1938 Australian Grand Prix


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.
The race was the tenth Australian Grand Prix and the first to be held in New South Wales. It marked a revival of the Australian Grand Prix title which had not been used since April 1935. The track utilised was the newly completed Mount Panorama Circuit, a dirt surface tourist drive which climbed the slope of 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 for the race was much the same as used previously for some of the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, incorporating a handicap start with the slowest car starting first and other cars starting at intervals according to their predicted pace. 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. The only driver who had offered any resistance was 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 initial release of official results attracted various protests and led to a recount, with some placings subsequently changed.
Whitehead was awarded the RAC of Australia Cup and £250 prizemoney for winning the race. 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.

Classification

Results as follows.
PosNo.DriverCarEntrantHandicapLapsTime
11 Peter WhiteheadERA B Type / ERA s/c 1.5LP.N. WhiteheadScratch402h 46m 50s
222 Les BurrowsTerraplane Special / Terraplane 2.6LL. Burrows15 mins402h 48m 21s
331 Alan Crago
John Sherwood
MG TA / MG 1.3LF.A. Crago26 mins402h 29m 20s
43 Tom PetersBugatti Type 37A / Ford s/c 2.9LT. Peters4 mins402h 50m 19s
532 John CrouchMG TA / MG 1.3LJ.F. Crouch26 mins402h 51m 38s
617 Jack PhillipsFord Special / Ford 3.6LJ.K. Phillips13 mins402h 52m 28s
720 Charles WhatmoreFord Special / Ford 3.6LC. Whatmore14 mins402h 52m 56s
839 Ron UffindellAustin 7 Special / Austin 0.7LR.G. Uffindell34 mins402h 55m 07s
937 Les MurphyMG PB / MG 0.8LJ.H. O'Dea30 mins403h 02m 40s
1015 George BonserTerraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5LG. Bonser junior12 mins402h 56m 47s
1118 Bob Lea-WrightTerraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5LR.A. Lea-Wright13 mins402h 58m 01s
1238 Colin AndersonMorris Cowley / Morris 1.7LA.I Barrett30 mins402h 57m 47s
1319 D. KerrFord Special / Ford 3.6LD. Kerr14 mins402h 59m 59s
1416 Harry BeithTerraplane Special / Terraplane 3.5LH.J. Beith13 mins403h 05m 19s
1512 George MartinBMW 328 / BMW 2.0LG.C. Martin7 mins40
1614 Barney DentryRiley Special / Riley 1.1LG.B. Dentry12 mins40
Ret21 Paul BurtonAlvis / Alvis s/c 1.5LP.H. Burton14 mins
Ret26 Reg SevilSinger / Singer 1.5LR.B. Sevil22 mins
Ret30 Jack BoughtonMorgan 4/4 / Coventry Climax 1.1LJ.S. Boughton24 mins
Ret5 Jim FaganMG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LJ.H. Fagan6 mins
Ret36 John PikeSinger 9 / Singer 1.0LJ.E. Pike30 mins
Ret35 Arthur BeasleySinger 9 / Singer 1.0LA. Beasley28 mins
Ret23 Fred FossFord Special / Ford 3.6LF.J. Foss17 mins
Ret33 R. KeirMG TA / MG 1.3LR.C. Keir26 mins
Ret9 Tim JoshuaFrazer Nash / Meadows 1.5LC.M. Joshua7 mins
Ret24 C. WilliamsonChrysler Special / Chrysler 4.2LC. Williamson17 mins
Ret11 George ReedFord Special / Ford 3.6LN.F. Aubin7 mins
Ret2 Frank KleinigKleinig-Hudson 8 Special / Hudson 4.2LW.A. McIntyre4 mins5
Ret25 Alf BarrettLombard AL3 / Lombard 1.2LA.I Barrett28 mins3
Ret34 George ThameRiley Nine Imp / Riley 1.1LG.J. Thame5 mins3
DNS8 Wally JamesFrazer Nash / Ford 2.9LW. James7 mins
DNS4 Colin DunneMG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LC.A. Dunne5 mins
DNS6 Lyster JacksonMG K3 / MG s/c 1.1LL. Jackson6 mins
DNS7 Alan SinclairAlta / Alta s/c 1.1LA.J. Sinclair6 mins
DNS10 John BarracloughAlfa Romeo 6C 1750 SS / Alfa Romeo s/c 1.8LJ.A. Barraclough7 mins
DNS27 John SherwoodMG NE / MG 1.3LJ.O. Sherwood22 mins
DNS28 John SummersMG Magna / MG 1.1LJ.H. Summers24 mins
DNS29 C. FrederickMG Magnette Special / MG 1.3LC. Frederick24 mins