100th year after the first motor race ever (Paris-Rouen 1994), racing news and discussion groups now have a new home on the emerging world wide web.
1994-07-22 Motorsport News International (located at www.motorsport.com) provides news, results, race reports and other information about motorsports of all types through the Internet. We started aggregating content back in April and today, which also marks the 100th anniversary of motor racing, we are finally lauching our publishing platform on the world wide web (WWW).
Sources of information
While our primary conduit of information is the Usenet newsgroup (rec.autos.sport.info), we also provide the same information through the facilities of the World Wide Web and through a digest format mailing list. In addition, we exchange information with other selected online services on a quid pro quo basis
Even though our coverage is the most extensive for Formula One, IndyCars and NASCAR, we aim to cover all types of auto racing, from road racing to stock cars, from midgets to rallies, and from dragsters to touring cars.
If you are interested in contributing, email your articles (or questions and/or comments) to the MNI editors at info@motorsport.com. We are always looking for more sources of information.
100 years of motor racing
On the same day that we are taking motor racing into a new era in publishing, we are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of motor racing, nothing less.
100 years ago, the Paris–Rouen, Le Petit Journal Competition for Horseless Carriages (Concours du 'Petit Journal' Les Voitures sans Chevaux), was a pioneering city-to-city motoring competition in 1894. Some anglophone sources call it a race, a rally or a trial, and it is sometimes described as the world's first competitive motor race although the initial announcement stated that "it will not be a race".
The competition was organised by the newspaper Le Petit Journal and run from Paris to Rouen in France on 22 July 1894. It was preceded by four days of vehicle exhibition and qualifying events that created great crowds and excitement. The eight 50 km (31 mi) qualifying events started near the Bois de Boulogne and comprised interwoven routes around Paris to select the entrants for the 127 km (79 mi) main event.
The first driver across the finishing line at Rouen was Jules-Albert, Comte de Dion but he did not win the main prize because his steam vehicle needed a 'stoker' and was thus ineligible. The fastest petrol powered car was a 3 hp (2.2 kW; 3.0 PS) Peugeot driven by Albert Lemaître. The premier prize, the 5,000 franc Prix du Petit Journal, for 'the competitor whose car comes closest to the ideal' was shared equally by manufacturers Panhard et Levassor and The sons of Peugeot brothers, with vehicles that were 'easy to use'.