1948 Australian Grand Prix

Australia  1948 Australian Grand Prix
Race details
Formula Libre handicap race
Date 26 January 1948
Location Point Cook, Victoria
Course Airfield circuit
Course length 3.85 km (2.4 mi)
Distance 42 laps, 100.8 km (162.19 mi)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver Australia Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo
Time 1'48
Podium
First
  • New Zealand Frank Pratt
 BMW
Second
  • Australia Alf Najar
 MG
Third
  • Australia Dick Bland
 Reed-Ford

The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook, just outside Melbourne in Victoria, Australia on Australia Day, 26 January 1948. The race was held over 42 laps of a 3.85 kilometre circuit utilizing the runways and service roads of the base.[1] The total race distance was 162 kilometres.

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.[2] Conditions were oppressive, with the temperature topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit by mid-morning, along with hot winds buffeting the exposed pits on the start/finish straight.[3] 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.[3] 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.[4]

Classification

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

Results as follows.[2]

Pos No. Driver Car Laps Time
1 28 New Zealand Frank Pratt BMW 328 / BMW 2.0L 42 1h 33m 52s
2 31 Australia Alf Najar MG TB Special / MG 1.3L 42 1h 34m 35s
3 11 Australia Dick Bland G Reed Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0L 42 1h 35m 19s
4 12 Australia Granton Harrison Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6L 42 1h 35m 58s
5 26 Australia Dennis Curran Willys Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.9L 42 1h 36m 05s
6 30 Australia John Barraclough MG NE / MG 1.3L 42 1h 37m 02s
7 27 Australia Bill Ford Hudson Special / Hudson 3.5L 42 1h 38m 00s
8 3 Australia John Crouch Delahaye 135 / Delahaye 3.6L 42 1h 39m 00s
9 10 Australia Alec Mildren Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6L 42 1h 40m 22s
10 22 Australia Ron Head Riley Imp / Riley 1.1L 42 1h 42m 13s
NC 35 Australia Bill Patterson MG TC / MG 1.3L
NC 23 Australia Jim Skinner Ballot 8 / Ford 3.6L
NC 41 Australia Cec Warren Morgan / Matchless 0.4L
Ret 4 Australia Doug Whiteford Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.2L 34
Ret 5 Australia Hope Bartlett Dixon Riley / Riley 1.8L 32
Ret 2 Australia Alf Barrett Alfa Romeo Monza / Alfa Romeo 2.4L 22
Ret 6 Australia Lex Davison Mercedes-Benz 38/250 / Mercedes-Benz 7.4L 17
Ret 38 Australia Tom Sulman Singer Special / Singer 1.0L 16
Ret 20 Australia Jim Gullan Ballot / Oldsmobile 3.9L 15
Ret 16 Australia Rug Nutt Cadillac Special / Cadillac 14
Ret 14 Australia Charlie Dean Maybach I / Maybach 4.3L 12
Ret 21 Australia John Nind MG TB Special / MG 1.3L 10
Ret 18 Australia Tom Luxton Nuttbug Bugatti Type 40 / Ford 3.6L 7
Ret 1 Australia Tony Gaze Alta / Alta 2.0L 5
Ret 7 Australia Norm Andrews Stewand / Lea-Francis 3.5L 0
DNS 19 Australia Arthur Chick Bugatti Type 37 / Bugatti 2.3L

Notes

References

  1. ↑ Galpin, Darren. "Point Cook". GEL Motorsport Information Page. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 Howard, Graham (1986). "1948". In Howard, Graham. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 126–137. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  3. 1 2 Walker, Terry (1995). Fast Tracks - Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995. Wahroonga, NSW: Turton & Armstrong. p. 134. ISBN 0908031556.
  4. ↑ Motor-cyclist wins Grand Prix in BMW, The Argus, Tuesday, 27 January 1948, page 12, trove.nla.gov.au Retrieved on 14 April 2015
Preceded by
1947 Australian Grand Prix		 Australian Grand Prix
1948 		Succeeded by
1949 Australian Grand Prix


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