The definitive article(s) on Stan Jones are still to be written. I like this piece on the great Australian’s early pre-Maserati 250F phase which helps plug some of the early gaps of timing and circumstances, forwarded on by my racer/historian/author buddy Tony Johns.
It’s from the June 1954 issue of CARS magazine, a 70 year-old long deceased title published in Melbourne by Larry Cleland Pty Ltd and edited by Bruce Kneale. It comes to us from the Darren Overend Collection via Tony – grazia. As Tony points out, the author of the article was not disclosed, a bumma given its quality.
Click on the links at the end of the piece for more on Stan…
One row of the 28 starters of the 35 lap, 150 mile, 1949 Australian Grand Prix – or more likely the supporting F2 race – at Leyburn, Queensland, await the drop of the flag on September 18.
The first two cars are MG TCs, Col Robinson’s #32, and J Hillhouse in #30. #17 is the more focused TC Spl of Dick Cobden, then Peter Critchley’s fourth placed ex-Alf Najar MG TB Spl, and on the far side, Arthur Rizzo’s Riley Spl, who finished third on the RAAF airfield track.
A race day crowd estimated at 30,000 people saw John Crouch’s Delahaye 135S win from Ray Gordon’s TC Spl, the shot below shows Crouch on his winning run.
John Snow imported the 1936 3.6-litre, six-cylinder Delahaye (chassis # 47190) from France to Australia in time for the 1939 AGP at Lobethal, with the talented Crouch finally realising its potential.
(Wiki unattributed)(Wiki unattributed)
For so long the fire-and-brimstone Frank Kleinig had been an AGP favourite. 1949 was really his last chance to do well as the quality of our fields improved and his oh-so-fast Kleinig Hudson Spl slipped down the grids. Its development potential by then having pretty-much peaked.
Kleinig led Crouch for seven laps – they shared the fastest lap of the race 2’52 seconds/90mph – but then had the first of three pitstops which led to his retirement after completing only 21 laps.
Dick Cobden’s shapely, quick, Gordon Stewart built, Bob Baker bodied, 1946 MG TC (#3306) ‘Red Cigar’ single-seater (below) was out early after only six laps with undisclosed dramas.
John Nind, MG TB Spl, DNF, in front of Arthur Rizzo’s Riley Spl, third, during practice.
(Brisbane Telegraph)
The Brisbane Telegraph caption of this pre-AGP promo piece reads, “Teamwork counts and here are seen NSW motorists, Alf Najar (left) who will be relief driver of Peter Critchley’s (ex-Najar 1946 NSW Grand Prix winning) MG TB Spl (second from right) the winner of the 1948 NSW Grand Prix (at Bathurst), Arthur Rizzo, and their mechanics.”
Credits…
Wikipedia, racerviews.com, Rob Bartholomaeus, Stephen Dalton, Dick Willis, Brisbane Telegraph
Tailpiece…
(D Willis)
Racers both: Charlie Smith and John Crouch at the launch of Alec Mildren’s biography at Frank Gardner’s Norwell, Gold Coast facility on April 18, 1999.
The track didn’t last long, which is sad, it is very much a place I would like to have attended or raced! I’ve dropped the photos into the linked PP article too but they were too good not to put front ‘n centre given my bias in favour of the track, the drivers and their mounts!
(unattributed)
Parramatta Park again folks- see the railway line in the background, the car shown is the ex-Alf Najar MG TB Spl driven by E Critchley, with #32 Ron Ward’s TC Special.
See the most impressive entry of cars and drivers of the day.
(P Tilley Collection)
(P Tilley Collection)
Credits…
Flickr, Greg Diprose Collection, Terry Smith, Paul Tilley Collection
Tailpiece…
(G Diprose Collection)
Sensational very rare colour photograph of Stan Janes doing his stuff in the suburban streets of Sydney, Parramatta to be precise- the access roads out front of Government House which is now a restaurant and museum.
primotipo... 