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Vul. Vitovskoho – former part of Lviv Grand-Prix track

ID: 2163

The car race Gran Prix Lviv started in 1930 and had been held until 1933. In total, there were four events. In September, 1930, the race started at the then street of ul. Pełczyńska (presently Vitovskoho), ran along ul. Kadecka (vul. Heroyiv Maydanu), and then turned back to Pełczyńska to the finish. The participants had to run 100 rounds, to make up 305 km.

History

Lviv citizens got to know motor racing in 1923 when a rally circuit was running through the city. On September, 8, 1925, Galician Motor Club founded in 1907 organized the First Galician Motor Racing. In 1930, they grew into an international race Grand Prix Lviv (Атоян, 1995, 10). The winner was Henryk Liefeld, the then champion of Poland in motor racing (with the motor vehicle "Austro-Daimler").

Following him, the Grand Prix Lviv was taken by Germans Hans Stuck von Wiliz in 1931 (motor vehicle "Mercedes-Benz SSK"), Rudolf Caracciola in 1932 (motor vehicle "Alfa-Romeo 8C-2600"), a Norwegian Eugen Björnstad in 1933 (motor vehicle "Alfa-Romeo 8C-2600"), and a French racer Pierre Weiron in 1933 (motor vehicle "Bugatti 51А", small class, up to 1.5 l). As to women, in the same year, the winner was a French lady Anette Rose-Itier. Afterwards, during the last, the fourth Grand Prix Lviv, they decided not to have the racing (Атоян, 1995, 12; Автомобілеві перегони, 1933, 123). Motor racing caused great interest with the Lvivians. The twists and turns were followed by some 50 thousand viewers.

Architecture

The participants of the racing started at the filled Pełczyński pond (in front of the main entrance to the present Bohdan Khmelnytskyi Park of Culture and Recreation). On the site, stands for viewers were installed on both sides of the street. They were assembled of wooden structures and had 15 rows to seat up to 1000 viewers.

The racers speeded sped up their vehicles along the ul. Pełczyńska and drove to Prus square (presently Ivan Franko square), then – to ul. Stryiska. This section of the circuit usually attracted most of spectators, that is why safety fencing was installed on both sides of the street. Going up ul. Stryiska the motorists reached the downward part of ul. Kadecka (now vul. Heroyiv Maydanu), and then they quickly drove down back to ul. Pełczyńska (vul. Vitovskoho). It was the most spectacular section of the circuit and the most dangerous, too. Therefore, the safety fencing was also installed here on both sides of the street. When on ul. Pełczyńska, the racers sped to the finish line in front of the stands. Simultaneously, each further circuit started here.

Personalities

Winners of the races:

Henryk Liefeld (Poland) – in 1930.
Hans Stuck von Wiliz (Germany) – in 1931.
Rudolf Caracciola (Germany) – in 1932.
Eugen Björnstad (Norway) – in 1933.
Pierre Weirone  (France) – in 1933.
Annette Rose-Itier (France) –  in 1933 (women).

Sources

  1. Атоян Артем, Нарис з історії автомобільних перегонів Гран-Прі Львова (Львів, 1995), 8–12.
  2. Автомобілеві перегони, Новий час, 1933, Ч. 123, 5 вересня.
  3. Автомобілеві перегони у Львові, Новий час, 1933, Ч. 129, 14 вересня.

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