1939 Australian Grand Prix

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1939 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre handicap race
Lobethal Circuit.svg
Race details
Date2 January 1939
Location Lobethal, South Australia
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 13.8 km (8.6 miles)
Distance 17 laps, 241.35 km (150 miles)
Weather Sunny & hot
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo
Time 5:40
Podium
First MG
Second Terraplane Special
Third Ford Special

The 1939 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the Lobethal Circuit in South Australia, Australia on 2 January 1939. The race was staged over 17 laps of the 14 kilometre circuit, the longest ever used for the Grand Prix, for a race distance of 241 kilometres. The Grand Prix meeting was organised by Lobethal Carnivals Ltd. and the Sporting Car Club of South Australia. [1]

Contents

The race was the eleventh Australian Grand Prix and the second since the 1938 revival of the event. The Lobethal Circuit comprised three country roads in a roughly triangular formation, passing through the town of Lobethal and the nearby village of Charleston. The advantage of using these country roads was that, for the first time, the Grand Prix was held on a bitumen sealed surface instead of on dirt roads. The race utilised a handicap start with the slowest cars starting first and the fastest cars last, the winner being the first to complete the stipulated number of laps. [2] Trophies were awarded for the first three places with prize money paid to the first seven finishers. [1] Prize money and a trophy were also awarded for Fastest Time. [2]

The race was won by relatively unknown Western Australian racer Allan Tomlinson driving a supercharged MG T. Bob Lea-Wright's Terraplane Special finished in second position ahead of Jack Phillips' Ford Special. The winning car's average speed was the fastest of any Australian Grand Prix prior to 1956, [3] with Tomlinson averaging 84.00 mph. [4] The fastest actual time over the race distance was recorded by Jack Saywell driving an Alfa Romeo.

The entry of J O'Dea crashed at the Gumeracha turn late in the race and driver Vern Leech was killed almost instantaneously. [5]

Later in 1939, Australia would declare war on the AXIS powers. As World War II enveloped Australia, motor racing wound down and would not resume until the mid-1940s. The Australian Grand Prix itself would be revived in 1947.

Classification

This plaque, which commemorates the running of the 1939 Australian Grand Prix, is the situated in the main street of Lobethal Lobethal Racing Circuit plaque.JPG
This plaque, which commemorates the running of the 1939 Australian Grand Prix, is the situated in the main street of Lobethal
Race winner Allan Tomlinson (MG TA) contesting the 1939 Australian Grand Prix MG TA of Allan Tomlinson.jpg
Race winner Allan Tomlinson (MG TA) contesting the 1939 Australian Grand Prix
Jack Saywell (Alfa Romeo P3) placed sixth and completed the event in the fastest actual time Alfa Romeo of Jack Saywell (1939 AGP).jpg
Jack Saywell (Alfa Romeo P3) placed sixth and completed the event in the fastest actual time

Results as follows. [3]

PosNo.DriverCar / EngineEntrant [6] Handicap [6] LapsTime
112 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Tomlinson MG TA / MG s/c 1.3LAG Tomlinson11m 30s172h 00m 27s
219 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Lea-WrightTerraplane Special / Terraplane RA Lea-Wright17m 00s172h 02m 31s
315 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack PhillipsFord Special / Ford 3.6LJK Phillips12m 45s172h 02m 46s
43 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Snow Delahaye 135 3.6LJF Snow4m 15s172h 04m 11s
517 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les BurrowsHudson Special / Hudson L Burrows12m 45s172h 04m 38s
61 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Saywell Alfa Romeo P3 / Alfa Romeo 2.9LJ SaywellScratch172h 06m 48s
76 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Crouch Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Le Mans / Alfa Romeo s/c 2.4LJF Crouch5m 00s172h 08m 33s
82 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 / Alfa Romeo s/c 2.4LAI Barrett2m 50s172h 09m 11s
920 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Raymond Curlewis [7] MG TB / MG 1.3LRF Curlewis21m 00s172h 09m 57s
Ret23 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Robert Manser [7]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lyster Jackson [6]
MG N / MG 1.3LRW Manser21m 00s14
Ret26 [6] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Vern Leech [3] MG P / MG 0.8LJ O'Dea21m 00s14
Ret24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Russell Bowes [7] MG N / MG 1.3LRN Bowes21m 00s10
Ret25 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Boughton Morgan 4/4 / Coventry Climax 1.1LJS Boughton21m 00s10
Ret13 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Joshua Frazer Nash / Meadows 1.5LCM Joshua11m 30s7
Ret31 Flag of Australia (converted).svg J Wilson MG L / MG 1.1LJW Wilson21m 00s7
Ret16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Clifford Downing [6]
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Sinclair [6]
Riley Brooklands / 1.5LCRE Downing12m 45s5
Ret4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank KleinigKleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.2LF Kleinig4m 15s3
DNS7 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Sinclair Sunbeam SpecialAG Sinclair8m 30s-
DNS10 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Dunne MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LCA Dunne10m 00s-
DNS11 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Gullan Ballot J Gullan10m 00s-
DNS21 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Summers MG N / MG 1.3LJF Summers21m 00s-

Notes

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References

  1. 1 2 Programme, Australian Grand Prix Meeting, Lobethal, South Australia, Monday, 2 January 1939
  2. 1 2 Tony Parkinson, Legend of Lobethal: The Story of One of Australia's Greatest Racing Circuits, Vintage Motorsport Carnivals Proprietary Limited, 2008, page 29
  3. 1 2 3 Bell, Ray (1986). "1939". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 104–115. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  4. Australian Grand Prix Winners, Sandown, Australian Grand Prix Programme, 9 February 1964, page 23
  5. "GRAND PRIX TRAGEDY". The West Australian . Vol. 55, no. 16, 383. Western Australia. 3 January 1939. p. 9. Retrieved 22 May 2017 via National Library of Australia.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 John B Blanden, The 1939 Australian Grand Prix, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928-1939, pages 169 to 185
  7. 1 2 3 4 PRE-WAR MG ARCHIVES REGISTER, prewar.mgcc.info, as archived at web.archive.org
  8. THRILLS AT CORNERS IN LOBETHAL CAR RACES, The Advertiser (Adelaide), 3 January 1939, page 4, as archived at nla.gov.au
Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1939
Succeeded by