1972 USAC Championship Car season

Last updated

1972 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races10
Start dateMarch 18
End dateNovember 4
Awards
National champion Flag of the United States.svg Joe Leonard
Indianapolis 500 winner Flag of the United States.svg Mark Donohue
  1971
1973  

The 1972 USAC Championship Car season consisted of ten races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 18 and concluding at the same location on November 4. The USAC National Champion was Joe Leonard and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Mark Donohue. Jim Malloy was killed at Indianapolis in practice; he was 40 years old.

Contents

After sponsoring the USAC Championship Trail in 1970-1971, Marlboro dropped out of the sport for 1972. After only two seasons as title sponsor, the company became angered when rival Viceroy was signed on to sponsor Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, at the time dubbed the "super team" of the series. Without any exclusivity clause, managers at Marlboro deemed the situation "impractical and untenable," [1] and abruptly quit. Marlboro would not return to Indy car racing until 1986.

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

RndDateRace NameTrackLocationPole PositionWinning Driver
1March 18 Jimmy Bryan 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser
2April 23Trentonian 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Gary Bettenhausen
3May 27 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Mark Donohue
4June 4 Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser
5July 16 Michigan 200 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Joe Leonard
6July 29 A Schaefer 500 Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Joe Leonard
7August 13 Tony Bettenhausen 200 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Flag of the United States.svg Joe Leonard
8September 3California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Grant Flag of the United States.svg Roger McCluskey
9September 24Trenton 300 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser
10November 4 Best Western 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Flag of the United States.svg Mark Donohue Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser
^A Originally scheduled for July 2, postponed because of rain.

In the fall of 1971, a tentative schedule held the possibility of returning road courses to the championship schedule. Races at Colorado, Brainerd, Bridgehampton, Road Atlanta, Mosport, as well as a return to Rafaela, Argentina, and a new "Florida 500" at the proposed "Florida International Raceway", were all part of an early press release. [2] However, all road courses were ultimately left off, the Argentina race was discontinued, and the Florida race course was never built.

Final points standings

Note: Peter Revson is not eligible for points.

PosDriver PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
MIC
POC
MIL
ONT
TRE
PHX
Pts
1 Flag of the United States.svg Joe Leonard 5435111153DNQ3460
2 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Vukovich II 2018284114234152200
3 Flag of the United States.svg Roger McCluskey 72247811191861970
4 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser 62021915315312341800
5 Flag of the United States.svg Mark Donohue 1719122161720
6 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Hiss  RY 107713266214DNQ1665
7 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Rutherford 13Wth2721162310651620
8 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser 1173011420Wth24111500
9 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Sessions 441541440
10 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Mosley 31326DNQ5521250
11 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 2228812711272831135
12 Flag of the United States.svg Gary Bettenhausen 411432419DNQ790
13 Flag of the United States.svg Wally Dallenbach Sr. 9615DNQ214DNQ21724720
14 Flag of the United States.svg Salt Walther 1133DNQ8627690
15 Flag of the United States.svg Lee Kunzman 221718594261223670
16 Flag of the United States.svg George Snider 16DNQ11236211881010517
17 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Posey 5519500
18 Flag of the United States.svg Lloyd Ruby 2162226DNQ17187490
19 Flag of the United States.svg Mel Kenyon 231018153131628119460
20 Flag of the United States.svg Art Pollard 14DNQ7911450
21 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Caruthers 912221012415
22 Flag of the United States.svg Gordon Johncock 320922221320360
23 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Muther DNQ24201251522250
24 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Malloy 155DNQ200
25 Flag of the United States.svg Swede Savage 191632617239201919200
26 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 181413971612DNP1614200
27 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Simpson 24DNQ132424917200
28 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Parsons 62217DNS160
29 Flag of the United States.svg Cale Yarborough 10DNQ150
30 Flag of the United States.svg John Mahler 82211272518130
31 Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Grant 122033218125
32 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Bigelow DNQ21DNQ7DNP13120
33 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Krisiloff 1221183214111518120
34 Flag of the United States.svg John Hubbard  R 8100
35 Flag of the United States.svg Al Loquasto 9DNQDNQDNQ80
36 Flag of the United States.svg A. J. Foyt 82530222175
37 Flag of the United States.svg Bentley Warren DNQDNQ141810262060
38 Flag of the United States.svg Lee Brayton  R DNQ10DNQ17DNQ60
39 Flag of the United States.svg Jim McElreath DNQDNQ10DNQDNS45
40 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg George Eaton 11DNQ30
41 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Hurtubise 122123DNQ23DNQ15
42 Flag of the United States.svg Greg Weld 33DNQ126
- Flag of the United States.svg John Martin 1617172032130
- Flag of the United States.svg Dee Jones 130
- Flag of the United States.svg Carl Williams 291630140
- Flag of the United States.svg Joe Tetz  R 15230
- Flag of the United States.svg Larry McCoy  R DNQ1921240
- Flag of the United States.svg Denny Zimmerman 1925250
- Flag of the United States.svg Peter Revson 3131230
- Flag of the United States.svg Gig Stephens 230
- Flag of the United States.svg Merle Bettenhausen DNQ250
- Flag of the United States.svg Arnie Knepper DNQ250
- Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Karl DNQ28290
- Flag of the United States.svg Bob Harkey DNQ290
- Flag of the United States.svg George Follmer DNS0
- Flag of the United States.svg Larry Dickson DNQDNQ0
- Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs DNPDNQ0
- Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Eldon Rasmussen DNQDNP0
- Flag of the United States.svg Bill Puterbaugh DNQ0
- Flag of the United States.svg Jigger Sirois DNQ0
- Flag of the United States.svg Bud Tingelstad DNQ0
- Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Walkup DNQ0
- Flag of the United States.svg Parnelli Jones DNP0
- Flag of the United States.svg Don Brown DNP0
- Flag of the United States.svg Dennis Ott DNP0
- Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva DNP0
- Flag of the United States.svg Ned Spath DNP0
PosDriver PHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
MIC
POC
MIL
ONT
TRE
PHX
Pts
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th & 5th place
Light Blue6th-10th place
Dark BlueFinished
(Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish
(Ret)
RedDid not qualify
(DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn
(Wth)
BlackDisqualified
(DSQ)
WhiteDid not start
(DNS)
BlankDid not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
ItalicsRan fastest race lap
*Led most race laps
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie

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References

  1. "Marlboro Bowing Out As Auto Racing Angel". The Indianapolis Star. December 17, 1971. p. 54. Retrieved January 22, 2019 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. "USAC Lines Up 17-Event Slate". The Indianapolis Star. September 15, 1971. p. 37. Retrieved January 22, 2019 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg

See also