Rungis is the fruit and vegetable market district, near Orly airport in Paris, frequented by youngsters on motorcycles, scooters and anything that moves. They would set up impromptu races over the weekend, often leading to fatalities, so the authorities decided to organise an official event. However, the multi-thousand-pound Grand Prix of Paris was a flop. Despite much effort by the organisers, it was outside influences that caused its downfall. Saturday practice was scheduled for 4.00 to 6.00 in the afternoon. The lorry drivers who use the market had promised to be finished in time but at four they had only just started to leave and so practice had to be cancelled. Even the practice scheduled for early on the following morning was late starting.
It was not a suitable site. In the market area there were drainage ditches across the circuit, let alone the slime left by rotten produce.
A crowd of 40,000 turned up but more than three times that had been expected. It rained most of the day and these hardy souls were reduced to boredom when only five of the 25 qualifiers for the Formula Libre race finished, which was won by Kent Andersson (350 Yamaha).
That evening ex-125cc world champion Dave Simmons was killed by an explosion in Jack Findlay's caravan. Findlay and his wife were away when his mother smelled smoke. She raised the alarm. Simmonds and Billie Nelson had doused the flames when the explosion occurred.
The Rungis experiment was never repeated.
