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Dario Resta is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- 2 September 1924), nicknamed "Dolly", was an Italian Briton race car driver. Raised in
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from the age of two, he began racing there starting in 1907. He took part in the Montagu Cup the very first race of the now historic
BrooklandsBrooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
track. He set a record of 95.7 mi/h in a half-mile run a few years later. After competing in
Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
in Europe, including the
1913 French Grand PrixThe 1913 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Amiens on 12 July 1913.-The Race:The restriction on Grand Prix cars for 1913 included an minimum weight and an maximum weight, as well as a fuel consumption limit.....
, he went to the U.S.
Coming to America
In early 1915 he was brought to the United States by Alphonse Kaufman, an America importer of
PeugeotPeugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
s, to drive Kaufman's
Peugeot EX3The Peugeot EX3 was a Peugeot race car c. 1912–1914 with a four-cylinder engine. The car driven by Dario Resta won the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup in San Francisco, California and the United States Grand Prix....
. In February he won the
United States Grand PrixThe United States Grand Prix is a motor race which has been run on and off since 1908, when it was known as the American Grand Prize. The race later became part of the Formula One World Championship. Over 41 editions, the race has been held at nine locations, most recently in 2007 at the...
at San Francisco followed by a victory in the
Vanderbilt CupThe Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.-History:An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held at a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. The announcement that the race was to be held caused...
. After leading during the final stages of that year's
Indianapolis 500The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
, he finished second to
Ralph DePalmaRalph De Palma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races...
when his car skidded and he had to make a pitstop for tires. Resta then drove his blue Peugeot to victory in the inaugural 500 miles (804.7 km) race on the
board trackBoard track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century. Competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks...
at the Chicago Speedway on 26 June 1915. The race received eighteen pages of coverage in the 1 July 1915, issue of
Motor Age magazine.
The following year in 1916, en route to winning the
United States National Driving ChampionshipSince 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
, Resta repeated as the winner of the Vanderbilt Cup plus he won the Indianapolis 500, the Chicago 300, the Minneapolis 150 and the Omaha 150 races.
With
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
raging in Europe and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entering the war in 1918 races were reduced to a minimum. During 1918 Resta drove a Peugeot at a race in Sheepshead Bay,
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, a minor event with only a handful of racing drivers. During this time Resta dedicated his time to his business and moved his family to
Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. During his time in California, Resta created a small racing track at
Buttonwillow, CaliforniaButtonwillow is a census-designated place in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California, United States. Buttonwilliow is located west of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 269 feet . The population was 1,508 at the 2010 census, up from 1,266 at the 2000 census...
; the track still exists and is used by racing fans to this day.
Comeback years
In 1923 Resta returned to racing, now 39 years of age his first appearance was in
Beverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. Next he made another attempt at Indy again, was but forced out of the race after 225 miles (362.1 km). Racing in Europe, Resta finished 3rd in the
Penya Rhin Grand PrixThe Penya Rhin Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor racing event staged at the three different circuits in three different eras in Spain. The race was held intermittently over its history, sometimes for full-size Grand Prix cars, sometimes for sports cars. In the 1920s, it was held at a street circuit...
, and won the
voituretteVoiturette is a word mostly used to describe a miniature automobile; however, it has several nuanced meanings, depending largely on the usage date.-History:...
class at the
Spanish Grand PrixThe Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One race currently held at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the annual Formula One championship season.-History:...
. He drove for Sunbeam in the 1924 season with teammates
Henry Segrave-External links:* * * * *...
and
Kenelm Lee GuinnessKenelm Edward Lee Guinness MBE was a racing driver of the 1910s - 1920s. He was part of the Guinness brewing family, and a director of the company.- Beginnings in motor racing :...
.
Death
Dario Resta was killed in 1924 at the age of 42 when his racecar crashed at the
BrooklandsBrooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
racecourse in England while trying for a new
land speed recordThe land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
. Resta was driving a Sunbeam when a security belt on his car broke which in turn punctured Resta's tire sending him out of control.
This accident also hospitalized his riding-mechanic, Bill Perkins, causing him to miss the
San Sebastian Grand PrixThe San Sebastián Grand Prix was an automobile race held at the Circuito Lasarte near San Sebastián, Spain.During most of its existence, it was the main race event in Spain, since the Spanish Grand Prix had not yet been properly established as a grand prix race...
a few weeks later. Perkins was Sunbeam driver
GuinnessKenelm Edward Lee Guinness MBE was a racing driver of the 1910s - 1920s. He was part of the Guinness brewing family, and a director of the company.- Beginnings in motor racing :...
's regular mechanic and so was substituted by
Tom BarrettTom Barrett was an English motor-racing riding mechanic. His death in the 1924 San Sebastian Grand Prix brought an end to the practice of riding mechanics in two-seat racing cars....
. Guinness suffered a serious crash during this race, in which Barrett was killed. This crash led to the end of the practice of carrying riding-mechanics during races.
Indy 500 results
| Year |
Car |
Start |
Qual |
Rank |
Finish |
Laps |
Led |
Retired |
| 1915 Results of the 1915 Indianapolis 500 held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1915.-Notes:1 - Louis Chevrolet is usually shown as American but his application for a US passport reveals that he did not become a US citizen until June 1915...
|
3 |
3 |
98.470 |
3 |
2 |
200 |
37 |
Running |
| 1916 Results of the 1916 300-Mile International Sweepstakes Race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1916.The race is notable because it covered because of World War I, and it was the only Indianapolis 500 scheduled for less than ....
|
17 |
4 |
94.400 |
4 |
1 |
120 |
103 |
Running |
| 1923 Results of the 1923 Indianapolis 500 held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1923....
|
4 |
3 |
98.020 |
8 |
14 |
88 |
0 |
Differential |
| Totals |
408 |
140 |
|
|
| Starts |
3 |
| Poles |
0 |
| Front Row |
2 |
| Wins |
1 |
| Top 5 |
2 |
| Top 10 |
2 |
| Retired |
1 |
|
External links