1954 New Zealand Grand Prix

The 1954 New Zealand Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Ardmore Circuit on 9 January 1954. This was the first New Zealand Grand Prix since 1950 and the second overall. This was also the first New Zealand Grand Prix to be held at the Ardmore Circuit, a venue that would be used for the Grand Prix until 1962. The Grand Prix was won by Australian Stan Jones, driving the Maybach Special in a spectacular drive over Britain's Ken Wharton and fellow Australian, Tony Gaze.

1954 New Zealand Grand Prix
2nd New Zealand Grand Prix
Race details
Date 9 January 1954
Location Ardmore Circuit, Auckland, New Zealand
Course Temporary racing facility
Course length 3.2 km (2.0 miles)
Distance 100 laps, 300 km (186 miles)
Weather Sunny
Fastest lap
Driver United Kingdom Ken Wharton BRM P15
Time 1:34.0
Podium
First Maybach Special
Second BRM P15
Third HWM

Controversy arose regarding the overall result. Horace Gould would claim to have had completed 101 laps and that he had finished first, ahead of Jones. When Gould's protest was entered and upheld by the stewards (moving Gould from fourth to second), Wharton and Gaze subsequently protested against Gould, which led to an investigation as to where Gould had actually finished. It was discovered that while Gould did indeed complete 101 laps, his finishing time for 100 laps (race distance) still left him classified as being in fourth. Gould withdrew any further complaint and the original result remained.

Classification edit

Pos No. Driver Car Laps Time
1 7   Stan Jones Maybach Special / Maybach 3800cc 6cyl 100 2hr 45min 20.0sec
2 1   Ken Wharton BRM P15 / BRM 1496cc V16 s/c 100 2hr 45min 13.3sec
3   Tony Gaze HWM / Alta 1972cc 4cyl 100 2hr 46min 22.3sec
4 5   Horace Gould Cooper T23 / Bristol 1971cc 6cyl 100 2hr 45min 16.0sec
5   Ron Roycroft Alfa Romeo Tipo B / Alfa Romeo 2905cc 8cyl s/c 100 2hr 48min 49.0sec
6 9   Jack Brabham Cooper T23 / Bristol 1971cc 6cyl 100 2hr 54min 52.5sec
7   Ross Jensen Austin-Healey 100 / Austin 2660cc 4cyl
8   Arnold Stafford
  Ron Frost
Cooper Mk VII / Norton 498cc 1cyl
9   Bill Lee Cooper Mk VI / JAP 497cc 1cyl
10   Peter Harrison Cooper Mk II / JAP 1098cc V2
11 11   Fred Zambucka Maserati 8CM / Maserati 2992cc 8cyl s/c
12   David Crozier Austin-Healey 100 / Austin 2660cc 4cyl
13   Keith Roper Austin-Healey 100 / Austin 2660cc 4cyl
14   Phil Neill FSS Special / Ford 3400cc V8
Ret   Ray Archibald Jaguar XK120 / Jaguar 3442cc 6cyl 91 Radiator
Ret   Syd Jensen JBS / JAP 1098cc V2
Ret   Fred Tuck Cooper T20 / Bristol 1971cc 6cyl 84 Oil Line
Ret   Lex Davison HWM / Jaguar 3442cc 6cyl
Ret   Lou Molina MM Special / Holden 2290cc 6cyl
Ret 14   John McMillan Alfa Romeo Tipo B / Alfa Romeo 2905cc 8cyl s/c
Ret 2   Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 F1 / Ferrari 1995cc V12 s/c 15 Clutch
Ret   Tom Hawkes Allard J2 / Mercury 4564cc V8
Ret   Morrie Stanton Stanton Special / DeHavilland 6124cc 4cyl
Ret 25   Allan Freeman Cooper Mk IV / JAP 1098cc V2 10 Engine
DNS   Artur Wylie Wylie-Javelin / Jowett 1498cc 4cyl Did Not Start
DNS   George Smith GeeCeeEss / Chrysler 5400cc V8 Did Not Start
DNS   Hec Green RA / RA 2100cc 4cyl s/c Did Not Start
DNS   Roly Crowther Goldfinch Special / Ford 1904cc V8 Did Not Start
DNS   Don Tilsley Singford / Ford 1172cc 4cyl Did Not Start
DNA   Peter Ward JBS / Norton 498cc 1cyl Did Not Attend
DNA   Ron Edgerton Alfa Romeo Monza / Alfa Romeo 2300cc 8cyl s/c Did Not Attend
DNA   Ron Symons SH Special / RA 2100cc 4cyl s/c Did Not Attend
DNA   Les Moore Kieft C50 / Vincent 998cc V2 s/c Did Not Attend
DNA   George Palmer Palmer Special / Mercury 4118cc V8 Did Not Attend
DNA   Ron Sutherland DeSoto Special / DeSoto 4099cc 6cyl Did Not Attend
Source:[1]

References edit

  1. ^ "First New Zealand International Grand Prix 1954". sergent.com.au. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
Sporting positions
Preceded by New Zealand Grand Prix
1954
Succeeded by