1955 South Pacific Championship for racing cars explained

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.^[1] The race, which was a Formula Libre event open to racing cars and stripped sports cars,^[2] was contested as a scratch race which also incorporated a handicap award.^[3] It was held over 27 laps^[1] of the 3¾ mile circuit^[4] for a total distance of 100 miles.^[1] The race, which was the first South Pacific Championship for racing cars,^[1] was won by Englishman Peter Whitehead driving a 3 litre Ferrari.^[4]

The championship meeting, which was conducted by the Australian Sporting Car Club,^[2] was the first FIA sanctioned international race meeting to be staged in Australia.^[5]

Race results

Position^[6]	Driver	No.	Car	Laps	Remarks
1	Peter Whitehead	2	Ferrari 500^[7]	27	1h 5m 1s, 93 m.p.h.^[8]
2	Jack Brabham	5	Cooper Bristol
3	Tony Gaze	4	Ferrari 500
4	Jack Murray^[9]	56	Allard Cadillac^[10]
5	Tom Sulman	14	Maserati
6	Curly Brydon		MG TC Special
7	G Grieg		Alfa Romeo Alvis
?	John MacMillan	10
?	Noel Barnes		MG Special
DNF	Jack Robinson			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
3	Tom Sulman		Maserati
4	Peter Whitehead	2	Ferrari 500	27

Notes:

• Attendance: 30,000^[1]
• Number of starters: unknown
• Number of finishers: unknown
• Winner's race time: 65 minutes 1 second^[1]
• Winner's average speed: 95 mph^[1]
• Fastest lap: Peter Whitehead, Ferrari 500, 2 minutes 21 seconds^[6]

Notes and References

1. Whitehead wins at Orange, Modern Motor, March 1955, page 29
2. Big races for Orange on 31st, Wheels (magazine), February 1955, page 30
3. Orange car races, Australian Motor Sports, January 1955, page 25
4. Sidelights on Orange, Australian Motor Manual, 1 March 1955, pages 41 & 47
5. https://web.archive.org/web/20150719000125/http://www.gnooblas.com/wp-content/uploads/car_show_entry_2015.pdf Gnoo Blas Classic, www.gnooblas.com, as archived at web.archive.org
6. South Pacific Road Racing Championships, Australian Motor Sports, February 1955, pages 60 to 64
7. John B Blanden, 1952 Ferrari Type 500, Old Racing Cars in Australia, 1979, page 146
8. South Pacific Championship, Motor Manual's Motor Racing Year Book No. 6, pages 10 to 13
9. Whitehead's Big Win, Cars, April 1955, pages 20 to 23 + pages 61 to 62
10. Race driver, spectator die in crash, Sydney Morning Herald, Tuesday, 1 February 1955, page 3