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1928 Australian Grand Prix

The 1928 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the Phillip Island road circuit, on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia on 31 March 1928. Although now known as the first Australian Grand Prix, the race was actually staged as the 100 Miles Road Race and it did not assume the Australian Grand Prix title until some years later.^[1] It was organised by the Victorian Light Car Club.^[2]

The overall winner was Arthur Waite driving an Austin 7. The winning car averaged 56.25 mph (90.50 km/h).^[3]

Race summary[edit]

The race was originally to be held on Monday 26 March however rain forced postponement until Saturday 31 March.^[3] It was open to "light" cars of up to 2-litre capacity^[3] and it attracted 30 entries, of which 25 were accepted and 17 started.^[4]

Competing cars were classified into classes according to cylinder capacity:^[5]

• Class A: Cars up to 750cc^[5]
• Class B: Cars over 750cc and up to 1100cc^[5]
• Class C: Cars over 1100cc and up to 1500cc^[5]
• Class D: Cars over 1500cc and up to 2000cc^[5]

The event was conducted as two separate races, with the first held in the morning for Class B and D entries, and the second held in the afternoon, for Class A and C cars.^[3] The competitor setting the fastest time was to receive a £100 trophy donated by Charles Brown Kellow and would be regarded as "Champion of the Day".^[6] Trophies were also to be awarded for first and second places in each class and all other competitors who finished within the 2½ hour time limit would receive a Club award.^[6]

Only two cars completed the course without stopping.^[7] They were the Morris Cowley of J. O. McCutcheon and the Austin 12 of C. R. Dickason.^[7]

Race results[edit]

Race One[edit]

Race Two[edit]

Pos[8][3]	No.[8][3]	Class[8][3]	Driver[8][3]	Car[8][3]	Entrant[8]	Laps[8][3]	Time[8][3]
1	3	A	Arthur Waite	Austin 7 s/c	A. Waite	16	1h 46m 40s
2	14	C	Arthur Terdich	Bugatti Type 40	A. J. Terdich	16	1h 54m 45s
3	15	C	Jack Day	Bugatti Type 37A	J. A. Day	16	1h 56m 26s
4	5	A	Clarrie May	Austin 7	C. May	16	2h 03m 24s
5	16	C	J. C. Hutton	Alvis 12/50	J. C. Hutton	16	2h 04m 21s
6	2	A	Tom Davey	Austin 7	T. N. Davey	16	2h 06m 19s
7	1	A	Stan King	Austin 7	S. V. King	16	2h 08m 35s
Ret	17	C	Ron Gardner	Alvis 12/50	R. G. Gardner	8[10]
Ret	18	C	Ed Houn	Aston Martin	J. E. Goodall	1[9]
DNS	4	A	Albert Edwards	Austin 7	A. Edwards	-
DNS	19	C	Ed Hussey Cooper	Frazer Nash	E. H. Cooper	-
DNS	20	C	Sid Cox	Bugatti Type 39	S. C. Cox	-
DNS	21	C	G. A. Wagner	Wanderer	G. A. Wagner	-

Overall classification[edit]

Pos[8][3]	No.[8][3]	Class[8][3]	Driver[8][3]	Car[8][3]	Entrant[8]	Laps[8][3]	Time[8][3]
1	3	A	Arthur Waite	Austin 7 s/c	A. Waite	16	1h 46m 40s
2	24	D	John McCutcheon	Morris Cowley	J. O. McCutcheon	16	1h 50m 10s
3	25	D	Cyril Dickason	Austin 12	C. R. Dickason	16	1h 54m 02s
4	14	C	Arthur Terdich	Bugatti Type 40	A. J. Terdich	16	1h 54m 45s
5	10	B	Barney Dentry	Sénéchal	G. Dentry	16	1h 55m 44s
6	15	C	Jack Day	Bugatti Type 37A	J. A. Day	16	1h 56m 26s
7	5	A	Clarrie May	Austin 7	C. May	16	2h 03m 24s
8	16	C	J. C. Hutton	Alvis 12/50	J. C. Hutton	16	2h 04m 21s
9	26	D	Bill Lowe	Métallurgique	W. H. Lowe	16	2h 05m 01s
10	2	A	Tom Davey	Austin 7	T. N. Davey	16	2h 06m 19s
11	1	A	Stan King	Austin 7	S. V. King	16	2h 08m 35s
12	8	B	Bill Williamson	Riley Nine	Mrs J. A. Day	16	2h 17m 37s
13	7	B	Les Pound	DFP	L. Pound	16	2h 24m 29s
Ret	6	B	W. A. "Ab" Terdich	DFP	W. A. Terdich	10[9]
Ret	17	C	Ron Gardner	Alvis 12/50	R. G. Gardner	8[10]
Ret	23	D	Les Jennings	Morris Cowley	L. Jennings	6[9]
Ret	18	C	Ed Houn	Aston Martin	J. E. Goodall	1[9]
DNS	4	A	Albert Edwards	Austin 7	A. Edwards	-
DNS	9	B	B. W. Solly	Opel	Rex Motors P/L	-
DNS	11	B	Maurice Shmith	Fiat 509	M. Shmith	-
DNS	12	B	George Saville	Amilcar Grand Sport	G. Saville	-
DNS	19	C	Ed Hussey Cooper	Frazer Nash	E. H. Cooper	-
DNS	20	C	Sid Cox	Bugatti Type 39	S. C. Cox	-
DNS	21	C	G. A. Wagner	Wanderer	G. A. Wagner	-
DNS	22	D	John Hollway	Darracq	J. Hollway	-

Notes[edit]

• Ret = Retired from race
• DNS = Did not start race

1927 Australian Grand Prix[edit]

Although the 1928 race is recognised by Motorsport Australia as the first Australian Grand Prix,^[11] a dispute exists given that an event held in Goulburn, New South Wales in 1927 was actually advertised as a grand prix at the time.^[12] However the 1927 event was not a motor race but rather a series of elimination sprints.^[13]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Australia's First Grand Prix To Start Next Monday, The Weekly Times, March 24 1928, page 74, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
• Rain causes postponement, Argus, Monday 26 March 1928, p. 16, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
• Speed tests at Cowes, Argus, Tuesday 27 March 1928, p. 15, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
• Contest at Cowes, Argus, Monday 2 April 1928, p. 23, as archived at trove.nla.gov.au
• 1928 100 Miles Road Race, Phillip Island…, primotipo.com