1938 Australian Grand Prix

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1938 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre handicap race
Mount Panorama 1938-1986.png
Race details
Date18 April 1938
Location Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, New South Wales
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 6.12 km (3.84 miles)
Distance 40 laps, 244.8 km (153.6 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Whitehead ERA
Time 3m 23s [1]
Podium
First ERA
Second
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Burrows
Terraplane Special
Third
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Crago &
    John Sherwood
MG

The 1938 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on 18 April 1938. It was staged over 40 laps of the six kilometre circuit for a total distance of 241 kilometres. The race, which was organised by the Light Car Club of New South Wales, attracted 38 entries, 30 of which started the race. [1] 33,000 people paid for admission to the circuit on race day. [2]

Contents

The race was the tenth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be held in New South Wales. It utilised the newly completed Mount Panorama Circuit, a dirt surface tourist drive which climbed and descended Mount Panorama in the Bald Hills to the south of the city of Bathurst. The Grand Prix was the feature race at the inaugural meeting at the rural New South Wales venue. With a circuit length of just over 3.8 miles it was the shortest circuit to host the Australian Grand Prix to this time.

The format of the race was the same as that used since the 1932 event. This utilised a handicap start with the slowest car starting first and other cars starting at intervals according to their predicted pace with the winner being the first car to complete the total race distance. The meeting was enlivened by two visiting British drivers, Peter Whitehead and Alan Sinclair who had brought with them supercharged racing machinery, respectively an ERA and an Alta. While Sinclair was unable to start the race, Whitehead did and it was quickly realised that his position as the scratch handicap competitor was too generous and by races end he had driven through the field. Whitehead's main opposition came from Les Burrows driving a 1933 Terraplane-based racing car. However Burrows slowed near the end, his engine reducing in power sufficiently to allow Whitehead to sweep by to take victory despite Burrows starting the race 15 minutes earlier. The MG TA driven by Alan Crago and John Sherwood placed third.

The initial release of official results attracted various protests and led to a recount, with some placings subsequently changed. [3]

Whitehead was awarded the RAC of Australia Cup and £250 prizemoney for winning the race. [1] He also received £100, the NRMA Trophy and the title of Australian Road Racing Champion for achieving the fastest time and the Courtney and Bohlsen Cup for setting the fastest lap. [1]

Classification

Results as follows. [4]

PosNo.DriverCar / EngineEntrant [5] Handicap [1] LapsTime
11 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Whitehead ERA B Type / ERA s/c 1.5LP.N. WhiteheadScratch402h 46m 50s
222 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les BurrowsTerraplane Special / Terraplane 2.6LL. Burrows15 mins402h 48m 21s
331 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Crago
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Sherwood [1]
MG TA / MG 1.3LF.A. Crago26 mins402h 49m 20s [2]
43 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Peters Bugatti Type 37A / Ford s/c 2.9LT. Peters4 mins402h 50m 19s
532 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Crouch MG TA / MG 1.3LJ.F. Crouch26 mins402h 51m 38s
617 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack PhillipsFord Special / Ford 3.6LJ.K. Phillips13 mins402h 52m 28s
720 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charles WhatmoreFord Special / Ford 3.6LC. Whatmore14 mins402h 52m 56s
839 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Uffindell Austin 7 Special / Austin 0.7LR.G. Uffindell34 mins402h 55m 07s
937 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Murphy MG PB / MG 0.8LJ.H. O'Dea30 mins403h 02m 40s
1015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Bonser Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5LG. Bonser junior [6] 12 mins402h 56m 47s
1118 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Lea-Wright Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5LR.A. Lea-Wright13 mins402h 58m 01s
1238 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Anderson Morris Cowley / Morris 1.7LA.I Barrett30 mins402h 57m 47s
1319 Flag of Australia (converted).svg D. KerrFord Special / Ford 3.6LD. Kerr14 mins402h 59m 59s
1416 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harry Beith Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5LH.J. Beith13 mins403h 05m 19s
1512 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Martin BMW 328 / BMW 2.0LG.C. Martin [6] 7 mins40
1614 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Barney Dentry Riley Special / Riley 1.1LG.B. Dentry12 mins40
Ret21 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Burton Alvis / Alvis s/c 1.5LP.H. Burton14 mins
Ret30 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Boughton Morgan 4/4 / Coventry Climax 1.1LJ.S. Boughton24 mins
Ret5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Fagan MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LJ.H. Fagan6 mins
Ret36 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Pike Singer 9 / Singer 1.0LJ.E. Pike30 mins
Ret35 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Beasley Singer 9 / Singer 1.0LA. Beasley28 mins
Ret23 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred FossFord Special / Ford 3.6LF.J. Foss17 mins
Ret33 Flag of Australia (converted).svg R. Keir [6] [5] [1] MG TA / MG 1.3LR.C. Keir [6] [5] [1] 26 mins
Ret9 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Joshua Frazer Nash / Gough [7] 1.5LC.M. Joshua [6] 7 mins
Ret24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg C. Williamson Chrysler Special / Chrysler 4.2LC. Williamson17 mins
Ret11 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George ReedFord Special / Ford 3.6LN.F. Aubin7 mins
Ret2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank KleinigKleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.2LW.A. McIntyre4 mins5
Ret26 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Reg Sevil [1] Singer / Singer 1.5LR.B. Sevil [6] [1] 22 mins4 [2]
Ret34 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Thame Riley Nine Imp / Riley 1.1LG.J. Thame5 mins3 [2]
Ret25 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett Lombard AL3 / Lombard 1.2LA.I Barrett28 mins2 [2]
DNS8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wally James Frazer Nash / Ford 2.9LW. James7 mins
DNS4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Dunne MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LC.A. Dunne5 mins
DNS6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lyster Jackson MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LL. Jackson6 mins
DNS7 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Sinclair Alta / Alta s/c 1.1LA.J. Sinclair6 mins
DNS10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Barraclough Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS / Alfa Romeo s/c 1.8LJ.A. Barraclough7 mins
DNS27 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Sherwood MG NE / MG 1.3LJ.O. Sherwood22 mins
DNS28 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Summers MG Magna / MG 1.1LJ.H. Summers24 mins
DNS29 Flag of Australia (converted).svg C. Frederick MG Magnette Special / MG 1.3LC. Frederick24 mins

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, pages 151 to 168
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 The Australian Grand Prix, The Car (magazine), May 1938, pages Ten to Fourteen
  3. John Medley, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, page 27
  4. Medley, John (1986). "1952". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 92–103. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  5. 1 2 3 John Medley, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, page 19
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Record entry for Grand Prix at Easter, The Advocate, Wednesday, April 6, 1938, page 10, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
  7. John Medley, Preface - Pity the poor historian, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, page vii
Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1938
Succeeded by