The Gordon Bennett Races
First run from Paris to Lyons in 1900, this race was for a trophy
provided by the newspaper owner James Gordon Bennett of the New York
Herald to help promote the motor industry. It was an open road race
until 1903, when it was held on the Athy circuit in 1903. Bennett
withdrew his sponsorship in 1905 due to politics, but the idea of
Grand Prix racing was born.