Victor Hémery facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Victor Hémery |
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Hémery in 1910
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| Born | Victor Théodore Eugène Hémery 18 November 1876 Sillé-le-Guillaume, Sarthe, France |
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| Died | 8 September 1950 (aged 73) Le Mans, Sarthe, France |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| Major victories Vanderbilt Cup (1905) |
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| First race | 1911 American Grand Prize (Savannah) | ||||||
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Victor Hémery (born November 18, 1876 – died September 9, 1950) was a famous French racing driver. He is best known for winning the important Vanderbilt Cup race in 1905.
Victor Hémery's Racing Journey
Victor Hémery was born in Sillé-le-Guillaume, France. In 1904, he started working for a car company called Automobiles Darracq France. His job was to be their main car tester. He also helped get their cars ready for big races like the Gordon Bennett Cup. He even won a race in Hamburg, Germany, driving an Opel-Darracq car.
A Champion Year: 1905
The year 1905 was one of Victor Hémery's most successful.
- In August, he won the Circuit des Ardennes race in Belgium, driving a Darracq car.
- In October, he won the famous Vanderbilt Cup in New York. He beat other great drivers like Louis Chevrolet.
- On December 30, 1905, Hémery set a new land speed record in France. He drove his Darracq car at an amazing speed of 109.65 mph (176.46 km/h) (about 176.46 kilometers per hour)!
Moving to Benz and More Wins
In 1907, Hémery left Darracq and joined another car company called Benz & Cie..
- In 1908, he won a race from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
- He also finished second in the French Grand Prix that year.
- Later in 1908, he came in second again at the 1908 American Grand Prize in Savannah, Georgia.
On November 8, 1909, Victor Hémery set another speed record. He reached 202.691 km/h (125.946 mph) (about 126 miles per hour) at a place called Brooklands. He was driving a very famous car known as the "Blitzen Benz" (which means "Lightning Benz" in German).
In 1910, his Benz team did very well at the American Grand Prize. They finished just behind the winner, making it a very close race. In 1911, Hémery won the Grand Prix de France while driving a FIAT S61 car.
Victor Hémery passed away in Le Mans, France, on September 9, 1950. He was 73 years old.
