[faksta]

In 1906 French newspaper, L’Auto, wrote to Avtomobil magazine with a proposal to organize the first automotive exhibition in Russia. But since the magazines couldn’t arrange for the event themselves, they’ve involved RAO. In May, 1907 the exhibition in St.-Petersberg opened its doors for public. France, which considered Russian market a great piece of cake, presented 30 makes. To compare, their biggest rival on Russian automotive market – Germany – showed only 13 manufacturers. Among the others, some domestic companies showed their production – Lessner, Frese and Treugolnik (‘Triangle’). The latter has produced automotive tyres. After the exhibition was closed, the race from Moscow to St.-Petersberg have started…
That race, first international motorsport event in Russia for a long, long time had a great success, thanks to protection of count Sergei Mihailovich. Yet before the exhibition the run for cheap cars between Paris and St.-Petersberg was dropped. Russian equipage - Albert Efron and Eugen Kousmine – completed a 3200km distance in 73 hours. That race from France to Russia had a great influence on a further success of the first Moscow-St.-Petersberg international race, too. On May, 25 old style (June, 7) 26 drivers on cars and motorcycles were ready to start in Moscow. That day first works drivers arrived to compete in Russia – ‘Landon’ for Mors, driving a Mors 45hp with starting #5, Champoiseaux (#7) for Charron with Fernand Charron himself as a mechanic on a 30hp Charron Lim car and Arthur Duray for Lorraine-Dietrich driving a 60hp car (#6).
The cars were divided into three categories – the first category contained motors with more than 24hp, the second – less than 24hp and finally the last category, ‘Tourist’, was running out of classification and had 4 drivers registered – Zhemlichka, Grachev, Leschinskiy and Schlicht, all from Russia.
In a first category, besides three works drivers from France, three Russian and one more French teams were taking start – two Mercedes’es were entered by Riabushinskie brothers – rich entrepreneurs from Moscow, Provodnik tyre company was present by Bergman on 60hp Fiat, and French Francois Donnier arrived on a Brasier. The second category was also rather filled and contained six competitors: Alexander Fokin with his driver Slubskiy on a 16hp Fiat (#29), Bruno Fahrig (drove his Brasier, I suppose), Andrei Nagel and three other drivers.
In 2.10 at night the first driver started – Jurgens on Wanderer motorcycle. Since every 2 minutes the others went to the distance, except for Bergman, who finally refused to race.
645 versts in general (688 kilometers), with time neutralization in some major cities, were done in 9 hours 22 minutes… When the visitors came to finish in St.-Petersberg, it appeared that the winner has already finished. It was Duray, who showed an average speed of 73.461 km/h. ‘The road? Yes, it’s not bad. Though, I’ve been driving slowly.’ The second finisher, Champoiseaux, was 2 hours and 44 minutes slower… And the third, before the last works driver, Landon on Mors, arrived the Russian equipage on Fiat from second category – Fokin-Slubskiy (4h32m after Duray). The only finished motorcycle was driven by Jurgens and didn’t complete the distance in 24 hours, so it wasn’t classified.
After this race the III Beljaeff cup, happened in September, where again only two cars took the start, seemed to be a complete failure. Kapoustine on Renault finished first on the same distance as for the previous year.

Picture: Fokin-Slubskiy on their Fiat 16hp.