1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars
The 1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars was a motor race staged at the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit at Orange in New South Wales, Australia on 31 January 1955.[1] The race, which was a Formula Libre event open to racing cars and stripped sports cars,[2] was contested as a scratch race which also incorporated a handicap award.[3] It was held over 27 laps [1] of the 3¾ mile circuit [4] for a total distance of 100 miles.[1] The race, which was the first South Pacific Championship for racing cars,[1] was won by Englishman Peter Whitehead driving a 3 litre Ferrari.[4]
The championship meeting, which was conducted by the Australian Sporting Car Club,[2] was the first FIA sanctioned international race meeting to be staged in Australia.[5]
Race results
| Position [6] | Driver [6] | No. [6] | Car [6] | Laps [1] |
| 1 | Peter Whitehead | 2 [1] | Ferrari 500 [7] | 27 |
| 2 | Jack Brabham | 5 | Cooper Bristol | |
| 3 | Tony Gaze | 4 | Ferrari 500 [7] | |
| 4 | Joe Murray | Allard Cadillac [3] [8] | ||
| 5 | Tom Sulman | Maserati | ||
| 6 | Curly Brydon | MG TC Special | ||
| 7 | G Grieg | Alfa Romeo Alvis | ||
| ? | John MacMillan | 10 | Alfa Romeo | |
| ? | Jack Robinson | Jaguar XK120 Special | ||
| ? | Noel Barnes | MG Special | ||
| DNS | Prince Bira | Maserati |
Handicap results
| Position [6] | Driver [6] | No. [6] | Car [6] | Laps [1] |
| 1 | Jack Brabham | 5 | Cooper Bristol | |
| 2 | Joe Murray | Allard Cadillac [3] [8] | ||
| 3 | Tom Sulman | Maserati | ||
| 4 | Peter Whitehead | 2 [1] | Ferrari 500 [7] | 27 |
Notes:
- Attendance: 30,000 [1]
- Number of starters: unknown
- Number of finishers: unknown
- Winner's race time: 65 minutes 1 second [1]
- Winner's average speed: 95 mph [1]
- Fastest lap: Peter Whitehead, Ferrari 500, 2 minutes 21 seconds [6]
- Prince Bira did not start after his Maserati suffered an engine failure during practice.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Whitehead wins at Orange, Modern Motor, March 1955, page 29
- 1 2 Big races for Orange on 31st, Wheels (magazine), February 1955, page 30
- 1 2 3 Orange car races, Australian Motor Sports, January 1955, page 25
- 1 2 Sidelights on Orange, Australian Motor Manual, 1 March 1955, pages 41 & 47
- ↑ Gnoo Blas Classic, www.gnooblas.com, as archived at web.archive.org
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 South Pacific Road Racing Championships, Australian Motor Sports, February 1955, pages 60 to 64
- 1 2 3 John B Blanden, 1952 Ferrari Type 500, Old Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, page 146
- 1 2 Race driver, spectator die in crash, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday, 1 February 1955, page 3