Firsts and Lasts in Motorsports

[Stan Reid]

The first straight-8s to compete in a F1 WC event:

Four Alfa Romeo 158s that ran in the 1950 British Grand Prix finishing 1-4 driven in order by Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell

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[Stan Reid]

The first V-8s to compete in a WC event:

Two Kurtis Kraft Novis that DNFed in the 1951 Indianapolis 500 driven by Duke Nalon and Chet Miller

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[Stan Reid]

The first V-8 to compete in a WC GP event:

An AFM-Kuchen that DNFed in the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix driven by Hans Stuck

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[Stan Reid]

The first V-8 Formula 1 cars to compete in a WC F1 GP event:

A pair of Lancia D50s that DNFed in the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix driven by Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi

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[D-Type]

First "Boxer" engine to start in a F1 GP - the twin cylinder supercharged DB-Panhards driven by Claude Store3z and Paul Armagnac in the 1955 Pau GP

[Stan Reid]

The last straight-8 to compete in a F1 race:

A Gordini T32 driven by Hermanos da Silva Ramos that placed 6th in the non-Championship 1957 Pau Grand Prix

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I believe Ferrari had a transverse mounted air cooled staight-8 F1 car on the drawing boards in the 1960s but it was never raced or, to my knowledge, even built. If true, I suppose that was the last time this engine layout was even considered in F1.

[Stan Reid]

The first and, so far, last Formula One engine to operate at a speed greater than 25,000 rpm (gear reduced before output shaft):

The Pratt & Whitney STN 6/76 turbine in the 1971 Lotus 56B

[Stan Reid]

First major multi-lap motor race held on a closed course and thus the first proto-Grand Prix:

The 6 lap (run anti-clockwise) (318 mile) Circuit des Ardennes race run at Bastogne, Belgium in 1902.

1st-Charles Jarrott in a Panhard 70 at 5h53m39.6s
2nd-Fernand Gabriel in a Mors Z
3rd-William K. Vanderbilt in a Mors Z
4th-Count Eliot Zborowski in a Mercedes

[Stan Reid]

First major (or perhaps any) motor race held on a figure-8 course:

The Gordon Bennett Cup Race held at Athy, Ireland in 1903.

1st-Camille Jenatzy in a Mercedes at 6:39:00
2nd-Rene de Knyff in a Panhard
3rd-Henry Farman in a Panhard
4th-Fernand Gabriel in a Mors

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[D-Type]

The Athy circuit wasn't really a figure of 8. There were two loops with a common section about 20km long. The 1st, 3rd and 5th claps were on the shorter clockwise 65 km loop while the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 7th laps were on the longer anti-clockwise 83km loop. Remember this was in Ireland ....!
See a map here http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/athy.html

In some years the Mille Miglia ran on a figure of 8 route passing through Bologna twice, but not actually crossing.