1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars

thumb|Track map of the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit (1953-1961) The 1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars was a motor race staged at the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit at Orange in New South Wales, Australia on 31 January 1955.Whitehead wins at Orange, Modern Motor, March 1955, page 29 The race, which was a Formula Libre event open to racing cars and stripped sports cars,Big races for Orange on 31st, Wheels (magazine), February 1955, page 30 was contested as a scratch race which also incorporated a handicap award.Orange car races, Australian Motor Sports, January 1955, page 25 It was held over 27 laps of the 3¾ mile circuitSidelights on Orange, Australian Motor Manual, 1 March 1955, pages 41 & 47 for a total distance of 100 miles. The race, which was the first South Pacific Championship for racing cars, was won by Englishman Peter Whitehead driving a 3 litre Ferrari. The championship meeting, which was conducted by the Australian Sporting Car Club, was the first FIA sanctioned international race meeting to be staged in Australia.Gnoo Blas Classic, www.gnooblas.com, as archived at web.archive.org Race results thumb|Peter Whitehead won the championship driving a Ferrari 500, similar to that pictured above. PositionSouth Pacific Road Racing Championships, Australian Motor Sports, February 1955, pages 60 to 64 Driver No. Car Laps Remarks 1 Peter Whitehead 2 Ferrari 500John B Blanden, 1952 Ferrari Type 500, Old Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, page 146 27 1h 5m 1s, 93 m.p.h.South Pacific Championship, Motor Manual's Motor Racing Year Book No. 6, pages 10 to 13 2 Jack Brabham 5 Cooper Bristol 3 Tony Gaze 4 Ferrari 500 4 Jack MurrayWhitehead's Big Win, Cars, April 1955, pages 20 to 23 + pages 61 to 62 56 Allard CadillacRace driver, spectator die in crash, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday, 1 February 1955, page 3 5 Tom Sulman 14 Maserati 6 Curly Brydon MG TC Special 7 G Grieg Alfa Romeo Alvis ? John MacMillan 10 Alfa Romeo ? Noel Barnes MG Special DNF Jack Robinson Jaguar XK120 Special 23 DNF Dick Cobden Ferrari 2 DNS Prince Bira Maserati Engine failure in practice DNS Prince Bira O.S.C.A. Fuel feed problems in preliminary race DNS Reg Hunt Maserati Brakes DNS Ian Mountain Peugeot Special Fatal accident in preliminary race Handicap results Position Driver No. Car Laps 1 Jack Brabham 5 Cooper Bristol 2 Jack Murray 56 Allard Cadillac 3 Tom Sulman Maserati 4 Peter Whitehead 2 Ferrari 500 27 Notes: Attendance: 30,000 Number of starters: unknown Number of finishers: unknown Winner's race time: 65 minutes 1 second Winner's average speed: 95 mph Fastest lap: Peter Whitehead, Ferrari 500, 2 minutes 21 seconds References South Pacific Championship for racing cars Category:Motorsport at Gnoo Blas