1928 Australian Grand Prix

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1928 Australian Grand Prix
Race details
Date31 March 1928
Location Phillip Island, Victoria
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 10.6 km (6.5 mi)
Distance 16 laps, 169 km (105 mi)
Weather Sunny
Podium
First
 Austin
Second
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg John McCutcheon
 Morris
Third
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cyril Dickason
 Austin

The 1928 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the Phillip Island road circuit, on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia on 31 March 1928. Although now known as the first Australian Grand Prix, the race was actually staged as the 100 Miles Road Race and it did not assume the Australian Grand Prix title until some years later. [1] It was organised by the Victorian Light Car Club. [2]

Contents

The overall winner was Arthur Waite driving an Austin 7. The winning car averaged 56.25 mph (90.50 km/h). [3]

Race summary

The race was originally to be held on Monday 26 March however rain forced postponement until Saturday 31 March. [3] It was open to "light" cars of up to 2-litre capacity [3] and it attracted 30 entries, of which 25 were accepted and 17 started. [4]

Competing cars were classified into classes according to cylinder capacity: [5]

The event was conducted as two separate races, with the first held in the morning for Class B and D entries, and the second held in the afternoon, for Class A and C cars. [3] The competitor setting the fastest time was to receive a £100 trophy donated by Charles Brown Kellow and would be regarded as "Champion of the Day". [6] Trophies were also to be awarded for first and second places in each class and all other competitors who finished within the 2½ hour time limit would receive a Club award. [6]

Only two cars completed the course without stopping. [7] They were the Morris Cowley of J. O. McCutcheon and the Austin 12 of C. R. Dickason. [7]

Race results

Arthur Waite was the overall winner driving an Austin 7 Austin 7 of Arthur Waite.jpg
Arthur Waite was the overall winner driving an Austin 7
John McCutcheon placed second overall and won Class D driving a Morris Cowley Morris Cowley of John McCutcheon (1928).jpg
John McCutcheon placed second overall and won Class D driving a Morris Cowley
Cyril Dickason placed third overall driving an Austin 12 Austin 12 of Cyril Dickason (1928 100 Miles Road Race).jpg
Cyril Dickason placed third overall driving an Austin 12

Race One

Pos [8] [3] No. [8] [3] Class [8] [3] Driver [8] [3] Car [8] [3] Entrant [8] Laps [8] [3] Time [8] [3]
124DJohn McCutcheon Morris Cowley J. O. McCutcheon161h 50m 10s
225DCyril Dickason Austin 12 C. R. Dickason161h 54m 02s
310BBarney Dentry Sénéchal G. Dentry161h 55m 44s
426DBill Lowe Métallurgique W. H. Lowe162h 05m 01s
58BBill Williamson Riley Nine Mrs J. A. Day162h 17m 37s
67BLes Pound DFP L. Pound162h 24m 29s
Ret6BW. A. "Ab" Terdich DFP W. A. Terdich10 [9]
Ret23DLes Jennings Morris Cowley L. Jennings6 [9]
DNS9BB. W. Solly Opel Rex Motors P/L-
DNS11BMaurice Shmith Fiat 509 M. Shmith-
DNS12BGeorge Saville Amilcar Grand Sport G. Saville-
DNS22DJohn Hollway Darracq J. Hollway-

Race Two

Pos [8] [3] No. [8] [3] Class [8] [3] Driver [8] [3] Car [8] [3] Entrant [8] Laps [8] [3] Time [8] [3]
13A Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Waite Austin 7 s/c A. Waite161h 46m 40s
214C Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Terdich Bugatti Type 40 A. J. Terdich161h 54m 45s
315CJack Day Bugatti Type 37A J. A. Day161h 56m 26s
45AClarrie May Austin 7 C. May162h 03m 24s
516CJ. C. Hutton Alvis 12/50 J. C. Hutton162h 04m 21s
62ATom Davey Austin 7 T. N. Davey162h 06m 19s
71AStan King Austin 7 S. V. King162h 08m 35s
Ret17CRon Gardner Alvis 12/50 R. G. Gardner8 [10]
Ret18CEd Houn Aston Martin J. E. Goodall1 [9]
DNS4AAlbert Edwards Austin 7 A. Edwards-
DNS19CEd Hussey Cooper Frazer Nash E. H. Cooper-
DNS20CSid Cox Bugatti Type 39 S. C. Cox-
DNS21CG. A. Wagner Wanderer G. A. Wagner-

Overall classification

Pos [8] [3] No. [8] [3] Class [8] [3] Driver [8] [3] Car [8] [3] Entrant [8] Laps [8] [3] Time [8] [3]
13A Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Waite Austin 7 s/c A. Waite161h 46m 40s
224DJohn McCutcheon Morris Cowley J. O. McCutcheon161h 50m 10s
325DCyril Dickason Austin 12 C. R. Dickason161h 54m 02s
414C Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Terdich Bugatti Type 40 A. J. Terdich161h 54m 45s
510BBarney Dentry Sénéchal G. Dentry161h 55m 44s
615CJack Day Bugatti Type 37A J. A. Day161h 56m 26s
75AClarrie May Austin 7 C. May162h 03m 24s
816CJ. C. Hutton Alvis 12/50 J. C. Hutton162h 04m 21s
926DBill Lowe Métallurgique W. H. Lowe162h 05m 01s
102ATom Davey Austin 7 T. N. Davey162h 06m 19s
111AStan King Austin 7 S. V. King162h 08m 35s
128BBill Williamson Riley Nine Mrs J. A. Day162h 17m 37s
137BLes Pound DFP L. Pound162h 24m 29s
Ret6BW. A. "Ab" Terdich DFP W. A. Terdich10 [9]
Ret17CRon Gardner Alvis 12/50 R. G. Gardner8 [10]
Ret23DLes Jennings Morris Cowley L. Jennings6 [9]
Ret18CEd Houn Aston Martin J. E. Goodall1 [9]
DNS4AAlbert Edwards Austin 7 A. Edwards-
DNS9BB. W. Solly Opel Rex Motors P/L-
DNS11BMaurice Shmith Fiat 509 M. Shmith-
DNS12BGeorge Saville Amilcar Grand Sport G. Saville-
DNS19CEd Hussey Cooper Frazer Nash E. H. Cooper-
DNS20CSid Cox Bugatti Type 39 S. C. Cox-
DNS21CG. A. Wagner Wanderer G. A. Wagner-
DNS22DJohn Hollway Darracq J. Hollway-

Notes

1927 Australian Grand Prix

Although the 1928 race is recognised by Motorsport Australia as the first Australian Grand Prix, [11] a dispute exists given that an event held in Goulburn, New South Wales in 1927 was actually advertised as a grand prix at the time. [12] However the 1927 event was not a motor race but rather a series of elimination sprints. [13]

Related Research Articles

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The 1938 Phillip Island Grand Prix was a motor race staged at the Phillip Island triangular circuit in Victoria, Australia on Labor Day, 28 March 1938. The race was contested over 35 laps, approximately 116 miles. It was staged by the Victorian Sporting Car Club and was contested on a handicap basis with the first car, driven by G.A. Cowper, starting 29 minutes and 45 seconds before the last car, driven by G.M. Joshua.

References

  1. ↑ John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, page vii
  2. ↑ John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, p. 3
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Bell, Ray (1986). "1928". The official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. R&T Publishing. pp. 14–24. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  4. ↑ John B. Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, p. 7
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Extracts from Rules, Official Programme, 100 Miles Road Race, Phillip Island, Monday, 26 March 1928
  6. 1 2 John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, p. 5
  7. 1 2 100-Mile Road Race, The Argus, Tuesday 3 April 1928, Page 18, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cowes Motor Racing, The Age, Monday, 2 April 1928 , p. 18, via nla.gov.au
  10. 1 2 John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, p. 23
  11. ↑ 2020 Motorsport Australia Manual - Titles - Australian Grand Prix, motorsport.org.au, as archived at web.archive.org
  12. ↑ Goulburn first in motor sport, January 15 2017, www.goulburnpost.com.au Retrieved 12 March 2021
  13. ↑ Meredith's marvel: the Windellama man who won Australia's first Grand Prix in Goulburn, January 11 2017, www.crookwellgazette.com.au Retrieved 12 March 2021
Preceded by
None		 Australian Grand Prix
1928		Succeeded by
1929 Australian Grand Prix
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