté Decauville	Decauville	18 hp	4.2	S-4
58	Franz Ullmann	Sté Decauville	Decauville	18 hp	4.2	S-4
59	Henri Page	Sté Decauville	Decauville	18 hp	4.2	S-4
60	Dary	Sté des Usines Prunel	Prunel	24 hp		S-4
65	Edmond Morelle	Société A. Darracq	Darracq	24 hp	5.9	S-4
67	Collin	Société A. Darracq	Darracq	24 hp	5.9	S-4
70	Carel van der Heyden	SA Est. Panhard et Levassor	Panhard-Levassor	24 hp	4.9	S-4
72	Bertaux	SA Est. Panhard et Levassor	Panhard-Levassor	24 hp	4.9	S-4
75	Durand	Société de Elctr.et d'Autom. Mors	Mors	20 hp		S-4

	Voiturettes Category - 250 to 400 kg
10	Count de Villegas	G. Pellegrino	Belgica	10 hp		S-2	699
16	Loppart	Atteliers Vivinus	SA Vivinus	20 hp		S-2			DNS - did not start
41	Paul Volatum	Clément et Cie	Clément-Bayard	12 hp		S-4
48	Jean Corre	Sté Francaise des Automob. Corre	Corre	8 hp	0.9	S-1
49	Durand	Sté Passy-Thellier	Passy-Thellier	8 hp		S-2
61	Vilain	Sté des Usines Prunel	Prunel	12 hp		S-2	400
62	Lura	Sté des Usines Prunel	Prunel	12 hp		S-2
63	Jean-Jacques Thellier	Sté Passy-Thellier	Passy-Thellier	8 hp		S-2
	Note: A total of 23 cars did not appear, No. 3, 7, 8, 9, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 33, 39, 42, 45, 46, 47, 50, 52, 64, 66, 68, 71, 73, 74. Amongst those 23 cars were 5 Tourist starters, which are not listed in the above list. An additional 31 motorcycles and motor tricycles raced in the afternoon for two laps, which are also not shown in the report.

Jarrott wins the first Ardennes Circuit

by Hans Etzrodt

The 1902 Ardennes Circuit organized by the Belgian AC led the way for future racing which took place on circuits. Heavy cars, light cars and voiturettes, a total of 49 vehicles, raced all together around this 85.4 km dusty circuit. On the first lap Pierre de Crawhez on a 70 hp Panhard was quickest in just over 54 minutes at 95 km/h average speed. Corre in the fastest voiturette used 1 ½ hours for the same round. As a result, countless overtaking battles took place nonstop in the blinding dust dragged behind each of the 49 cars. Charron (C.G.V.) crashed when trying to pass "Augières" (Mors) and hit a stray cow hidden from view in the heavy dust. On the second lap de Caters (Mors) crashed passing another runner within the dust while Jenatzy blew a tire at top speed, trashing his car. On lap three Pierre de Crawhez crashed, also his brother Jean on another Panhard, both in blinding dust. On the third lap Théry collided with a large cow hidden in the dust. They all escaped serious injuries, except Jenatzy and his mechanician but nobody was killed.
Charles Jarrott (70 hp Panhard) and Fernand Gabriel (60 hp Mors), the fasted drivers led the heavy category, avoided any trouble, both fighting till lap six when Jarrott won nine minutes ahead of Gabriel. Vanderbilt (60 hp Mors) came third, Zborowski (40 hp Mercedes) fourth plus eight more finishers. Rigolly (18 hp Gobron-Brillié) running with alcohol, won the light category nine minutes ahead of Guders (24 hp Panhard), Edmond (24 hp Darracq) , Durand (20 hp Mors) and Berteaux (24 hp Panhard), followed by 12 other light car finishers. Corre, on his own car, won the voiturette category, Volatum (12 hp Clément-Bayard) came second, Lura (12 hp Prunel) third and Thellier (8 hp Passy-Thellier) last.

Right after the 4-day Paris-Vienna contest had finished end of June 2002, arrangements were made for organizing another race on 31st of July in Belgium. The Ardennes Circuit was a nonstop race from start to finish, without controls, no railway crossings, and without compulsory stoppages of any kind. It was the first effort, like an experiment, arranging this new type of circular race. Nothing of the same nature had been held before. Gerald Rose mentioned, until this time, the weak spot in the town-to-town races had been the controls. They were a constant source of error and mistake, both for the timekeepers and the competitors, and the honest competitor was handicapped by the frequent opportunities of gaining time which thus occurred to his more dishonest rival. Baron Pierre de Crawhez, a racing driver of the highest rank, president of the Royal Belgian Automobile Club Sporting Commission, and of the AC of Namur-Luxembourg in collaboration with count de Villegas, secretary of the Royal Belgian AC, organized the race.

Circuit:
The 85.4 km hilly Ardennes Circuit was driven in anticlockwise direction six times, a total distance of 512.4 km. The race was named after the dense Ardennes Forest with its rolling hills and ridges of Belgian provinces, Luxembourg, and Namur. The course passed through an area without any towns or large villages that would require neutralization. As a result, the race was without any mandatory stops. From the start at Bastogne at a 300-meter stretch of cobbled stone paving the road headed south-west for 25 km to Longlier along a straight road with some fast bends. At Longlier the course turned south-east for 23 km passing through some sharp turns, climbing up to Béhême village, then downhill to Habay la Neuve. At that juncture, the track led east, to soon turn north for 17.2 km to reach Martelange, near the Luxembourg border. The following section went further north for 20.2 km on an almost straight stretch to Bastogne, completing the 85.4 km circuit. It was hoped that the repeated passing of the cars over the same road would make the race much more interesting for the spectators. As there were no stops to cool tires and bearings, the race might be more a test of tires than of the cars themselves. Michelin and Continental had spread their workers all over the course, erecting tire depots and during the race nobody would have a problem obtaining water or fuel. The support of the drivers was excellent but despite this great service, most drivers did not make use of it since every stop, even only to fill up with fuel, meant a certain loss of time.

Entries:
Charron, Girardot et Voigt entered three 60 hp cars for Fernand Charron, Léonce Girardot and Francois Giraud, the same type seen at the Paris-Vienna race but without success.
De Diétrich 24 hp cars were driven by Phil Stead and Loraine Barrow who had raced a 15 hp De Diétrich in the light class at Paris-Vienna.
Mors 60 hp cars were run by William K. Vanderbilt jr., Fernand Gabriel, "Augières" and Baron Pierre de Caters. Vanderbilt drove the #27 Mors that was assigned to Fournier, who decided not to run. Vanderbilt only made it into the race by favor. As his entry was late, he could run but had to start last.
Panhard-Levassor 70 hp cars were not officially entered for the event and the four cars were driven by their owners. Baron Pierre de Crawhez ran the heavy Panhard previously driven by René de Knyff'in the Paris-Vienna race and was accompanied by the Chevallier's own man, Aristide, the very skillful motor car mechanician, according to Jarrott. His brother Baron Jean-Marie de Crawhez ran another heavy Panhard as did the American Georges Heath. The Englishman Charles Jarrott drove the same 70 hp Panhard which he ran at the Paris-Vienna race. The car was rushed from Vienna to Paris, to have the broken frame replaced and a new gearbox installed, likewise every part of the car was in perfect order just in time for the Ardennes race, but unable to practice on the circuit.
The Light Car Category had many entries, 20 hp Clément-Bayards for Tart and Barbaroux, Roland and Rigolly on Gobron-Brilliés, Guders and Berteaux on 24 hp Panhards, Edmond and Collin on 24 hp Darracqs, 18 hp Decauvilles driven by de la Touloubre, Théry, Marot, Ullmann and Page, Durand on a 20 hp Mors and Jaques Déchamps on one of his own cars.
The Voiturettes class comprised just eight entries, led by Count de Villegas on a 10 hp Belgica, while Vilain and Lura drove 12 hp Prunels, Volatum a 12 hp Clément-Bayard, Durand and Thellier with 8 hp Passy-Thelliers, and Jean Corre's own 8 hp car.
Tourist cars - Van der Speck in a heavy Germain #3 was the first of five tourist entries. "It seemed like farce to allow tourist-cars carrying four persons to wage unequal combat with the racers. The ones that started drove hopelessly far behind by the racing cars of corresponding weight."

Scrutineering:
The event started on 30. July at the Bastogne station, with scrutineering and weighing of the entrants. 57 competitors out of 75 entered came to complete the essential formality. The operation was managed by Baron Pierre de Crawhez. It was not necessary to proceed with the weighing of the motorcycles entered in the two-lap event, since their weights were not limited. Up to the last vehicle, it was sufficient to check whether the cars did not exceed the regulatory weight, i.e. 1,000 kilos for large cars, while the limit for light cars was raised from 650 to 700 kg and 400 kilos for small cars. Only a limited number of weights in kg was known and listed with all entries at the beginning of this report.

Timing, Scoring, Controversy and Variances:
Race numbers were according to the starting order.
1- Le Vélo has race number errors, results were incomplete, with errors at the finishing order.
2- La France Automobile has race numbers, the only one with intermediate lap-times used by Rose.
3- L'Auto-vélo has race number errors, incomplete start and finish list, no intermediate lap-times.
4-AAZ(A) and AAZ(D) have no race numbers, no intermediate lap-times, and other errors.
5-The Autocar (GB) has no race numbers, no intermediate times. It's a fair report with errors.
6-The Automotor Journal (GB) has a fine report with race numbers, only few intermediate lap times.
7- Automobile-et-le-Veloce (B) has no race numbers, no intermediate lap times.
The following five drivers had their names spelled differently in the various reports:
#36 Count de Langril also de Laugick or de Laugril or de Langery.
#41 Volatum also Vonlatum or Voulatum.
#58 Ullmann also Uhlmann.
#62 Lura also Luza.
#67 Collin also Collins or Colin.
The following eight drivers had faulty race numbers assigned:
#28 Gabriel also had #27.
#29 "Augières" also had #28.
#36 Count de Langril also had #37.
#37 Perrin also had #36.
#40 Barbaroux also had #39.
#43 Dernier also has #4.
#44 Courard also had #46 and #43.
#58 Ullmann also had #48.
There were endless variations between the eleven accounts used for this Ardennes Circuit report. The actual race numbers are now correct, also the proper spelling of drivers' names.
The intermediate lap times were printed only by La France Automobile and a limited few intermediate times also by The Automotor Journal. Gerald Rose utilized the LFA times in his book and this report also made use of the same times throughout this account, to calculate every individual Total Time. Each of these times has been rechecked, so adding up all lap times turns out the correct final times in the results.

Start:
Of the 75 vehicles listed, a total of 51 cars were entered, 18 Heavy Cars, 25 Light Cars and 8 Voiturettes, and a total of 49 cars started, not counting five Tourists on touring cars loaded with tourists.
The start at Bastogne was at a 300-meter stretch of cobbled stone paving. Exactly at one minute past five o'clock Baron Pierre de Crawhez was sent off on his Panhard and the others were started at intervals of a minute. The last to set out was Vanderbilt on the #27 Panhard that was assigned to Fournier, who decided not to run. Vanderbilt only scraped into the race by favor, as his was a late entry but allowed running on condition that he started last.

Time

Driver

Racing Car

Category

Remark