1947 Australian Grand Prix

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1947 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre handicap race
Mount Panorama 1938-1986.png
Race details
Date6 October 1947
Location Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, New South Wales
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 6.12 km (3.84 miles)
Distance 38 laps, 241.35 km (150 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett [1] Alfa Romeo Monza [1]
Time 3 min 6 sec [1]
Podium
First
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Murray
MG
Second
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Bland
Mercury Special
Third Mercedes-Benz

The 1947 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Libre motor race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit, near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on 6 October 1947. The race, which had 22 starters, was held over 38 laps of the six kilometre circuit, for a total race distance of 241 kilometres.

It was the twelfth Australian Grand Prix and the first to have been held after the conclusion of World War II. Racing in Australia resumed in 1946, but it took until 1947 for a group, in this case the Australian Sporting Car Club, to take on the running of the Grand Prix. Police opposition to racing at Mount Panorama led to the postponement of the race from Easter to October. [2]

The race, a handicap event as was the tradition in the immediate post-war period, was won by Bill Murray racing his MG TC. Murray took the lead on the last lap of the race after a tyre failure on Ray Mitchell's Jeep/Ford Special caused the race leader to slow dramatically. Mitchell limped home for fourth position. Future Grand Prix stars also passed Mitchell, second was taken by Dick Bland in his Mercury Special. Bland would claim two more podiums over the four years but a win would be elusive. Third was taken by Lex Davison driving a 7.6 litre Mercedes-Benz SSK 38/250. [3] Davison would go on to become the Grand Prix's most prolific winner, even though his career would be cut short by his death at Sandown in 1965, Davison would win the race four times. Davison also completed the race in the shortest time, a prelude to the future of the race over the next decade and a half.

Alf Barrett (Alfa Romeo Monza) started the race from scratch, 37 minutes after the first starter, Les Burrows (MG J2). [2] Barrett retired on lap 29 with valve trouble, having earlier set the fastest lap of the race at 3 minutes 6 seconds. [1] He also achieved the fastest speed of 123.5 mph through the flying quarter-mile. [4]

The Under 1500cc Championship was awarded to Alf Najar and the Over 1500cc Championship to Lex Davison, both titles being decided on net race time, [4] disregarding handicaps.

The race was watched by 20,000 spectators. [5]

Classification

Race winner Bill Murray (MG TC) contesting the 1947 Australian Grand Prix MG TC of Bill Murray 1947 AGP.jpg
Race winner Bill Murray (MG TC) contesting the 1947 Australian Grand Prix
Lex Davison (Mercedes-Benz 38-250) placed third on handicap, set fastest race time and won the Over 1500cc Championship Mercedes-Benz 38-250 of Lex Davison.jpg
Lex Davison (Mercedes-Benz 38-250) placed third on handicap, set fastest race time and won the Over 1500cc Championship
Alf Barrett (Alfa Romeo Monza) set the fastest lap but did not finish the race. Alfa Romeo Monza of Alf Barrett (1947 AGP).jpg
Alf Barrett (Alfa Romeo Monza) set the fastest lap but did not finish the race.

Results as follows. [6]

PosNo. [7] DriverCar / engineLapsTimeHandicap
(minutes)
121 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Murray MG TC / MG 1.3L382h 39m 46s25.5
27 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick BlandMercury Special / Mercury 3.7L382h 40m 22s15.0
35 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lex Davison Mercedes-Benz SSK 38/250 / Mercedes-Benz 7.6L382h 40m 33s10.5
411 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray MitchellJeep/Ford Special / Ford 3.6L382h 41m 09s17.0
523 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom SulmanSulman Singer Special / Singer 1.0L382h 41m 48s28.0
615 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Najar MG TB Special / MG 1.3L382h 41m 37s19.5
714 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harry MondayMercury Special / Mercury 3.9L382h 41m 59s17.0
817 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Barraclough MG NE Magnette [5] / MG 1.3L382h 42m 10s21.0
913 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dougal MacLachlan MG TA Special / MG 1.4L382h 43m 55s19.5
1028 [4] Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Burrows MG J2 / MG 0.8L382h 44m 37s37.0
1119 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Ward MG TB / MG 1.3L382h 45m 37s25.5
1227 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Myers Riley Imp / Riley 1.1L382h 46m 01s34.0
1318 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Nunn MG TB / MG 1.3L382h 47m 55s25.5
1422 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Elliott Forbes-Robinson MG TC / MG 1.3L382h 48m 28s25.5
Ret1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo Monza / Alfa Romeo 2.4L28 [1] Scratch
Ret9 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Murray Bugatti Type 39 / Ford 3.6L (DM Special) [7] 2815.0
Ret2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank KleinigKleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.2L266.0
Ret20 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Pearse MG TB / MG 1.3L2225.5
Ret26 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Len Phillips Austin 7 / Austin 0.8L2031.0
Ret3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Hope Bartlett Riley / Riley 2.0L [8] 7.5
Ret4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron EwingBuick Special / Buick 3.8L10.5
Ret16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Walter Mathison Jaguar SS100 / Standard 2.7L20.0
DNS8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alec MildrenFord V8 Special / Ford 3.6L15.0
DNS12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dennis CurranMercury Special / Mercury 3.9L17.0
DNS29 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Tubman MG K3 Magnette / MG 1.1L s/c [8] 15.0
DNS24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Len Golding MG NE / MG 1.1L28.0

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 John B Blanden, Historic Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, page 18
  2. 1 2 Medley, John (1986). "1947". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. p. 116. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  3. Stefan Bartholomaeus, Mercedes-Benz in Australian motorsport Retrieved from www.speedcafe.com on 20 September 2012
  4. 1 2 3 Australian Grand Prix, Australian Motor Sports, 15 October 1947, pages 26-28
  5. 1 2 Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842–1954), Tuesday 7 October 1947, page 8 As retrieved from nla.gov.au on 15 May 2016
  6. Medley, John (1986). "1947". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 116–124. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  7. 1 2 Australian Grand Prix - Final Acceptances, Australian Motor Sports, 15 October 1947, page 5
  8. 1 2 Souvenir Programme, Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, October 6 1947
Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1947
Succeeded by