1952 Australian Grand Prix
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2011}}
{{Infobox Grand Prix race report
|Type = CUST
|Description = Formula Libre race
|Grand Prix = Australian
|Country = Australia
|Image = Mount Panorama 1938-1986.png
|Location = Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, New South Wales
|Date = 14 April
|Year = 1952
|Course = Temporary road circuit
|Course_mi = 3.84
|Course_km = 6.12
|Distance_laps = 38
|Distance_mi = 145.92
|Distance_km = 234.8
|Weather = Sunny
|Pole_Driver = Doug Whiteford
|Pole_Country = AUS
|Pole_Team = Talbot-Lago
|Pole_Time =
|Fast_Driver = Doug Whiteford
|Fast_Team = Talbot-Lago
|Fast_Time = 3'02
|Fast_Country = AUS
|First_Driver = Doug Whiteford
|First_Country = AUS
|First_Team = Talbot-Lago
|Second_Driver = Stan Jones
|Second_Country = AUS
|Second_Team = Maybach Special
|Third_Driver = Bill Murray
|Third_Country = AUS
|Third_Team = Alfa Romeo-Alvis
}}
File:Talbot Lago T26C of Doug Whiteford.jpg won the race driving a Talbot-Lago T26C]]
File:Maybach of Stan Jones (1952 AGP).jpg (Maybach) leads Whiteford early in the race. Jones placed second.]]
File:Alfa Romeo of Bill Murray (1952 AGP).jpg]]
The 1952 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula Libre motor race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst, in New South Wales, Australia on 14 April 1952. The race had 43 starters and was held over 38 laps of the six kilometre circuit, a total distance of 235 kilometres. A crowd of 15,000 watched the race,[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18250446 Whiteford Wins Grand Prix Again, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 15 April 1952, page 1, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au] which was organised by the Australian Sporting Car Club.{{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=170–180 |chapter=1952}}
The race, which is recognised by Motorsport Australia as the seventeenth Australian Grand Prix,[https://motorsport.org.au/docs/default-source/manual/about/ac04-titles-agp.pdf?sfvrsn=11f945c4_12 Australian Grand Prix, motorsport.org.au] Retrieved 30 August 2023 was won by Doug Whiteford driving a Talbot-Lago T26C Formula One car. It was Whiteford's second Australian Grand Prix victory.
Classification
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| Pos
! No. ! Driver ! Car / Engine ! EntrantOfficial Programme, Bathurst Car Races, 14th April 1952 ! Laps ! Time / Remarks |
|---|
| 1
| align="center"| 1 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Doug Whiteford | Talbot-Lago T26C / Talbot-Lago 4.5L | D Whiteford | align="center"| 38 | 1h 57m 44s |
| 2
| align="center"| 3 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Stan Jones | Maybach Special Mk.1 / Maybach 4.3L | SJ Jones | align="center"| 38 | 2h 02m 04s |
| 3
| align="center"| 13 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Bill Murray | Alfa Romeo Tipo B / Alvis 4.4L | W Murray | align="center"| 38 | 2h 05m 08s |
| 4
| align="center"| 5 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Jack Murray | JE Murray | align="center"| 38 | 2h 06m 04s |
| 5
| align="center"| 30 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Harry Monday | Mercury Special / Mercury 4.0L | HS Monday | align="center"| 38 | 2h 09m 34s |
| 6
| align="center"| 15 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Tom Sulman | Maserati 4CL / Maserati 1.5L | TN Sulman | align="center"| 38 | 2h 11m 05s |
| 7
| align="center"| 27 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Clive Adams | Prad / Ford 2.2L | CE Adams | align="center"| 38 | 2h 11m 16s |
| 8
| align="center"| 41 | {{flagicon|Australia}} David McKay | D McKay | 2h 13m 21s |
| 9
| align="center"| 43 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Peter Critchley | Better Used Cars NSW | 2h 15m 27s |
| 10
| align="center"| 33 | {{flagicon|Australia}} J.S. Moody | Jaguar XK120 / Jaguar 3.4L | JS Moody | align="center"| 37 |
| 11
| align="center"| 19 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Arthur Griffiths | AA Griffiths | align="center"| 36 |
| 12
| align="center"| 44 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Ron Ward | RS Ward | align="center"| 35 |
| 13
| align="center"| 35 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Bill McLachlan | Bugatti Type 37A / Ford 3.6L | DA McLachlan | align="center"| 34 |
| 14
| align="center"| 32 | {{flagicon|Australia}} John Calvert | Jaguar XK120 / Jaguar 3.4L | J Calvert | align="center"| 34 |
| 15
| align="center"| 16 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Puss CatlinEaster Monday at Bathurst, Australian Motor Sport, May 1952, pages 26-39 | Bugatti Type 35B / Bugatti s/c 2.3L | P Menere | align="center"| 34 |
| 16
| align="center"| 11 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Jack Saywell | J Saywell | align="center"| 32 |
| 17
| align="center"| 40 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Silvio Massola | HRG Special / HRG 1.5L | S Massola | align="center"| 29 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 42 | {{flagicon|Australia}} John Nind | JP Nind | align="center"| 34 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 39 | {{flagicon|Australia}} T.G. Humphries | HRG Special / HRG 1.5L | TG Humphries | align="center"| 33 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 46 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Phil Harrison | PC Harrison | align="center"| 27 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 18 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Curley Brydon | AH Brydon | align="center"| 27 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 38 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Ron Reid | Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.6L | RM Reid | align="center"| 24 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 36 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Alec Mildren | Riley Nine Imp / Riley 1.5L | AG Mildren | align="center"| 24 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 26 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Bill Wilcox | WH Wilcox | align="center"| 24 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 22 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Harry Thompson | HRG / HRG 1.5L | Redex Products NSW | align="center"| 24 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 21 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Ian Mountain | M.Y.F. Special / Ford 4.2L | IK Mountain | align="center"| 24 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 34 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Frank Roberts | Jaguar XK120 / Jaguar 3.4L | FK Roberts | align="center"| 23 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 17 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Julian Barrett | BWA Special / Frazer Nash 1.5L | J St. Q Barrett | align="center"| 19 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 28 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Peter Lowe | Bugatti Type 37 / Holden 2.2L | PS Lowe | align="center"| 17 | DistributorThe official history of the Australian Grand Prix - 80 Years |
| Ret
| align="center"| 11 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Stan Mossetter | Rizzo Riley Special / Riley 1.5L | S Mossetter | align="center"| 16 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 4 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Wally Feltham | WD Feltham | align="center"| 15 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 7 | {{flagicon|Australia}} John Crouch | JF Crouch | align="center"| 15 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 25 | {{flagicon|Australia}} George Pearse | GE Pearse | align="center"| 12 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 12 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Dick Bland | AG Mildren | align="center"| 11 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 20 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Jesse Griffiths | George Reed Special / Ford 4.0L | JJ Griffiths | align="center"| 11 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 24 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Vin Maloney | VA Maloney | align="center"| 11 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 23 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Dick Cobden | R Cobden | align="center"| 10 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 14 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Eldred Norman | Maserati 6C / Maserati 1.5L | E de B Norman | align="center"| 10 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 8 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Lloyd HirstHoward uses both Lloyd and Wayne as the first name for Hirst. The Official Programme lists the Entrant and Driver of Car 8 as FL Hirst and makes reference to "Lloyd Hirst" in the Grand Prix Personalities section. | FL Hirst | align="center"| 8 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 10 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Mischa RavdellHoward lists Mischa Randell as the driver of Car 10 however the Official Programme lists the Entrant and Driver as M Ravdell | M Ravdell | align="center"| 7 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 6 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Bill Craig | WJ Craig | align="center"| 6 | |
| Ret
| align="center"| 9 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Frank Kleinig | Kleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.4L | F Kleinig | align="center"| 4 |
| Ret
| align="center"| 31 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Ken Tubman | KV Tubman | align="center"| 1 | |
| DNS
| align="center"| 29 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Peter McKenna | P McKenna | align="center"| - |
| DNS
| align="center"| 45 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Ron Feast | RJ Feast | align="center"| - |
| DNS
| align="center"| 2 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Lex Davison[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/161527335 Vic. Driver Wins Grand Prix, National Advocate, Tuesday 15 April 1952, page 2, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au] | Alfa Romeo P3John B. Blanden, Historic Racing Cars in Australia, pages 20 & 21 | AN Davison | align="center"| - |
Note: Competitors still running when the winner completed the race were allowed to continue racing until the race time limit flag was shown. Nine cars completed the full race distance and a further eight were "flagged off".
Notes
- Starters: 43
- Winner's average speed: 76 mph
- Fastest lap: Doug Whiteford – 3'02
- Fastest speed through quarter-mile: Stan Jones (Maybach), 141.8 mph
Handicap
The race incorporated a concurrent handicap award which was won by Harry Monday (Mercury Special), 12 seconds ahead of Doug Whiteford. Minor placings were taken by Bill Murray, Clive Adams and David McKay.John Medley, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Sport, page 139
This was to be the last Australian Grand Prix to include a handicap section.
References & notes
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18250446 Whiteford Wins Grand Prix Again, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday 15 April 1952, page 1 - via trove.nla.gov.au]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb8x3Yt5Hx4 1952 Australian Grand Prix, Bathurst, www.youtube.com]
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{{succession box | title=Australian Grand Prix | before=1951 Australian Grand Prix | years=1952| after=1953 Australian Grand Prix}}
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Category:Australian Grand Prix