Date 18 September 1949 Course Airfield circuit Weather Sunny | Location Leyburn, Queensland Course length 6.92 km (4.3 mi) | |
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Distance 35 laps, 242.2 km (150.5 mi) | ||
The 1949 Australian Grand Prix was motor race held at the Leyburn circuit in Queensland, Australia on 18 September 1949. 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. The total race distance was 150.5 miles (242.2 kilometres).
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The race is recognised by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fourteenth Australian Grand Prix. It was the first Australian Grand Prix to be held in Queensland, the first to feature a mass start of the entire grid and the first with grid positions decided by practice times. The race, which was organised by the Queensland Motor Sporting Club, attracted a crowd of approximately 40,000 people.
John Crouch won the race driving a Delahaye 135MS. Ray Gordon (MG TC Special) finished second ahead of Arthur Rizzo (Riley Special).
Notes
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.