RACING INTO HISTORY - Australian Grand Prix

nightmare of World War 2. A new series had been inaugurated – onthe “barren airfield” of Silverstone in Northamptonshire – called theSo it was a galaxy of local stars who entertained a crowd putvariously at 50,000 or as many as 70,000 around the 3.125-mile trackwobble into the pits himself with a missing right rear tyre following apuncture, effect repairs and win by the small margin of five laps.IT WAS - AND STILL IS -A GREAT PLACE FOR A RACEBy Stuart SykesElliott, LCCA stalwarts Bill and Jim Leech, and Senator Pat Kennelly,Brigadierchairman Committee Organising of talents combined ThePrix was built on extremely solid foundations.1953 Australian Grandthe meant Trust, Park Albert the of chairmanMotor racing, in Europe as elsewhere, was still emerging from theIn the year that saw Everest conquered, motor racing in Australiascaled new heights of its own when Albert Park staged the AustralianGrand Prix for the first time.Held on November 21, it was the 18th Australian Grand Prix – butit was the first time the race had visited a major centre of population.As the outstanding Australian motor sport historian Graham Howardwrote:Held on November 21, it was the 18th Australian Grand Prix– but it was the first time the race had visited a major centreof population. As the outstaears in the wilderness – on remote,windswept Phillip Island in the 1920 and 1930s, then on asuccession of barren airfields in the years following WW2– finally there was a true road-race course on the Victorianmainland. And nothing less than a superb one, at that: downgraceful avenues lined with tall trees amongst mown lawns,three miles from the business centre of Melbourne, slightlyshorter than the proposed pre-war layout but vastly improvedby incorporating the very fast sweeps of a new road aroundthe north-eastern shore of the lake. It was a layout which,amongst Australian circuits, could be rivalled only by Bathurst’sMt Panorama, and a location equal to any in the world.Lex Davison: Larger than Life, Sydney, Turton Armstrong, 2004, p.75The field for the 1953 race comprised 40 cars; every driver wasAustralian, this in a period before the birth of the Australian TouringCar Championship and long before V8 Supercars had ever been heard of.Strange as it may seem, neither sports-mad Melbourne nor theState of Victoria at that time could boast a motor racing venue of realquality. The idea of racing in Albert Park had been raised almost 20years earlier, but as usual it took a small group of committed individualsto turn that wish into a reality.Jointly organised by Army Southern Command, whose HQ was atthe north-western corner of the park itself, and the Light Car Club ofAustralia (LCCA), the inaugural event was a triumph of both militaryplanning and the sheer enthusiasm that has always driven motor sport.international drama had ventured as far afield as Australia.actors in thatthe of none yet as but Championship, World One Formulain its current state). In those days they raced the ‘wrong’ way, that is,circuitPark Albert the than shorter metres 300 only kilometres, (5.03in an anti-clockwise direction.ended up on the front row for the 64-lap event: Doug Whiteford, Stanwho men three the were entrants 40-plus the among ForemostWhiteford’s #1 Lago Talbot was the car which had won the 1949Special’;‘Australian own his in was Davison Davison. Lex and Jonesthe extraordinary Maybach Special.of the 1980 World Champion, was infather Jones, Prix; Grand Frenchtook part in a curtain-raiser called the Albert Park Trophy. Lex, in aJones and Davison day, race on practice hours’ two just Afterstraw bale near the end.had parked his 1100 Cooper in aJones after won Romeo, Alfa 2.9-litreHWM ran its bearings early in the piece. Jones then led the Grand Prixthedisaster: short-lived a was though, Prix, Grand Davison’sby lap 14 the two of them had lapped the entire field.Whiteford andof clear minute a half was he 10 lap by style: grand incruised past three times, cost Jones any hope of an historic win. He didWhitefordwhich during stop, pit late-race chaotic rather a Butcome out again but retired 15 laps later. Whiteford even had time tothird in an MG K3, 18 cars were classified.Andy Brownand Special TC MG the in second Brydon Curly WithWhitehead, Behra – would dominate the second AGP at Albert Park.Moss, – drivers racing Europe’s of cream the years three WithinThe locals had another mountain to climb…3