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1972 Australian Grand Prix

Field	Value
Type	CUST
Description	Race 7 of 8 in 1972 Tasman Series
Grand Prix	Australian
Country	Australia
Official name	XXXVII Australian Grand Prix
Location	Sandown Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria
Date	20 February
Year	1972
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course_mi	1.92
Course_km	3.1
Distance_laps	52
Distance_mi	99.84
Distance_km	161.2
Weather	Sunny
Pole_Driver	Frank Matich
Pole_Country	AUS
Pole_Team	Matich-Repco Holden
Pole_Time	1'01.3
Fast_Driver	Graham McRae
Fast_Team	Leda-Chevrolet
Fast_Time	1'02.4
Fast_Country	NZL
First_Driver	Graham McRae
First_Country	NZL
First_Team	Leda-Chevrolet
Second_Driver	Frank Gardner
Second_Country	AUS
Second_Team	Lola-Chevrolet
Third_Driver	David Hobbs
Third_Country	GBR
Third_Team	McLaren-Chevrolet

The 1972 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for cars complying with the Tasman Formula, which admitted both Formula 5000 and 2-litre racing cars. It was held at Sandown International Raceway, Victoria, Australia on 20 February 1972.

The race was the thirty seventh Australian Grand Prix and it was held only 3 months after the 1971 race. It was also round seven of the 1972 Tasman Series. The race had 19 starters.

Defending winner Frank Matich started the race from pole position in his Repco Holden powered Matich A50 which had won the 1971 race on debut. New Zealand's Graham McRae started alongside Matich on the front row in his Leda GM1-Chevrolet.

Matich led from the start but was out after just 5 laps with a failed scavenge pump. McRae recorded the first of three AGP wins (all won at Sandown) by 3 seconds from the Lola T300-Chevrolet of Frank Gardner who had qualified 3rd. British International driver David Hobbs finished 3rd in his McLaren M18/M22-Chevrolet after starting from 4th on the grid.

McRae's win gave him an unassailable points lead in the 1972 Tasman Series with one round remaining.

Classification

Results as follows:

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Entrant	Qual
3	AUS Frank Matich	Matich A50 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Frank Matich Pty. Ltd.	1:01.3	—
22	NZL Graham McRae	Leda GM1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Grid International (N.Z.) Ltd.	1:01.8	+0.5
1	AUS Frank Gardner	Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Lola Cars Ltd.	1:01.8	+0.5
10	GBR David Hobbs	McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Hobbs Racing London	1:02.3	+1.0
4	AUS Bob Muir	Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Robert Muir Motors P/L	1:02.7	+1.4
9	AUS John McCormack	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Team Elfin	1:02.8	+1.5
2	GBR Mike Hailwood	Surtees TS8A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Team Surtees	1:03.0	+1.7
34	BEL Teddy Pilette	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Racing Team V.D.S.	1:03.2	+1.9
5	AUS Kevin Bartlett	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Kevin Bartlett Shell Racing	1:03.5	+2.2
12	AUS Warwick Brown	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Pat Burke Racing	1:03.9	+2.6
6	AUS Max Stewart	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Max Stewart Motors - Seiko Service Centre	1:04.4	+3.1
76	AUS John Harvey	Brabham BT36 / Waggott 2.0L I4	Bob Jane Racing	1:05.2	+3.9
8	AUS Garrie Cooper	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Team Elfin	1:05.3	+4.0
50	NZL Frank Radisich	McLaren M10B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Henderson Central Motors	1:06.5	+5.2
30	CAN Dave McConnell	GRD 272 / Hart 2.0L I4	D.W.M. Racing Ltd.	1:07.1	+5.8
11	AUS Colin Hyams	Lola T192 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Colin Hyams	1:08.2	+6.9
17	AUS Gary Campbell	Elfin 600B / Waggott 2.0L I4	Provincial Motors P/L	1:08.3	+7.0
60	NZL Robbie Francevic	McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Wright Machinery Ltd.	1:10.2	+8.9
15	AUS Tony Stewart	Mildren (Rennmax) / Waggott 1.9L I4	Max Stewart Motors - Seiko Service Centre	1:11.5	+10.2

Race

Pos	No.	Driver	Car	Entrant	Laps
22	NZL Graham McRae	Leda GM1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Grid International (N.Z.) Ltd.	52	54m 59.4s
1	AUS Frank Gardner	Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Lola Cars Ltd.	52	55m 02.1s
10	GBR David Hobbs	McLaren M18/M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Hobbs Racing London	52	55m 11.8s
2	GBR Mike Hailwood	Surtees TS8A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Team Surtees	51
12	AUS Warwick Brown	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Pat Burke Racing	50
34	BEL Teddy Pilette	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Racing Team V.D.S.	50
76	AUS John Harvey	Brabham BT36 / Waggott 2.0L 4cyl	Bob Jane Racing	50
60	NZL Robbie Francevic	McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Wright Machinery Ltd.	49
8	AUS Garrie Cooper	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Team Elfin	49
30	CAN Dave McConnell	GRD 272 / Hart 2.0L 4cyl	D.W.M. Racing Ltd.	49
17	AUS Gary Campbell	Elfin 600B / Waggott 2.0L 4cyl	Provincial Motors P/L	47
15	AUS Tony Stewart	Mildren (Rennmax) / Waggott 1.9L 4cyl	Max Stewart Motors - Seiko Service Centre	44
50	NZL Frank Radisich	McLaren M10B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Henderson Central Motors	26
11	AUS Colin Hyams	Lola T192 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Colin Hyams	30
4	AUS Bob Muir	Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Robert Muir Motors P/L	19	engine
6	AUS Max Stewart	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Max Stewart Motors - Seiko Service Centre	16	engine
5	AUS Kevin Bartlett	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	Kevin Bartlett Shell Racing	6	transmission
3	AUS Frank Matich	Matich A50 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Frank Matich Pty. Ltd.	5	scavenge pump
9	AUS John McCormack	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	Team Elfin	4	gearbox

Notes

Attendance: 30,000
Pole position: Frank Matich – 1:01.3
Fastest lap: Graham McRae – 1:02.4 (111.23 mph) – New outright lap record

References

Sergent, Bruce. "1972 Rounds 5–8 Australia".
(1986). "The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix". R & T Publishing.
Official Programme, 37th Australian Grand Prix, Sandown
Wolfgang Klopfer, Formula 5000 in Australia & New Zealand, Race by Race, page 89
Racing Car News Championship Yearbook No.1, page 30

Info: Wikipedia Source

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