NARROGIN (WA)
*********************************************************************************************************************************
previous year www.speedwayandroadracehistory.com/narrogin-around-the-houses-1949.html
*********************************************************************************************************************************
NARROGIN AROUND THE HOUSES 1951
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1951 - NARROGIN COMMONWEALTH JUBILEE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 5th May 1951Narrogin would host the sixteenth running of the Australian Grand Prix on the fifth of March 1951 around the streets of the wheatbelt town, the race would be named in honour of Australia's Jubilee year celebrations,This would be the first Australian Grand Prix held outside the eastern states, The length of the track came in at 4 miles and 30 chain, The pits were located on the sports oval along Clayton Road with the start line on the same road at the Dagleish Street intersection. Narrogin was concidered to be a very good town to hold the event as it had previously held 2 Flying 50 events before in 1948 and 1949, at the finish of the race only 9 of the original 28 starters finished the 24 lap or (105 mile) event, because of the layout of the street circuit some of the larger more powerfull cars could not come to terms with the tight right angle corners but found themselves reaching speeds up to 114mph along the large straights, It is estimated that about 35,000 people attended the race meeting.
|
|
WARWICK PRATLEY (NSW)Warwick Pratley from Bathurst (NSW) in his George Reid built Ford V8 Special won the handicap event in a time of one hour and thirty nine miniutes and fifteen seconds, Dick Bland in his Delahaye would finish second and Steve Tollett in his MG would finish third, This would be the final year of the handicap format.
1951 - The George Reid Special. |
1951 - Warwick Pratley takes the win. |
1951 - Warwick Pratley in action. Photo's: Terry Walkers Around the Houses and the Warwick Pratley collection.
Ken Devine photo feature
NARROGIN THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM
State Library of Western Australia pictorial feature
1951 - unknown from Victoria takes his car for a test run. Photo: State Library of Western Australia.
1951 - Colin Murray takes his Maseratti out on a test run. Photo: State Library of Western Australia.
1951 - Another Victorian entrant McKenna out for a test run. Photo: State Library of Western Australia.
1951 - Narrogin WA Australian Grand Prix start line along Clayton Road.
1951 - The Smith Special built in Welshpool WA especially for the Grand Prix event. Photo: Ken Devine.
1951 - Sid Anderson in a car that was originally built as a twin seater in South Australia by Eldred Norman, The car had previously set a land speed record at Sellicks Beach around 1949.Sid bought the car for the 1951 event. After the running of the Australian Grand Prix Sid took the car to Singapore for the 1952 Johore Grand Prix where he finished 2nd.Sid also contested the 1953 Flying 50 at Narrogin but was forced to retire with a flat front tyre. |
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - COLIN MURRAY
1951 - Colin Murray in his Maseratti passes by the Hordon Hotel. Photo: Ken Devine collection.
1951 - Colin Murray from England checks out the engine in the Maserati. Photo: Arthur Collett collection.
1951 - Arthur Collett's MG blew a head gasket prior to the start of the main race. Photo: Arthur Collett collection.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - VIN MALONEY
1951 - Vin Maloney in his MG. Photo: Terry Walkers Around the Houses.
1951 - Vin Maloney sliding from Lock Street into Jersey Street. Photo: Terry Walkers Around the Houses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - MORRIE MAURICE
1951 - Morrie Maurice in the Ranford Special. Photo: Terry Walkers Around the Houses.
1951 - Morrie Maurice chats with his mechanic Hugo Ragissini as he works on the car. Photo: Terry Walkers Around the Houses.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - CLAUDE LaMOTTE
1951 - Claude LaMotte in Fiat chassis special powered by a Ford 10 engine. Photo: Arthur Collett collection.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - NARROGIN COMMONWEALTH JUBILEE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
June Stevens (nee Finnigan) pictorial feature
|
|
|
|
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX PROGRAMME
(use controls to pause - forward or reverse 10 images)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - NARROGIN OBSERVER NEWSPAPER REPORTED
It was reported that the ess bends along Fairway Street were prone to accidents because of the high speeds along the straight, in one accident a race car lost control and broke through a fence pinning a spectator from the town of Northam against a tree.
The driver of the race car was only dazed initially but when the ambulance men helped him from his car they lent him up against the hot exhaust pipes running along the side of the car, this resulted in him receiving severe burns and being admitted to Narrogin Hospital.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1951 - NARROGIN NARROGIN GRAND PRIX.
Robert Jamierson Pictorial feature
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|