1948 Australian Grand Prix

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1948 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre handicap race
Race details
Date26 January 1948
Location Point Cook, Victoria
Course Airfield circuit
Course length 3.85 km (2.4 miles)
Distance 42 laps, 100.8 km (162.19 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo
Time 1'48
Podium
First BMW
Second MG
Third Reed-Ford

The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Point Cook Aerodrome, [1] a Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook, just outside Melbourne in Victoria, Australia on Australia Day, 26 January 1948. It was staged over 42 laps of a 3.85 kilometre circuit utilizing the runways and service roads of the base. [2] The total race distance was 162 kilometres. The race was organised by the Light Car Club of Australia and was sanctioned by the Australian Automobile Association. [3]

Contents

The race was the thirteenth Australian Grand Prix and the first not to be held on a public road circuit. It was staged as a handicap event with the first car starting 18 minutes before the last. [4] Conditions were oppressive, with the temperature topping 100 °F (38 °C) by mid-morning, along with hot winds buffeting the exposed pits on the start/finish straight. [5] The overpowering heat, plus the bumpy concrete-slab surface of the runways, took a heavy toll on the competing cars. As well as mechanical retirements, several drivers had to retire due to heat exhaustion. [5]

Prominent motorcycle racer Frank Pratt won the race driving a BMW 328. Alf Najar finished second driving an MG TB Special with Dick Bland placed third in a George Reed constructed Ford V8 special. Bland was also awarded the prize for setting the fastest time. [6]

Classification

Race winner Frank Pratt (BMW 328) contesting the 1948 Australian Grand Prix Frank Pratt (BMW 328).jpg
Race winner Frank Pratt (BMW 328) contesting the 1948 Australian Grand Prix

Results as follows. [4]

PosNo.DriverCar / EngineEntrant [1] LapsTime
128 Flag of New Zealand.svg Frank Pratt BMW 328 / BMW 2.0LLF Pratt421h 33m 52s
231 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Najar MG TB Special / MG 1.3LA Najar421h 34m 35s
311 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick BlandG Reed Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0LR Bland421h 35m 19s
412 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Granton HarrisonFord V8 Special / Ford 3.6LG Harrison421h 35m 58s
526 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dennis Curran Willys Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.9LD Curran421h 36m 05s
630 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Barraclough MG NE / MG 1.3LJ Barraclough421h 37m 02s
727 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill FordHudson Special / Hudson 3.5LWD Ford421h 38m 00s
83 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Crouch Delahaye 135 / Delahaye 3.6LJ Crouch421h 39m 00s
910 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alec Mildren Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6LAG Mildren421h 40m 22s
1022 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Head Riley Imp / Riley 1.1LR Head421h 42m 13s
NC35 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Patterson MG TC / MG 1.3LGW Patterson ?
NC23 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Skinner Ballot 8 / Ford 3.6LJ Skinner ?
NC41 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cec Warren Morgan / Matchless 0.4LCR Warren ?
NC [7] 19 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Arthur Chick Bugatti Type 37 / Bugatti 2.3LA Chick ?
Ret4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Doug Whiteford Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.2LD Whiteford34
Ret5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Hope BartlettDixon Riley / Riley 1.8LH Bartlett32
Ret2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo Monza / Alfa Romeo 2.4LH Bartlett22
Ret6 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lex Davison Mercedes-Benz 38/250 / Mercedes-Benz 7.4LAN Davison17
Ret38 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Sulman Singer Special / Singer 1.0LT Sulman16
Ret20 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Gullan Ballot / Oldsmobile 3.9LJ Gullan15
Ret16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rug Nutt Cadillac Special / Cadillac AC Cooper14
Ret14 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie Dean Maybach I / Maybach 4.3LHC Dean12
Ret21 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Nind MG TB Special / MG 1.3LJ Nind10
Ret18 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom LuxtonNuttbug Bugatti Type 40 / Ford 3.6LJ McEwan7
Ret1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Gaze Alta / Alta 2.0LFAO Gaze5
Ret7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norm AndrewsStewand / Lea-Francis 3.5LN Andrews0

Notes

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References

  1. 1 2 Programme, Australian Grand Prix, Australia Day 26 January 1948, Point Cook Aerodrome
  2. Galpin, Darren. "Point Cook". GEL Motorsport Information Page. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. Australian Motor Sports, 15 December 1947, page 24
  4. 1 2 Howard, Graham (1986). "1948". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 126–137. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  5. 1 2 Walker, Terry (1995). Fast Tracks - Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995. Wahroonga, NSW: Turton & Armstrong. p. 134. ISBN   0908031556.
  6. Motor-cyclist wins Grand Prix in BMW, The Argus, Tuesday, 27 January 1948, page 12, trove.nla.gov.au Retrieved 14 April 2015
  7. Arthur Chick is mentioned as "still running at the finish" in The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, page 132
Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1948
Succeeded by