1949 Australian Grand Prix

  1949 Australian Grand Prix

Race details
Formula Libre race
Date	18 September 1949
Location	Leyburn, Queensland
Course	Airfield circuit
Course length	6.92 km (4.3 mi)
Distance	35 laps, 242.2 km (150.5 mi)
Weather	Sunny
Pole position
Driver	Frank Kleinig	Hudson Special
Fastest lap
Driver	John Crouch Frank Kleinig	Delahaye 135MS Hudson Special
Time	2'52
Podium
First	John Crouch	Delahaye 135MS
Second	Ray Gordon	MG TC Special
Third	Arthur Rizzo	Riley Special

The 1949 Australian Grand Prix was motor race held at the Leyburn circuit in Queensland, Australia on 18 September 1949.^[1] The race was staged over 35 laps of the 7.0 kilometre circuit, which was laid out on the runways and taxiways of a World War II airbase located six kilometres north of the town of Leyburn.^[1] The total race distance was 150.5 miles (242.2 kilometres).^[1]

The race is recognised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fourteenth Australian Grand Prix.^[2] It was the first Australian Grand Prix to be held in Queensland,^[1] the first to feature a mass start of the entire grid ^[1] and the first with grid positions decided by practice times.^[1] The race, which was organised by the Queensland Motor Sporting Club, attracted a crowd of approximately 40,000 people.^[3]

John Crouch won the race driving a Delahaye 135MS. Ray Gordon (MG TC Special) finished second ahead of Arthur Rizzo (Riley Special).

Classification

The race winning Delahaye 135MS of John Crouch at the 1949 Australian Grand Prix

Pos [1]	No. [1]	Driver [1]	Car [1] / engine	Laps [1]	Time [1]
1	4	John Crouch	Delahaye 135MS / Delahaye 3.6L	35	1h 49m 25.2s
2	20	Ray Gordon	MG TC Special / MG s/c 1.3L	35	1h 54m 12.2s
3	8	Arthur Rizzo	Riley Special / Riley 1.5L	35	1h 56m 56.8s
4	19	Peter Critchley	MG TB Special / MG 1.3L	35	1h 59m 40s
5	7	Alan Larsen	Cadillac Special / Cadillac 5.7L	35	1h 59m 53s
6	29	Curley Brydon	MG TC Special / MG 1.3L	35	2h 00m 08s
7	38	Irwin Luke	Bugatti Type 37 / Bugatti	35	2h 07m 07.4s
8	24	Theo Trevathan	Ford V8 Special / Ford 3.9L	35	2h 11m 14.4s
9	40	H. McGuire	MG TC / MG 1.3L	35	2h 16m 53s
10	32	Col Robinson	MG TC / MG 1.3L	35	2h 20m 59.6s
11	33	Jack Wright	Ford V8 Special / Ford 4.0L	35	2h 24m 36.8s
Ret	36	Vic Johnson	MG TC / MG 1.3L	27
Ret	2	Dick Bland	G Reed Ford Special / Ford 4.0L	26
Ret	1	Frank Kleinig	Hudson Special / Hudson 4.4L	21
Ret	21	John Nind	MG TB Special / MG 1.3L	20
Ret	18	Garry Coglan	MG TC Special / MG 1.3L	16
Ret	34	Ken Tubman	MG Magna / MG s/c 1.1L	12
Ret	10	Snow Sefton	Strathpine Special	11
Ret	11	Charlie Whatmore	Studebaker Special	10
Ret	23	Les Taylor	MG TC Special / MG 1.3L	10
Ret	15	Keith Thallon	Jaguar SS100 / SS 3.6L	10
Ret	25	Doug McDonald	Bugatti / Dodge	9
Ret	9	Keith Saunders	Cadillac Special	8
Ret	5	Rex Law	Buick Special	8
Ret	17	Dick Cobden	MG TC Special / MG 1.4L	6
Ret	3	Arthur Bowes	Hudson Special / Hudson	5
Ret	6	Ross Gray	GK Ford Special / Ford 4.0L	4
Ret	22	George Pearse	MG TB / MG 1.3L	2

Handicap award

A concurrent handicap award was won by Luke (Bugatti Type 37) with an adjusted time of 1 hour 39 minutes 7.4 seconds.^[3]

Notes

• Fastest lap: John Crouch and Frank Kleinig – 2'52, 90 mph (144.8 kph) ^[1]

References

1. Howard, Graham (1986). "1949". In Howard, Graham. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 138–147. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
2. "Australian Grand Prix Winners", CAMS Manual of Motor Sport (1980), page 55
3. Les Vowles, The Australian Grand Prix, Australian Motor Sports, October 1949, pages 23 & 24