1924 Le Mans

1924 — W.O. Bentley changed his mind about Le Mans and wholly supported Capt. Duff (right), who again shared his 3.0-liter – this time with four-wheel brakes – with factory test driver Frank Clement.

The Automobile Club de l'ouest (A.C.O.) made a few changes of its own. The best and brightest was to move the race date three weeks nearer the summer solstice – the longest day of the year. The vile weather of the inaugural Vingt Quatre Heuers du Mans was fresh in their minds when they revamped the rules and dates for the June 14-15, 1924, race.

Le Mans organizers remained serious about promoting and enhancing the touring car utility, requiring a minimum of 20 laps between refueling and/or the introduction of coolant or lubricants. After the opening five laps, new rules mandated a stop to raise the top which had to remain deployed for two consecutive laps despite the extraordinarily fine mid-June weather.

On the fifth lap, John Duff got a polite ovation for a record 41sec pit stop for top deployment. A lap later, he tore past the pits at over 60mph, driving with one hand and grasping the top with the other. Lagache, winner of the inaugural Le Mans 24 in ‘23, was flagged to a halt, when he missed the top-deployment window required by the rules. Braking hard Lagasche slid to a stop, reversing nearly 100 yards against race direction back to the pits, where he commenced the laborious job of erecting the fiendishly tent-like top on the number 3 Chenard-Walcker straight-eight. Nonetheless Lagache led at 7:00 p.m. from a further quartet of French cars and Captain John Duff, still in the cockpit of the lone Bentley.

Dusk begins Le Mans’ unofficial social hour, and the restaurants start to fill. The jazz band that was such a hit the year earlier, tuned up just as spectators in the pits spotted a tower of smoke.

The plume, rising from Tertre Rouge, signaled the end of the Chenard-Walcker of Leonard/Lagache, swelling the steadily growing DNF column. Two of the smaller entries had retired on the first lap. The fine French summer weather summoned a much faster pace than the soggy spring date of a year earlier. By 10:00 p.m., only 24 of the original 43 starters were running.

The lone Bentley nearly joined the ranks of the retired, when Duff took over from his diminutive teammate at 11:30 p.m. A balky starter required a firm human touch and the popular Capt. Duff was finally away. Then his engine sputtered unexpectedly. Frantic pumping revived the Bentley’s fuel pressure, and the green number 8 resumed its pursuit of the larger, more powerful leading Lorraine. At one point, Duff was peeling away over 18sec a lap. During the middle of the night, the Bentley’s charge was blunted by a pair of broken rear shock absorbers. Duff – London’s sole Bentley agent – had chosen duralumin-alloy shocks absorbers over steel. By half distance, he regretted the choice but didn’t slacken either his pace or pursuit.

The fatal blow for the big French cars came just before 9:00 a.m. Duff spent the morning cleaving up to 10sec each lap from the leader’s margin and moved into first place when the leading Block Lorraine-Dietrich was halted by a tire failure. On Lap 107, Duff put the big French car a lap down, defining the race’s crystal moment.

With tires much on his mind, Duff pitted for a precautionary tire change just after lunch, with two-and-a-half hours remaining. It was an agonizingly long stop: Le Mans rules required that all work be done by the driver. The perspiring Duff struggled with a seized wheel-locking ring. The protracted wheel changing episode demoted the Bentley and – despite record retirements – Duff was uncertain of victory until the bombardment of bouquets upon his arrival in the pits just after 4;00 o’clock. The margin of victory was a single lap.

Duff’s diligent pre-race preparations included the obvious addition of front-wheel brakes, plus armor for the fuel tank and proper fenders. That solved the problems that cost the brave little dealer team from St. Martin’s Lane victory in the first 24 Hours.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans had developed, in just two years, its own grammar, protocols, traditions and rituals of preparation.

Having W.O. Bentley himself as chef d’equipe had certain positive effects on Duff and Clement’s French country weekend away.