INDEPENDENT BEATS SCUDERIA FERRARI

SOMMER WINS THE COMMINGES G.P. RAPH SECOND AND HARTMANN THIRD. RACE RUN IN TWO HEATS AND A FINAL

In these days of highly organised scuderias it is indeed seldom that an independent driver can hope to win a big race. But such was the good fortune of Raymond Sommer at the Grand Prix du Comminges, which was held over the St. Gaudens circuit on August 4th. What is more, second and third places were also filled by independents, Raph and Hartmann, with the hot favourites, Chiron and Comotti on Ferrari Alfas ” nowhere.” Thus were the organisers compensated for a poor entry and the prospect of a monotonous race. Their first disappointment had occurred when the Subalpina Maseratis turned out to be old models and

slot the promised new V-Ss. For some time it was doubtful whether the Masers would arrive at all, because the lorry broke down twice on the way from Bologna, once at Limoges and again at -Cahors. The second disappointment was provided by Bugattis, who failed to send a car for Wimille, who was waiting impatiently at St. Gaudens.

For the first time the organisers altered the character of the race, from a long-distance event to two heats and a final. Six ears lined up for the first eliminotoire, which was to be over 10 laps of the 11 km. 005 circuit, or 110 km. 050 in all. The field was made up as follows : Chiron (Alfa-Romeo), Sommer (Alfa-Romeo), Etancelin (Maserati), Hartmann (Maserati), Raph (Alfa-Romeo) and Mine. Itier

at tyre, which was changed in 34 seconds. Sommer was now leading from Etancelin, Raph, and Hartmann. Sommer was obviously going to be difficult to catch, for he had fitted an entirely new, and possibly larger, engine tc his Alfa-Romeo after his complete blow-up in the Belgian G.P. The interest of the remainder of the race consisted of watching the progress of Chiron. When he left the pits he was 1 minute 7 seconds behind Sommer. After fve laps he was lying fourth, having caught

Hartmann. On the following circuit he passed Raph, and was driving at the very limit of his considerable powers and pick.

lag up five seconds on every lap. II is fastest lap had been covered in 4 minutes 10 seconds. However, in spite of clipping off another second, he could not hope to catch Etancelin, and the finishing order resolved itself into 1st Sommer, 2nd Etancelin and 3rd Chiron. Hartmann passed Raph before the finish.

Result of First Heat.

1. Sommer (Alfa-Romeo) 42m. 56,2s. 153.785 k.p.h.

2. Etancelin (Maserati) 43m. 11.2s.

3. Chiron (Alfa-Romeo) 43m. 25.4s.

4. Hartmann (Maserati) 45m. 37.4s.

5. Raph (Alfa-Romeo) 46m. 2.2s.

6. Mine. ltier (Bugatti) 1 lap behind.

The Ferrari representative in the second heat was Gianfranco Comotti, who won this same race last year on an Alfa-Romeo. With him on the starting line were Lehoux (Maserati), Zehender (Maserati), de Villapadierna (Maserati) and Mlle. Helle-Nice (Alfa-Romeo). Comotti was out to show the crowd what he could do, and his standing lap time of 4 minutes 16 seconds was exactly the same as that registered by Chiron in the first heat. He slowed down a bit after this, in response to pit signals, and his second lap was only one second faster than the

first. Zehender challenged the Ferrari driver for three laps, when his oil-pressure dropped to zero and he stopped to adjust the pump. The chase was taken up by Marcel Lehoux (Maserati),who was about 500 yards behind Comotti. Villapadierna was now third and Mlle. Helle-Nice fourth. Zehender restarted and had soon passed Mlle. Helle-Nice. He scrapped with the Spanish driver for some time, and finally disposed of him. Comotti continued his regular progress, and was leading Lehoux by the same margin as before when he flashed over the finishing line to the accompaniment of cheers from spectators in the

stand.

Result of Second Heat. 43m. 3.28. 153.368

1. Comotti (Alfa-Romeo) 43m. 3.28. 153.368 k.p.h.

2. Lehoitx (Maseratl) 43m. 32.f3s. 8. Zehender (Maserati) 45m. 52.8s.

4. De Villapadierna (Maserati) 46m. 32s.

5. Mlle. Rene-Nice (Aim-Romeo) 1 lap behind.

The final followed immediately after the second heat. This time the competitors had to cover 15 laps, or 165 k.m. 075.

Sommer, Comotti and Etancelin were in the front row ; Lehoux and Chiron in the second ; Raph, Zehender, and Hartmann in the third ; and Mlle. Helle-N ice, Villapadierna and Mine. Itier right at the back. The flag was dropped at 4.45 p.m. and all the drivers immediately showed that there was to be no holding back in this short race. Etancelin made a fine start, and was leading at the end of the first lap, followed by Lehoux, Comotti, Zehender, Sommer, Raph, Hartmann, Villapadierna, Chiron, Mlle. Helle-N ice and

Mme. Itier. Chiron’s engine was misfiring,, and he lost all hope of winning the race when he spent 2 minutes 45 seconds at the pits changing his plugs. Etancelin’s engine began to flag, and he was passed by Lehoux, Sommer and Zehender. Lehoux was driving with all his old dash, crouching in the cockpit. Sommer was not letting him get away with it, however, and the fierceness of the struggle whipped the crowd tofranticexcitement. At the beginning of the 5th lap Sommer passed his rival, and the rest of the field followed in this order : Zehender, Raph,

Etancelin, Haranann, Villapadierna, Chiron, Mlle. Helle-Nice and Mine. ‘tier.

Louis Chiron was driving like the wind in his endeavour to retrieve his lost position. The Ferrari position was now desperate, for Comotti had retired with a broken back axle. He covered one lap in 4 minutes 4 seconds, and was rapidly making up ground.

Lehoux had given up his chase of Sommer and was contenting himself with second place, at a distance of about half a mile. And so the cars started on their last lap, with little hope of a change in the order. But, as had happened at the Nurburg Ring the previous week, a coup de thedire gave the race a last-minute twist.

Raymond Sommer roared up the slope past the tribunes de Garenne to the plaudits of the crowd. But where was Lehoux? At the foot of the slope a blue Maserati appeared, travelling at a snail’s pace. It coughed to a standstill-the petrol tank was dry! On any other circuit Lehoux could have pushed the car across the line, but at St. Gaudens the finish is on a hill. And so there he remained, unplaced in the race. This unexpected turn of events gave Raph the second place, . and Hartmann third. Chiron was fourth, failing to catch the Hungarian by 5 seconds.

RESULT.

1. R. Sommer (Alfa-Romeo) lb. 3m. 46.28. 155.316 k.p.h.

2. Raph (Alfa-Romeo) 111. Om. 40.8s.

3. Hartmann (Maserati) 1.h. 7m, 47.48.

4. Chiron (Alfa-Romeo) lh. 7m. 52.28.

5. De Villapadlenia (Ma. ti) 1 lap behind. O. Etaneelin (Maserati) 1 lap behind.

7. Mlle. 11e116-Niee (Alfa-Romeo) 1 lap behind.

8. Mine. Hier (Bugatti) 2 laps behind.