Firsts and Lasts in Motorsports

[Stan Reid]

First American driver to lead in F1/WC points:

Johnnie Parsons with 9 points after the third 1950 event (tied with Nino Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio)

[Stan Reid]

First F1/WC event without any supercharged engines:

1952 Swiss Grand Prix

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[Stan Reid]

First car to compete in a F1/WC event without spark ignition:

Jimmy Jackson's Kurtis Kraft-Cummins in the 1950 Indianapolis 500-I6 with compression ignition

Last car to compete in a F1/WC event without spark ignition:

Emerson Fittipaldi's Lotus 56B-Pratt & Whitney in the 1971 Italian Grand Prix-Turbine with glow plug ignition

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[Stan Reid]

First sparkless-Indy500CumminsDiesel1950.jpg-click to enlarge

[Stan Reid]

Last sparkless-ef-i71.jpg-click to enlarge

[Stan Reid]

The first and last Grand Prix cars with a mechanically driven supercharger:

First: Willie Haupt's Chadwick that DNFed in the 1908 American Grand Prix

Last: Didier Pironi's Comprex blown Ferrari 126 CX that practiced for the 1981 U.S. Grand Prix West but did not qualify

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[Stan Reid]

The first and last engines to win the Indianapolis 500 with a mechanically driven supercharger:

First: A Duesenberg straight-8 codriven by Lora Lawrence Curum and Joe Boyer in the 1924 event

Last: A Sparks straight-6 driven by George Robson in the 1946 race

[Stan Reid]

The first and last engines to win the Indianapolis 500 with a mechanically driven supercharger:

First: A Duesenberg straight-8 codriven by Lora Lawrence Curum and Joe Boyer in the 1924 event

Last: A Sparks straight-6 driven by George Robson in the 1946 race

I believe that 1924 was also the first year engines with a mechanically driven supercharger competed in the 500. The last year, not counting the turbines of 67 and 68, were some Offenhausers in 1966 with a Roots type supercharger.

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[Stan Reid]

The first use of fuel injection in a WC event: Six Offenhauser powered cars fitted with Hilborn Fuel Injection and Jimmy Jackson's Cummins Diesel Special in the 1950 Indianapolis 500

The last use of carburetors in a WC event: Ronnie Bucknum's Honda RA271 that finished 13th in the 1964 German Grand Prix

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[Stan Reid]

First and last American drivers to finish in the top 10 at the French Grand Prix:

First-George Heath who came in sixth at the 1906 event driving a Panhard

Last-Scott Speed who came in tenth at the 2006 event driving a Toro Rosso/Cosworth

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