1938 Australian Grand Prix
Formula Libre handicap race
Race details
Date 18 April 1938
Location Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst, New South Wales
Course Temporary road circuit
Course length 6.12 km (3.84 miles)
Distance 40 laps, 244.8 km (153.6 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver United Kingdom Peter Whitehead ERA
Time 3m 23s[1]
Podium
First
ERA
Second
  • Australia Les Burrows
 Terraplane Special
Third
  • Australia Alan Crago &
    John Sherwood
 MG

The 1938 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Mount Panorama Circuit near Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia on 18 April 1938. It was staged over 40 laps of the six kilometre circuit for a total distance of 241 kilometres. The race, which was organised by the Light Car Club of New South Wales, attracted 38 entries, 30 of which started the race.[1] 33,000 people paid for admission to the circuit on race day.[2]

The race was the tenth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be held in New South Wales. It utilised the newly completed Mount Panorama Circuit, a dirt surface tourist drive which climbed and descended Mount Panorama in the Bald Hills to the south of the city of Bathurst. The Grand Prix was the feature race at the inaugural meeting at the rural New South Wales venue. With a circuit length of just over 3.8 miles it was the shortest circuit to host the Australian Grand Prix to this time.

The format of the race was the same as that used since the 1932 event. This utilised a handicap start with the slowest car starting first and other cars starting at intervals according to their predicted pace with the winner being the first car to complete the total race distance. The meeting was enlivened by two visiting British drivers, Peter Whitehead and Alan Sinclair who had brought with them supercharged racing machinery, respectively an ERA and an Alta. While Sinclair was unable to start the race, Whitehead did and it was quickly realised that his position as the scratch handicap competitor was too generous and by races end he had driven through the field. Whitehead's main opposition came from Les Burrows driving a 1933 Terraplane-based racing car. However Burrows slowed near the end, his engine reducing in power sufficiently to allow Whitehead to sweep by to take victory despite Burrows starting the race 15 minutes earlier. The MG TA driven by Alan Crago and John Sherwood placed third.

The initial release of official results attracted various protests and led to a recount, with some placings subsequently changed.[3]

Whitehead was awarded the RAC of Australia Cup and £250 prizemoney for winning the race.[1] He also received £100, the NRMA Trophy and the title of Australian Road Racing Champion for achieving the fastest time and the Courtney and Bohlsen Cup for setting the fastest lap.[1]

Classification

Results as follows.[4]

Pos No. Driver Car / Engine Entrant[5]Handicap[1] Laps Time
1 1 United Kingdom Peter Whitehead ERA B Type / ERA s/c 1.5L P.N. Whitehead Scratch 40 2h 46m 50s
2 22 Australia Les Burrows Terraplane Special / Terraplane 2.6L L. Burrows 15 mins 40 2h 48m 21s
3 31 Australia Alan Crago
Australia John Sherwood[1]		 MG TA / MG 1.3L F.A. Crago 26 mins 40 2h 49m 20s[2]
4 3 Australia Tom Peters Bugatti Type 37A / Ford s/c 2.9L T. Peters 4 mins 40 2h 50m 19s
5 32 Australia John Crouch MG TA / MG 1.3L J.F. Crouch 26 mins 40 2h 51m 38s
6 17 Australia Jack Phillips Ford Special / Ford 3.6L J.K. Phillips 13 mins 40 2h 52m 28s
7 20 Australia Charles Whatmore Ford Special / Ford 3.6L C. Whatmore 14 mins 40 2h 52m 56s
8 39 Australia Ron Uffindell Austin 7 Special / Austin 0.7L R.G. Uffindell 34 mins 40 2h 55m 07s
9 37 Australia Les Murphy MG PB / MG 0.8L J.H. O'Dea 30 mins 40 3h 02m 40s
10 15 Australia George Bonser Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5L G. Bonser junior[6] 12 mins 40 2h 56m 47s
11 18 Australia Bob Lea-Wright Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5L R.A. Lea-Wright 13 mins 40 2h 58m 01s
12 38 Australia Colin Anderson Morris Cowley / Morris 1.7L A.I Barrett 30 mins 40 2h 57m 47s
13 19 Australia D. Kerr Ford Special / Ford 3.6L D. Kerr 14 mins 40 2h 59m 59s
14 16 Australia Harry Beith Terraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5L H.J. Beith 13 mins 40 3h 05m 19s
15 12 Australia George Martin BMW 328 / BMW 2.0L G.C. Martin[6] 7 mins 40
16 14 Australia Barney Dentry Riley Special / Riley 1.1L G.B. Dentry 12 mins 40
Ret 21 Australia Paul Burton Alvis / Alvis s/c 1.5L P.H. Burton 14 mins
Ret 30 Australia Jack Boughton Morgan 4/4 / Coventry Climax 1.1L J.S. Boughton 24 mins
Ret 5 Australia Jim Fagan MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1L J.H. Fagan 6 mins
Ret 36 Australia John Pike Singer 9 / Singer 1.0L J.E. Pike 30 mins
Ret 35 Australia Arthur Beasley Singer 9 / Singer 1.0L A. Beasley 28 mins
Ret 23 Australia Fred Foss Ford Special / Ford 3.6L F.J. Foss 17 mins
Ret 33 Australia R. Keir[6][5][1] MG TA / MG 1.3L R.C. Keir[6][5][1] 26 mins
Ret 9 Australia Tim Joshua Frazer Nash / Gough [7] 1.5L C.M. Joshua[6] 7 mins
Ret 24 Australia C. Williamson Chrysler Special / Chrysler 4.2L C. Williamson 17 mins
Ret 11 Australia George Reed Ford Special / Ford 3.6L N.F. Aubin 7 mins
Ret 2 Australia Frank Kleinig Kleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.2L W.A. McIntyre 4 mins 5
Ret 26 Australia Reg Sevil[1] Singer / Singer 1.5L R.B. Sevil[6][1] 22 mins 4[2]
Ret 34 Australia George Thame Riley Nine Imp / Riley 1.1L G.J. Thame 5 mins 3[2]
Ret 25 Australia Alf Barrett Lombard AL3 / Lombard 1.2L A.I Barrett 28 mins 2[2]
DNS 8 Australia Wally James Frazer Nash / Ford 2.9L W. James 7 mins
DNS 4 Australia Colin Dunne MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1L C.A. Dunne 5 mins
DNS 6 Australia Lyster Jackson MG K3 / MG s/c 1.1L L. Jackson 6 mins
DNS 7 United Kingdom Alan Sinclair Alta / Alta s/c 1.1L A.J. Sinclair 6 mins
DNS 10 Australia John Barraclough Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS / Alfa Romeo s/c 1.8L J.A. Barraclough 7 mins
DNS 27 Australia John Sherwood MG NE / MG 1.3L J.O. Sherwood 22 mins
DNS 28 Australia John Summers MG Magna / MG 1.1L J.H. Summers 24 mins
DNS 29 Australia C. Frederick MG Magnette Special / MG 1.3L C. Frederick 24 mins

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 John B Blanden, A History of Australian Grand Prix 1928–1939, Volume 1, 1981, pages 151 to 168
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 The Australian Grand Prix, The Car (magazine), May 1938, pages Ten to Fourteen
  3. ↑ John Medley, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, page 27
  4. ↑ Medley, John (1986). "1952". In Howard, Graham (ed.). The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 92–103. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
  5. 1 2 3 John Medley, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, page 19
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Record entry for Grand Prix at Easter, The Advocate, Wednesday, April 6, 1938, page 10, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
  7. ↑ John Medley, Preface - Pity the poor historian, Bathurst - Cradle of Australian Motor Racing, page vii
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