1939 Australian Grand Prix
1939 Australian Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Formula Libre handicap race | |||
| |||
Race details | |||
Date | 2 January 1939 | ||
Location | Lobethal, South Australia | ||
Course | Temporary road circuit | ||
Course length | 13.8 km (8.6 miles) | ||
Distance | 17 laps, 241.35 km (150 miles) | ||
Weather | Sunny & hot | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver |
| Alfa Romeo | |
Time | 5:40 | ||
Podium | |||
First | MG | ||
Second | Terraplane Special | ||
Third | Ford Special |
The 1939 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the Lobethal Circuit in South Australia, Australia on 2 January 1939. The race was staged over 17 laps of the 14 kilometre circuit, the longest ever used for the Grand Prix, for a race distance of 241 kilometres. The Grand Prix meeting was organised by Lobethal Carnivals Ltd. and the Sporting Car Club of South Australia.[1]
The race was the eleventh Australian Grand Prix and the second since the 1938 revival of the event. The Lobethal Circuit comprised three country roads in a roughly triangular formation, passing through the town of Lobethal and the nearby village of Charleston. The advantage of using these country roads was that, for the first time, the Grand Prix was held on a bitumen sealed surface instead of on dirt roads. The race utilised a handicap start with the slowest cars starting first and the fastest cars last, the winner being the first to complete the stipulated number of laps.[2] Trophies were awarded for the first three places with prize money paid to the first seven finishers.[1] Prize money and a trophy were also awarded for Fastest Time.[2]
The race was won by relatively unknown Western Australian racer Allan Tomlinson driving a supercharged MG T. Bob Lea-Wright's Terraplane Special finished in second position ahead of Jack Phillips' Ford Special. The winning car's average speed was the fastest of any Australian Grand Prix prior to 1956,[3] with Tomlinson averaging 84.00 mph.[4] The fastest actual time over the race distance was recorded by Jack Saywell driving an Alfa Romeo.
The entry of J O'Dea crashed at the Gumeracha turn late in the race and driver Vern Leech was killed almost instantaneously.[5]
Later in 1939, Australia would declare war on the AXIS powers. As World War II enveloped Australia, motor racing wound down and would not resume until the mid-1940s. The Australian Grand Prix itself would be revived in 1947.
Classification
[edit]Results as follows.[3]
Pos | No. | Driver | Car / Engine | Entrant[6] | Handicap[6] | Laps | Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 | MG TA / MG s/c 1.3L | AG Tomlinson | 11m 30s | 17 | 2h 00m 27s | |
2 | 19 | Terraplane Special / Terraplane | RA Lea-Wright | 17m 00s | 17 | 2h 02m 31s | |
3 | 15 | Ford Special / Ford 3.6L | JK Phillips | 12m 45s | 17 | 2h 02m 46s | |
4 | 3 | Delahaye 135 3.6L | JF Snow | 4m 15s | 17 | 2h 04m 11s | |
5 | 17 | Hudson Special / Hudson | L Burrows | 12m 45s | 17 | 2h 04m 38s | |
6 | 1 | Alfa Romeo P3 / Alfa Romeo 2.9L | J Saywell | Scratch | 17 | 2h 06m 48s | |
7 | 6 | Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Le Mans / Alfa Romeo s/c 2.4L | JF Crouch | 5m 00s | 17 | 2h 08m 33s | |
8 | 2 | Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 / Alfa Romeo s/c 2.4L | AI Barrett | 2m 50s | 17 | 2h 09m 11s | |
9 | 20 | MG TB / MG 1.3L | RF Curlewis | 21m 00s | 17 | 2h 09m 57s | |
Ret | 23 | MG N / MG 1.3L | RW Manser | 21m 00s | 14 | ||
Ret | 26[6] | MG P / MG 0.8L | J O'Dea | 21m 00s | 14 | ||
Ret | 24 | MG N / MG 1.3L | RN Bowes | 21m 00s | 10 | ||
Ret | 25 | Morgan 4/4 / Coventry Climax 1.1L | JS Boughton | 21m 00s | 10 | ||
Ret | 13 | Frazer Nash / Meadows 1.5L | CM Joshua | 11m 30s | 7 | ||
Ret | 31 | MG L / MG 1.1L | JW Wilson | 21m 00s | 7 | ||
Ret | 16 | Riley Brooklands / 1.5L | CRE Downing | 12m 45s | 5 | ||
Ret | 4 | Kleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.2L | F Kleinig | 4m 15s | 3 | ||
DNS | 7 | Sunbeam Special | AG Sinclair | 8m 30s | - | ||
DNS | 10 | MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1L | CA Dunne | 10m 00s | - | ||
DNS | 11 | Ballot | J Gullan | 10m 00s | - | ||
DNS | 21 | MG N / MG 1.3L | JF Summers | 21m 00s | - |
Notes
[edit]- Fastest time: Jack Saywell:[8] 1:45.48[6]
- Fastest race lap: Alf Barrett: 5:40s: 93.52 mph[6]
- Raymond Curlewis was entered to drive an MG N Type in the Grand Prix but, having suffered a rollover in a supporting race, competed in the Grand Prix in an MG TB.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Programme, Australian Grand Prix Meeting, Lobethal, South Australia, Monday, 2 January 1939
- ^ a b Tony Parkinson, Legend of Lobethal: The Story of One of Australia's Greatest Racing Circuits, Vintage Motorsport Carnivals Proprietary Limited, 2008, page 29
- ^ a b c Bell, Ray (1986). "1939". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 104–115. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
- ^ Australian Grand Prix Winners, Sandown, Australian Grand Prix Programme, 9 February 1964, page 23
- ^ "GRAND PRIX TRAGEDY". The West Australian. Vol. 55, no. 16, 383. Western Australia. 3 January 1939. p. 9. Retrieved 22 May 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d e f g h John B Blanden, The 1939 Australian Grand Prix, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928-1939, pages 169 to 185
- ^ a b c d PRE-WAR MG ARCHIVES REGISTER, prewar.mgcc.info, as archived at web.archive.org
- ^ THRILLS AT CORNERS IN LOBETHAL CAR RACES, The Advertiser (Adelaide), 3 January 1939, page 4, as archived at nla.gov.au
External links
[edit]- "CAR RACES AT LOBETHAL TODAY". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 2 January 1939. p. 10 – via National Library of Australia.
- Racing History Of Lobethal – 2008 Documentary (including 1939 Australian Grand Prix footage), vimeo.com