1950 Australian Grand Prix
1950 Australian Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Formula Libre race | |||
Race details | |||
Date | 2 January 1950 | ||
Location | Nuriootpa, South Australia | ||
Course | Temporary road circuit | ||
Course length | 7.04 km (4.375 miles) | ||
Distance | 34 laps, 163.9 km (102 miles) | ||
Weather | Sunny | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver |
![]() ![]() |
Alfa Romeo Ford | |
Time | 2'27 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Ford | ||
Second | Alfa Romeo | ||
Third | Ballot-Oldsmobile |
The 1950 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Nuriootpa Road Circuit in South Australia on 2 January 1950.[1] It was organised by the Sporting Car Club of South Australia,[2] promoted by the Barossa Valley Vintage Festival Association [1] and staged over 34 laps of the 7.0 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 164 kilometres.[2] The race, which is recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fifteenth Australian Grand Prix,[3] was a Formula Libre race.
The race utilised a handicap start with cars commencing progressively, slowest through to fastest, at timed intervals.[2] The declared winner of the Grand Prix however, was the driver with the fastest elapsed race time, regardless of handicap.[2] All other official awards were based on the handicap results, with an additional trophy awarded to the handicap winner and prize money paid for the first nine handicap places.[1] Doug Whiteford, driving a Ford V8 Special, known as 'Black Bess', won his first Australian Grand Prix, completing the race distance almost three minutes faster than Rupert Steele, driving an Alfa Romeo.[2] Jim Gullan, driving an Oldsmobile-powered Ballot Special recorded the third fastest race time and was also the official handicap winner.[2]
Classification
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Ballot_Special_of_Jim_Gullan.jpg/220px-Ballot_Special_of_Jim_Gullan.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/MGTC_Special_of_John_Gillett.jpg/220px-MGTC_Special_of_John_Gillett.jpg)
Pos [2] | No. [2] | Driver [2] | Car [2] | Entrant [1] | Laps [2] | Time [2] | H'cap Pos [2] | H'cap start [2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | ![]() |
Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.2L | D Whiteford | 34 | 1h 24m 53s | 5 | 1m 45s |
2 | 6 | ![]() |
Alfa Romeo 8C / Alfa Romeo 2.3L | PJR Steele | 34 | 1h 27m 51s | 9 | 1m 45s |
3 | 21 | ![]() |
Ballot Special / Oldsmobile 3.9L | J Gullan | 34 | 1h 29m 23s | 1 | 7m 45s |
4 | 30 | ![]() |
MG TC Special / MG 1.3L | DG Harvey | 34 | 1h 33m 49s | 2 | 11m 00s |
5 | 22 | ![]() |
Dodge Special / Dodge 4.1L | WH Wilcox | 34 | 1h 34m 11s | 10 | 8m 20s |
6 | 32 | ![]() |
MG TC Special / MG 1.3L | SD Tillett | 34 | 1h 34m 37s | 6 | 11m 50s |
7 | 33 | ![]() |
MG TC / MG 1.3L | RJ Kennedy | 34 | 1h 34m 41s | 3 | 11m 30s |
8 | 35 | ![]() |
MG TC / MG 1.3L | DP Cant | 34 | 1h 35m 05s | 4 | 11m 55s |
9 | 27 | ![]() |
HRG Special / HRG 1.5L | FAO Gaze | 34 | 1h 35m 57s | 8 | 9m 40s |
10 | 26 | ![]() |
HRG Special / HRG 1.5L | NC Steele | 34 | 1h 36m 08s | 7 | 9m 40s |
11 | 19 | ![]() |
Phillips V8 Special / Ford 3.9L | GT Harrison | 34 | 1h 37m 39s | 11 | 7m 45s |
12 | 29 | ![]() |
MG TC Special / MG 1.3L | VA Maloney | 34 | 1h 40m 14s | 12 | 10m 40s |
13 | 38 | ![]() |
MG NA / MG 1.3L | RK Vinall | 34 | 1h 46m 42s | 13 | 13m 00s |
Ret | 25 | ![]() |
BMW 328 / BMW 2.0L | Peter McKenna | 33 | 9m 05s | ||
Ret | 34 | ![]() |
MG TC / MG 1.3L | AP Douglas | 32 | 11m 55s | ||
Ret | 20 | ![]() |
Curran Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0L | DE Curran | 30 | 7m 45s | ||
Ret | 16 | ![]() |
MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1L | KV Tubman | 28 | 4m 50s | ||
Ret | 31 | ![]() |
MG TC / MG 1.3L | IN Jackson | 25 | 11m 20s | ||
Ret | 40 | ![]() |
MG P / Vauxhall 1.4L | P Harrison | 21 | 13m 00s | ||
Ret | 24 | ![]() |
Alfa Romeo Tipo B / Ford 4.0L | RS Brown | 21 | 9m 00s | ||
Ret | 3 | ![]() |
Maybach Special Mk.1 / Maybach 4.2L | HC Dean | 21 | 0m 30s | ||
Ret | 23 | ![]() |
Bugatti / Dodge | LD Robinson | 15 | 8m 40s | ||
Ret | 11 | ![]() |
Hudson Special / Hudson | P Denman | 13 | 2m 50s | ||
Ret | 36 | ![]() |
MG TC / MG 1.3L | EC Truman | 11 | 11m 55s | ||
Ret | 17 | ![]() |
MG TC / MG s/c 1.3L | GW Patterson | 6 | 5m 05s | ||
Ret | 39 | ![]() |
MG NA / MG 1.3L | M Galt | 4 | 13m 00s | ||
Ret | 4 | ![]() |
Double Ford V8 Special / Ford 7.8L | E de B Norman | 2 | 1m 25s | ||
Ret | 15 | ![]() |
MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1L | Otto Stone | 1 | 4m 50s | ||
Ret | 2 | ![]() |
Alfa Romeo Tipo B / Alfa Romeo 3.0L | AN Davison | 1 | 0m 30s | ||
DNS | 1 | ![]() |
Alta | FAO Gaze | - | 0m 00s | ||
DNS | 12 | ![]() |
HRG | S Jones | - | 3m 25s [1] |
The above results rank all finishers based on actual race time, regardless of handicap.[2] Officially, race results were based on handicap placings, with the exception of the actual Australian Grand Prix title itself, which was awarded to the driver setting the fastest race time.[2]
It is not known if the cars of McKenna and Douglas actually retired from the race or were still running when the race time expired.[2]
Notes
- Fastest lap: Rupert Steele and Doug Whiteford – 2'27 (73.47 mph, 118.2 km/h) [2]
References
- ^ a b c d e Programme, Australian Grand Prix Carnival, 2 January 1950, Nuriootpa Road Circuit, South Australia
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Howard, Graham (1986). "1950". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 148–157. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
- ^ Records, Titles and Awards, 2002 CAMS Manual of Motor Sport, page 14-3