4 replies to this topic

[Graham Clayton]

In March of 1929, there were two Grand Prix races held in Antibes on successive days - the GP du Conseil Général Antibes followed by the GP Antibes.
Why was this so?

[Tim Murray]

Here are some earlier threads covering the races:

Grand Prix D'Antibes

1929 GP d'Antibes

Hans Stuck's accident, 1929 Grand Prix d'Antibes

It seems quite reasonable to me that the organisers would have run more than one race on their race weekend, but they might have avoided confusion by calling the minor race something other than 'Grand Prix'.

[Vitesse2]

The Prix du Conseil Général took place on Easter Sunday, March 31st and the Grand Prix d'Antibes on Easter Monday, April 1st. Both were part of a motor sport weekend at Antibes, the main events on the Sunday being motorcycle races.

Note that the Sunday race is not a "Grand Prix", merely a "Prix". It was for unsupercharged cars of up to 2 litres and attracted a field of just six - two Salmsons and four Bugattis. As there were three classes within that - 1100cc, 1500cc and 2000cc - the organisers had presumably been hoping for a somewhat larger field! Juan Zanelli led from the start but spun four times, leaving Étancelin to win by nearly two laps. The only other finisher was Signoret's Salmson.

[Tim Murray]

Note that the Sunday race is not a "Grand Prix", merely a "Prix".

Ah - right. I withdraw my implied slur on the event organisers. Thanks Richard.

[john medley]

I would argue a not unusual practice: several days of racing over a weekend(or even further into the week) with races of various calibre, perhaps motorcycles included. Given the location of Antibes, note similar" holiday coast " activities near, say, Monaco for a surfeit of 1920s hillclimbs and sprints over a few days for the not very impecunious