1950 Australian Grand Prix

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1950 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre race
Race details
Date2 January 1950
Location Nuriootpa, South Australia
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 4.8 km (3.0 miles)
Distance 34 laps, 163.2 km (102 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rupert Steele
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Doug Whiteford
Alfa Romeo
Ford
Time 2'27
Podium
First Ford
Second
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rupert Steele
Alfa Romeo
Third
  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Gullan
Ballot-Oldsmobile

The 1950 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Nuriootpa Road Circuit in South Australia on 2 January 1950. [1] It was organised by the Sporting Car Club of South Australia, [2] promoted by the Barossa Valley Vintage Festival Association [1] and staged over 34 laps [3] of the 4.8-kilometre circuit for a race distance of 163 kilometres. [2] The race, which is recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fifteenth Australian Grand Prix, [4] was a Formula Libre race.

Contents

The race utilised a handicap start with cars commencing progressively, slowest through to fastest, at timed intervals. [2] The declared winner of the Grand Prix however, was the driver with the fastest elapsed race time, regardless of handicap. [2] All other official awards were based on the handicap results, with an additional trophy awarded to the handicap winner and prize money paid for the first nine handicap places. [1] Doug Whiteford, driving a Ford V8 Special, known as 'Black Bess', won his first Australian Grand Prix, completing the race distance almost three minutes faster than Rupert Steele, driving an Alfa Romeo. [2] Jim Gullan, driving an Oldsmobile-powered Ballot Special recorded the third fastest race time and was also the official handicap winner. [2]

Classification

Doug Whiteford won the 1950 Australian Grand Prix title driving a Ford V8 Special. Ford of Doug Whiteford (1950 AGP).jpg
Doug Whiteford won the 1950 Australian Grand Prix title driving a Ford V8 Special.
Rupert Steele set the second fastest time and placed ninth on handicap driving an Alfa Romeo Monza Alfa Romeo Monza of Rupert Steele (1950 AGP).jpg
Rupert Steele set the second fastest time and placed ninth on handicap driving an Alfa Romeo Monza
Jim Gullan set the third fastest time and won the handicap award driving a Ballot Special. Ballot Special of Jim Gullan.jpg
Jim Gullan set the third fastest time and won the handicap award driving a Ballot Special.
The MG TC of Ron Kennedy recorded seventh fastest time and placed third on handicap. MGTC of Ron Kennedy (1950 AGP).jpg
The MG TC of Ron Kennedy recorded seventh fastest time and placed third on handicap.
Pos [2] No. [2] Driver [2] Car [2] / EngineEntrant [1] Laps [2] Time [2] H'cap Pos [2] H'cap start [2]
15 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Doug Whiteford Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.2LD Whiteford341h 24m 53s51m 45s
26 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rupert Steele Alfa Romeo 8C / Alfa Romeo 2.3LPJR Steele341h 27m 51s91m 45s
321 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Gullan Ballot Special / Oldsmobile 3.9LJ Gullan341h 29m 23s17m 45s
430 Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Harvey MG TC Special / MG 1.3LDG Harvey341h 33m 49s211m 00s
522 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Willcox Dodge Special / Dodge 4.1LWH Wilcox341h 34m 11s108m 20s
632 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Tillett MG TC Special / MG 1.3LSD Tillett341h 34m 37s611m 50s
733 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ron Kennedy MG TC / MG 1.3LRJ Kennedy341h 34m 41s311m 30s
835 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Don Cant MG TC / MG 1.3LDP Cant341h 35m 05s411m 55s
927 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Howard Keil [5] HRG Special / HRG 1.5LFAO Gaze341h 35m 57s89m 40s
1026 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norman Steele HRG Special / HRG 1.5LNC Steele341h 36m 08s79m 40s
1119 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Granton HarrisonPhillips V8 Special / Ford 3.9LGT Harrison341h 37m 39s117m 45s
1229 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Vin Maloney MG TC Special / MG 1.3LVA Maloney341h 40m 14s1210m 40s
1338 Flag of Australia (converted).svg R. Vinall MG NA / MG 1.3LRK Vinall341h 46m 42s1313m 00s
Ret25 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter McKenna BMW 328 / BMW 2.0LPeter McKenna339m 05s
Ret34 Flag of Australia (converted).svg D. Douglas MG TC / MG 1.3LAP Douglas3211m 55s
Ret20 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dennis CurranCurran Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0LDE Curran307m 45s
Ret16 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Tubman MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LKV Tubman284m 50s
Ret31 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ian Jackson [6] MG TC / MG 1.3LIN Jackson2511m 20s
Ret40 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil Harrison [7] MG P / Vauxhall 1.4LP Harrison2113m 00s
Ret24 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Brown Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 [8] / Ford 4.0LRS Brown219m 00s
Ret3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Charlie DeanMaybach Special Mk.1 / Maybach 4.2LHC Dean210m 30s
Ret23 Flag of Australia (converted).svg L. Robinson Bugatti / Dodge LD Robinson158m 40s
Ret11 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Damman [9] Hudson Special / Hudson P Denman132m 50s
Ret36 Flag of Australia (converted).svg E. Truman MG TC / MG 1.3LEC Truman1111m 55s
Ret17 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Patterson MG TC / MG s/c 1.3LGW Patterson65m 05s
Ret39 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Max Galt MG NA / MG 1.3LM Galt413m 00s
Ret4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eldred Norman Double Ford V8 Special / Ford 7.8LE de B Norman21m 25s
Ret15 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Otto Stone MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LOtto Stone14m 50s
Ret2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lex Davison Alfa Romeo Tipo B / Alfa Romeo 3.0LAN Davison10m 30s
DNS1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Gaze Alta FAO Gaze-0m 00s
DNS12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stan Jones HRG S Jones-3m 25s [1]
DNS [10] 14 [1] Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Barraclough [1] MG K3 s/c [1] A.N. Davison [1] -4m 50s [1]

The above results rank all finishers based on actual race time, regardless of handicap. [2] Officially, race results were based on handicap placings, with the exception of the actual Australian Grand Prix title itself, which was awarded to the driver setting the fastest race time. [2]

It is not known if the cars of McKenna and Douglas actually retired from the race or were still running when the race time expired. [2]

Notes

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Programme, Australian Grand Prix Carnival, 2 January 1950, Nuriootpa Road Circuit, South Australia
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Howard, Graham (1986). "1950". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 148–157. ISBN   0-9588464-0-5.
  3. Lap chart, Australian Grand Prix, Nuriootpa, 2/1/50 (Sporting Car Club of South Australia)
  4. Records, Titles and Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-3
  5. Car 27 is listed in the Programme with F.A.O. Gaze as the Entrant and "C. Dyer" as the Driver. Australian Motor Sports, January 1950, page 33 lists the driver in the race results as H. Keil. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, page 156 explains that "C. Dyer" was a nom de guerre for Howard Keil.
  6. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix uses Ian Jackson (page 156), Ken Jackson (page 157) and I. Jackson (page 157). The race programme and the SCCSA lap charts both show I.N. Jackson
  7. "The Official 50-race history" (page 157) uses both Phil Harrison & Phill Harrison. "The official history of the Australian Grand Prix - 80 Races" (page 127) uses Phil Harrison.
  8. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix indicates that Brown drove Alfa Romeo Chassis No. 0132894 in the 1950 AGP (page 157) and Alfa Romeo Chassis No. 0312894 in the 1951 AGP (page 169). It also indicates that Brown's car in the 1951 AGP was a 1750 Zagato Spyder (page 164). Given that the John Blanden book Historic Racing Cars in Australia (1979) lists Bob Brown as the owner of Alfa Romeo 1750 S.S. Zagato Spyder No. 0312894 from 1949 to 1952 (pages 14 & 15) it would seem that the 1950 AGP car was the same 1750 chassis.
  9. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix uses both Damman & Denman (page 157) however the Programme, the SCCSA Lap chart and the report in Australian Motor Sports (pages 29 & 32) each use Damman.
  10. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix states on page 153 that Barraclough "had a rod break" in practice and on page 157 that the entry "did not start in Grand Prix".
  11. Victorian wins Grand Prix, The Advertiser, Tuesday, January 3 1950, page 3, trove.nla.gov.au
  12. The 1950 Australian Grand Prix Carnival, Australian Motor Sports, January 1950, pages 29 to 33

Further reading

Preceded by Australian Grand Prix
1950
Succeeded by