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1948 Australian Grand Prix

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox Grand Prix race report

|Type = CUST

|Description = Formula Libre handicap race

|Grand Prix = Australian

|Country = Australia

|Image =

|Location = Point Cook, Victoria

|Date = 26 January

|Year = 1948

|Course = Airfield circuit

|Course_mi = 2.4

|Course_km = 3.85

|Distance_laps = 42

|Distance_mi = 162.19

|Distance_km = 100.8

|Weather = Sunny

|Pole_Driver =

|Pole_Country =

|Pole_Team =

|Pole_Time =

|Fast_Driver = Alf Barrett

|Fast_Team = Alfa Romeo

|Fast_Time = 1'48

|Fast_Country = AUS

|First_Driver = Frank Pratt

|First_Country = NZL

|First_Team = BMW

|Second_Driver = Alf Najar

|Second_Country = AUS

|Second_Team = MG

|Third_Driver = Dick Bland

|Third_Country = AUS

|Third_Team = Reed-Ford

}}The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Point Cook Aerodrome,Programme, Australian Grand Prix, Australia Day 26 January 1948, Point Cook Aerodrome 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.{{cite web|last1=Galpin|first1=Darren|title=Point Cook|url=http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/tracks/pointcoo.html|website=GEL Motorsport Information Page|accessdate=3 April 2016}} 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.Australian Motor Sports, 15 December 1947, page 24

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. Conditions were oppressive, with the temperature topping {{convert|100|°F|°C}} by mid-morning, along with hot winds buffeting the exposed pits on the start/finish straight.{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Terry|title=Fast Tracks - Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995|date=1995|publisher=Turton & Armstrong|location=Wahroonga, NSW|isbn=0908031556|page=134}} 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.

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.[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22537213 Motor-cyclist wins Grand Prix in BMW, The Argus, Tuesday, 27 January 1948, page 12, trove.nla.gov.au] Retrieved 14 April 2015

Classification

File:Frank Pratt (BMW 328).jpg) contesting the 1948 Australian Grand Prix]]

Results as follows.{{cite book |last1=Howard |first1=Graham |editor1-first=Graham |editor1-last=Howard | title = The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix |year=1986 |publisher=R & T Publishing |location=Gordon, NSW |isbn=0-9588464-0-5 |pages=126–137 |chapter=1948}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
Pos

! No.

! Driver

! Car / Engine

! Entrant

! Laps

! Time

1

| align="center"| 28

| {{flagicon|New Zealand}} Frank Pratt

| BMW 328 / BMW 2.0L

| LF Pratt

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 33m 52s

2

| align="center"| 31

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Alf Najar

| MG TB Special / MG 1.3L

| A Najar

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 34m 35s

3

| align="center"| 11

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Dick Bland

| G Reed Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0L

| R Bland

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 35m 19s

4

| align="center"| 12

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Granton Harrison

| Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6L

| G Harrison

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 35m 58s

5

| align="center"| 26

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Dennis Curran

| Willys Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.9L

| D Curran

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 36m 05s

6

| align="center"| 30

| {{flagicon|Australia}} John Barraclough

| MG NE / MG 1.3L

| J Barraclough

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 37m 02s

7

| align="center"| 27

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Bill Ford

| Hudson Special / Hudson 3.5L

| WD Ford

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 38m 00s

8

| align="center"| 3

| {{flagicon|Australia}} John Crouch

| Delahaye 135 / Delahaye 3.6L

| J Crouch

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 39m 00s

9

| align="center"| 10

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Alec Mildren

| Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.6L

| AG Mildren

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 40m 22s

10

| align="center"| 22

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Ron Head

| Riley Imp / Riley 1.1L

| R Head

| align="center"| 42

| 1h 42m 13s

NC

| align="center"| 35

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Bill Patterson

| MG TC / MG 1.3L

| GW Patterson

| align="center"| ?

|

NC

| align="center"| 23

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Jim Skinner

| Ballot 8 / Ford 3.6L

| J Skinner

| align="center"| ?

|

NC

| align="center"| 41

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Cec Warren

| Morgan / Matchless 0.4L

| CR Warren

| align="center"| ?

|

NCArthur Chick is mentioned as "still running at the finish" in The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, page 132

| align="center"| 19

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Arthur Chick

| Bugatti Type 37 / Bugatti 2.3L

| A Chick

| align="center"| ?

|

Ret

| align="center"| 4

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Doug Whiteford

| Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.2L

| D Whiteford

| align="center"| 34

|

Ret

| align="center"| 5

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Hope Bartlett

| Dixon Riley / Riley 1.8L

| H Bartlett

| align="center"| 32

|

Ret

| align="center"| 2

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Alf Barrett

| Alfa Romeo Monza / Alfa Romeo 2.4L

| H Bartlett

| align="center"| 22

|

Ret

| align="center"| 6

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Lex Davison

| Mercedes-Benz 38/250 / Mercedes-Benz 7.4L

| AN Davison

| align="center"| 17

|

Ret

| align="center"| 38

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Tom Sulman

| Singer Special / Singer 1.0L

| T Sulman

| align="center"| 16

|

Ret

| align="center"| 20

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Jim Gullan

| Ballot / Oldsmobile 3.9L

| J Gullan

| align="center"| 15

|

Ret

| align="center"| 16

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Rug Nutt

| Cadillac Special / Cadillac

| AC Cooper

| align="center"| 14

|

Ret

| align="center"| 14

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Charlie Dean

| Maybach I / Maybach 4.3L

| HC Dean

| align="center"| 12

|

Ret

| align="center"| 21

| {{flagicon|Australia}} John Nind

| MG TB Special / MG 1.3L

| J Nind

| align="center"| 10

|

Ret

| align="center"| 18

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Tom Luxton

| Nuttbug Bugatti Type 40 / Ford 3.6L

| J McEwan

| align="center"| 7

|

Ret

| align="center"| 1

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Tony Gaze

| Alta / Alta 2.0L

| FAO Gaze

| align="center"| 5

|

Ret

| align="center"| 7

| {{flagicon|Australia}} Norm Andrews

| Stewand / Lea-Francis 3.5L

| N Andrews

| align="center"| 0

|

Notes

  • Fastest lap: Alf Barrett (Alfa Romeo Monza), 1m 48s, 80.00 mph (128.7 km/h)
  • Fastest time: Dick Bland (G Reed Ford V8 Special), 1h 26m 52s, 69.62 mph (112.02 km/h)

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206886550 Motor Cyclist Wins Car Grand Prix, The Age, Tuesday 27 January 1948, Page 4, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au]

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{{succession box | title=Australian Grand Prix | before=1947 Australian Grand Prix | years=1948| after=1949 Australian Grand Prix}}

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Grand Prix

Category:Australian Grand Prix

Australian Grand Prix

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