The Lobethal Circuit was a motor racing course centred on the town of Lobethal in the Mount Lofty Ranges, 22 miles from the state capital, Adelaide.[John B Blanden, A History of the Australian Grand Prix 1928-1939, page 171] It was utilized for four race meetings from 1937 to 1948, hosting a number of major races including the 1939 Australian Grand Prix.[ Motorcycle Results, www.lobethalgrandcarnival.com.au via web.archive.org Retrieved 7 June 2014][ Racing Car Results, www.lobethalgrandcarnival.com.au via web.archive.org Retrieved 7 June 2014] Today the roads of the circuit make up a part of the Tour Down Under international bicycle race.
Layout
Roughly triangular in shape, the circuit comprised temporarily closed public roads which passed through the towns of Charleston and
Lobethal.
[ Two of the four approach roads to Lobethal were utilised as was the main road through Charleston, each of these having sealed surfaces.][ It is the longest circuit to have been used in Australian motor racing,][ Australia's last grand prix remembered, www.abc.net.au Retrieved 7 June 2014] and the average speed for the 1939 Australian Grand Prix was the fastest of any Australian Grand Prix prior to 1956,[ with race winner Tomlinson averaging 84.00 mph.][ Australian Grand Prix Winners, Sandown, Australian Grand Prix Programme, 9 February 1964, page 23]
History
The circuit was first used for a combined motorcycle and car race meeting held 27 December 1937 through 3 January 1938.[ Similar meetings were held in 1938/39 and 1939/40, with the former featuring the 1939 Australian Grand Prix for cars.][ A fourth meeting, again a combined affair, was held on 1 January 1948.][ The 1948 meeting would be the last to be held at Lobethal,][ Lobethal, The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix, 1986, page 109] with attempts by the organizing group to re-establish racing at the circuit thwarted in 1951 by the introduction of South Australian Government legislation prohibiting the use of public roads for racing.[ Port Wakefield - First of the cookie cutters, www.lagler.com.au Retrieved 7 June 2014]
Major races
The following table lists the feature motorcycle race and the feature car race at each of the four race meetings staged at the Lobethal Circuit.
generated with Wikipedia:Helferlein/VBA-Macro for EXCEL tableconversion V1.7<\hiddentext>>
Year | Race | Laps | Distance (miles) | Date | Winner | Motorcycle / Car |
| 1937 | South Australia Senior Tourist Trophy | 12 | 100 | 27 December 1937 | Clem Foster | Norton |
| 1938 | South Australian Grand Prix for Motor Cars | 12 | 100 | 3 January 1938 | Noel Campbell | Singer Bantam |
| 1938 | Australian Senior Tourist Trophy | 12 | 100 | 26 December 1938 | George Hannaford | Velocette |
| 1939 | Australian Grand Prix | 17 | 150 | 2 January 1939 | Alan Tomlinson | MG TA |
| 1939 | South Australian Senior Tourist Trophy | 12 | 100 | 26 December 1939 | Frank Mussett | Velocette |
| 1940 | South Australian Hundred | 12 | 100 | 1 January 1940 | Jack Phillips | Ford V8 |
| 1948 | Sternol 50 Open Handicap | 9 | 75 | 1 January 1948 | F Steer | Velocette |
| 1948 | South Australian 100 | 12 | 100 | 1 January 1948 | Jim Gullan | Ballot Oldsmobile |
External links
