14 Europeans and 6 Americans in 1908 American Grand Prize in Savannah:
Louis Wagner
- Fiat
Born in Paris, France, 1881. Won 1906 Vanderbilt Cup in a Darracq. Won the 1908 American Grand Prize
in Savannah, Georgia.
Victory Hemery - Benz
Born in Mans, Germany, 1876. Won Vanderbilt
Cup race on Long Island in 1905 in a Darracq. Won Ardennes and numerous hill climbs. 2nd in the American Grand Prize
in Savannah, Georgia 1908. Second in American Grand Prize in Savannah, Georgia, 1910. Fastest lap in Savannah in 1911.
Won French Grand Prix in 1911. Nicknamed "The Surly One".
Felice Nazzaro - Fiat
Born
in Turin, Italy in 1881. First competed at age 19 with Vicenzo Lancia, while both were employed by Fiat. First win was
in a Panhard in 1903. Won 2nd place in the Gordon Bennett Cup at Auvergne in 1905 driving a Fiat. Another
2nd place in 1906 at the French Grand Prix at Le Mans. Driving for Fiat again in 1907, he won the Italian Targa Florio
in Sicily, the French Grand Prix at Dieppe. After which, he began building his own cars, and with these won the Targa
Florio in 1913 and the Coppo Florio (Florio Cup) in 1914, both in Sicily. Nazzarro moved his head offices to Florence, Italy at
the end of World War I. In 1922 he won the Grand Prix of France in Strasbourg. Nazzaro also placed
well in the German Kaiser Pries and Brooklands, England. He was employed by Fiat until he passed away in 1940.
Rene Hanriot - Benz
Born in France. Ran out of fuel in the American Grand Prize in 1908 then
proceeded to push his car across the finish line, refuel it and attempt to back up over the course to return to his pit.
Had his tires shot out by Capt. Davant of the State Militia for refusing an order to stop. Hanriot later apologized
and sent his gloves and helmet to Capt Davant as a gift.
Lucien Hautvast - Clement-Bayard
Born in the Dutch province of Limbourg in 1865, Lucien raced from 1899 to 1912. He drove a De Dion in the
Brussels-SPA in 1899, and both a De Dion and Vivinus in 1900 at Anversois. He placed 3rd at Circuit des Ardennes
in a Pipe and ran these cars very successfully over the next several years until 1907. Placing 1st at Spa and Ostende
in 1903. In 1905, he had another win at the Liedekerke Cup. In the Kaiser Prize of 1907 he placed second.
In the year 1908, Lucien began driving for Clement-Bayard where he finished 1st at Ostende and 5th in the American Grand Prize
at Savannah. He brought Clement-Bayard two more victories in 1911 at the Meuse Cup and Ostende. His
final races were in 1912 at the Grand Prix de l'A.C.B, Ostende, and Liedekerke. He finished his final year
with another victory for Clement-Bayard at the Ostende Grand Prix, however due to injuries in earlier years and the beginning
of World War I, Hautvast never raced again. Hautvast passed away in 1923.
Louis
Strang - Renault
Born in America. Placed 6th and was first American driver to finish the American Grand Prize
in Savannah.
Henri Fournier - Itala
Born in Italy. A pioneer race car driver who survived
one of the first ever railway crossing accidents. Came out of retirement for the AGP in Savannah.
Arthur
Duray - De Dietrich
Joe Seymour - Simplex
Born in America.
Hugh
Harding - National
Born in America.
Fritz Erle - Benz
Alessandro
Cagno - Itala
Born in Italy.
Frank K. Mulford - Lozier
Born in America. Made
and broke the world's 24 hour records in 1907-1908, including Victories in Brighton Beach and Fairmount Park. Won
Elgin National Stock Chassis Competition in 1910. 2nd place in Fairmount Park Road Race sweepstakes, winning his class
1910.
Francois Szisz - Renault
Szisz was the winner of the world's first Grand Prix.
Born in Hungary, Szisz was the teammate of Louis Renault. He drove in the Gordon Bennett Cup in 1905 but mechanical
failure prevented his finish. He had more success at the Vanderbilt Cup in 1905 where he placed 5th. In 1906,
he won a victory for Renault at the French Grand Prix with a 32 minute lead by the race end. His speed averaged 64.6
mph. In 1907 he finished 2nd in the French Grand Prix. In 1914 he drove an Alda at the Lyons Grand Prix, where
he was injured during the race when another driver struck him. A true road racing fanatic, Szisz got back in the
game and drove a Lorraine-Dietrich in Anjou only 3 weeks after his injury. He won the event. Just a few days later,
World War I broke out and Szisz returned to Hungary and did not race again.
Len Zengle -
Acme
Born in America - Ohio, March 15, 1887.
Giovanni Piacenza - Itala
Willie Haupt - Chadwick
Born in America. Known as the Hill Climb King.
Robert
"Wild Bob" Burman - Marquette-Buick
Born in American (Imlay, Michigan 1884). Drove for
Barney Oldfield. Placed 3rd in the 1910 American Grand Prize Known as "The Speed King".
Victor
Rigal - Clement-Bayard
Ralph De Palma - Fiat
Born Itay 1884, De
Palma was an Italian-American who immigrated to USA at age of 8. He raced for 27 years, winning an astounding 2000 first
places. His career spanned from 1908 through 1935. De Palma started out as a riding mechanic, but due to a driver
injury in 1908 at Briarcliffe, he was placed in the driver's seat. De Palma was the US Dirt Track Champion in 1910
and 1911. He placed 3rd in the American Grand Prize in Savannah in 1911, 5th in American Grand Prize 1912, and 4th in American
Grand Prize in 1915. He won the Vanderbilt Cup in 1912 and 1914 in a Mercedes and again in 1916. Other cars he drove
included a Ballot, and he won at Elgin in 1920 and Beverly Hills in 1921. He placed 2nd in the French Grand Prix of 1921.
De Palma was also famous at Indy. He raced bicycles, motorcycles and formed Ralph De Palma Automobiles.
Harry Michener - Lozier
(injured unable to compete in the AGP and replaced by Ralph Mulford)