The 1906 French Grand Prix was held June 26 and 27 outside the city of Le Mans, France on public roads, which were closed for the race. Organized by Automobile Club de France (ACF), the ACF chose a 64-mile course which consisted primarily of dust roads sealed with tar that would need to be lapped six times on both days, for a total of 769.36 miles. Hot weather conditions melted the tar on the roads, which caused the cars to kick up chunks of road into the faces of other drivers, blinding them and making the racing treacherous. J. Edmond, driving a Renault, had an especially difficult time. His broken goggles allowed more tar to seep past, and rendered him nearly blind. His attempts to change the goggles at a pit stop were rejected by officials on the grounds that equipment could not be replaced mid-race. Switching out a driver was not allowed either, so he continued for two more laps before retiring. 17 cars completed the first day. Henri Rougier, driving a Lorraine-Dietrich, finished last, 2.5 hours behind Szisz. And this was just day one of the 1906 French Grand Prix!
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