Paul Torchy
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22 February 1897
| Paul Torchy | |
|---|---|
,_grand_prix_ACF_(course_automobile),_Torchy_sur_Delage_-_btv1b531509242.jpg) Torchy on his Delage at the 1925 French GP | |
| Born | Paul Gaston Torchy 22 February 1897 |
| Died | 19 September 1925 (aged 28) |
Paul Torchy (21 February 1897 – 19 September 1925)[1] was a French racing driver.
The son of a schoolmaster, Torchy was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1917 for leading a platoon under fire.
After the war, Torchy joined Delage, working his way from mechanic to test driver, and entered an 11HP model for the first Le Mans 24 Hours in 1923, finishing 6th in class (and 12th overall) with Charles Belben as co-driver.[2]
In 1925, Torchy was promoted to the Delage Grand Prix team, his debut at the Belgian Grand Prix being abortive as he was an early retirement. At the following French Grand Prix, he shared the Delage of the experienced Louis Wagner, taking the wheel from lap 33 to 59, the pair finishing 2nd - albeit only after the dominant Alfa Romeos had withdrawn after the death of race leader Antonio Ascari.[3]