1948 Australian Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula Libre handicap race | |||
| Date | 26 January 1948 | ||
| Location | Point Cook, Victoria | ||
| Course | Airfield circuit | ||
| Course length | 3.85 km (2.4 mi) | ||
| Distance | 42 laps, 100.8 km (162.19 mi) | ||
| Weather | Sunny | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Alf Barrett
|
Alfa Romeo | |
| Time | 1'48 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | BMW | ||
| Second | MG | ||
| Third | Reed-Ford | ||
The 1948 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook, just outside Melbourne in Victoria, Australia on Australia Day, 26 January 1948. The race was held over 42 laps of a 3.85 kilometre circuit utilizing the runways and service roads of the base. The total race distance was 162 kilometres.
The race was the thirteenth Australian Grand Prix and the first not to be held on a public road circuit. It was staged as a handicap event with the first car starting 18 minutes before the last. Conditions were oppressive, with the temperature topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit by mid-morning, along with hot winds buffeting the exposed pits on the start/finish straight. The overpowering heat, plus the bumpy concrete-slab surface of the runways, took a heavy toll on the competing cars. As well as mechanical retirements, several drivers had to retire due to heat exhaustion. Prominent motorcycle racer Frank Pratt won the race driving a BMW 328. Alf Najar finished second driving an MG TB Special with Dick Bland placed third in a George Reed constructed Ford V8 special. Bland was also awarded the prize for setting the fastest time.
Results as follows.
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