1949 Australian Grand Prix
The 1949 Australian Grand Prix was motor race held at the Leyburn Circuit in Queensland, Australia on 18 September 1949.[1] The race was staged over 35 laps of the 7.0 kilometre circuit, which was laid out on the runways and taxiways of a World War II airbase located six kilometres north of the town of Leyburn.[1] The total race distance was 150.5 miles (242.2 kilometres).[1]
1949 Australian Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Formula Libre race | |||
Race details | |||
Date | 18 September 1949 | ||
Location | Leyburn, Queensland | ||
Course | Airfield circuit | ||
Course length | 6.92 km (4.3 mi) | ||
Distance | 35 laps, 242.2 km (150.5 mi) | ||
Weather | Sunny | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Hudson Special | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver |
John Crouch Frank Kleinig |
Delahaye 135MS Hudson Special | |
Time | 2'52 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Delahaye 135MS | ||
Second | MG TC Special | ||
Third | Riley Special |
The race is recognised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fourteenth Australian Grand Prix.[2] It was the first Australian Grand Prix to be held in Queensland,[1] the first to feature a mass start of the entire grid [1] and the first with grid positions decided by practice times.[1] The race, which was organised by the Queensland Motor Sporting Club, attracted a crowd of approximately 40,000 people.[3]
John Crouch won the race driving a Delahaye 135MS. Ray 'Laddie' Gordon (MG TC Special) finished second ahead of Arthur Rizzo (Riley Special).
Classification
Pos [1] | No. [1] | Driver [1] | Car [1] / engine | Laps [1] | Time [1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | John Crouch | Delahaye 135MS / Delahaye 3.6L | 35 | 1h 49m 25.2s |
2 | 20 | Ray Gordon | MG TC Special / MG s/c 1.3L | 35 | 1h 54m 12.2s |
3 | 8 | Arthur Rizzo | Riley Special / Riley 1.5L | 35 | 1h 56m 56.8s |
4 | 19 | Peter Critchley | MG TB Special / MG 1.3L | 35 | 1h 59m 40s |
5 | 7 | Alan Larsen | Cadillac Special / Cadillac 5.7L | 35 | 1h 59m 53s |
6 | 29 | Curley Brydon | MG TC Special / MG 1.3L | 35 | 2h 00m 08s |
7 | 38 | Irwin Luke | Bugatti Type 37 / Bugatti | 35 | 2h 07m 07.4s |
8 | 24 | Theo Trevathan | Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.9L | 35 | 2h 11m 14.4s |
9 | 40 | H. McGuire | MG TC / MG 1.3L | 35 | 2h 16m 53s |
10 | 32 | Col Robinson | MG TC / MG 1.3L | 35 | 2h 20m 59.6s |
11 | 33 | Jack Wright | Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0L | 35 | 2h 24m 36.8s |
Ret | 36 | Vic Johnson | MG TC / MG 1.3L | 27 | |
Ret | 2 | Dick Bland | G Reed Ford Special / Ford 4.0L | 26 | |
Ret | 1 | Frank Kleinig | Hudson Special / Hudson 4.4L | 21 | |
Ret | 21 | John Nind | MG TB Special / MG 1.3L | 20 | |
Ret | 18 | Garry Coglan | MG TC Special / MG 1.3L | 16 | |
Ret | 34 | Ken Tubman | MG Magna / MG s/c 1.1L | 12 | |
Ret | 10 | Snow Sefton | Strathpine Special | 11 | |
Ret | 11 | Charlie Whatmore | Studebaker Special | 10 | |
Ret | 23 | Les Taylor | MG TC Special / MG 1.3L | 10 | |
Ret | 15 | Keith Thallon | Jaguar SS100 / SS 3.6L | 10 | |
Ret | 25 | Doug McDonald | Bugatti / Dodge | 9 | |
Ret | 9 | Keith Saunders | Cadillac Special | 8 | |
Ret | 5 | Rex Law | Buick Special | 8 | |
Ret | 17 | Dick Cobden | MG TC Special / MG 1.4L | 6 | |
Ret | 3 | Arthur Bowes | Hudson Special / Hudson | 5 | |
Ret | 6 | Ross Gray | GK Ford Special / Ford 4.0L | 4 | |
Ret | 22 | George Pearse | MG TB / MG 1.3L | 2 | |
Notes
- Fastest lap: John Crouch and Frank Kleinig – 2'52, 90 mph (144.8 km/h) [1]
Handicap award
A concurrent handicap award was won by Luke (Bugatti Type 37) with an adjusted time of 1 hour 39 minutes 7.4 seconds.[3]
References
- Howard, Graham (1986). "1949". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 138–147. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
- "Australian Grand Prix Winners", CAMS Manual of Motor Sport (1980), page 55
- Les Vowles, The Australian Grand Prix, Australian Motor Sports, October 1949, pages 23 & 24
Preceded by 1948 Australian Grand Prix |
Australian Grand Prix 1949 |
Succeeded by 1950 Australian Grand Prix |