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1972 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season


Sports season

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.

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," and abruptly quit. Marlboro would not return to Indy car racing until 1986.

Entrants

(partial list)

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds
United States A.J. Foyt EnterprisesCoyoteFoytUS A.J. Foyt1, 3, 8-10
Lola (4),
Coyote (5, 8)FoytUS Sam Sessions4-5, 8
United States All American RacersEagleOffenhauserUS Bobby UnserAll
United States Andy GranatelliLolaFoytUS Wally Dallenbach3-10
United States Gene White RacingLolaFoytUS Sam Sessions3
United States GerhardtGerhardt (4, 7),
Eagle (5-6, 8-10)OffenhauserUS Johnny Rutherford4-10
United States Jerry O'Connell RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Bill Vukovich IIAll
United States Leader Card RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Mike Mosley1-4, 8-10
United States Lindsey Hopkins RacingKuzma (1-2, 4, 7, 9)
Antares (3)
McLaren (5-6, 8, 10)OffenhauserUS Roger McCluskeyAll
EagleOffenhauserUS Wally Dallenbach1-2
Eagle (1, 4-5, 8-10)
Kuzma (2)
Coyote (3, 6-7)Foyt (1-7)
Offenhauser (8-10)US Mel KenyonAll
United Kingdom McLarenMcLarenOffenhauserUS Gordon Johncock2-3, 5-9
United States Page RacingEagle (1-6, 9-10)
McLaren (8)OffenhauserUS Mike Hiss1-6, 8-10
United States Patrick RacingEagle (1-2)
Brabham (3)OffenhauserUS Johnny Rutherford1-3
Eagle (1-4, 7)
Brabham (5-6, 8-10)OffenhauserUS Swede SavageAll
United States Team PenskeMcLarenOffenhauserUS Mark Donohue1-4, 9-10
McLarenOffenhauserUS Gary Bettenhausen1-7
United States Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingColt (1), Parnelli (2-10)OffenhauserUS Joe LeonardAll
Colt (1), Parnelli (2-10)OffenhauserUS Al UnserAll
Colt (1), Parnelli (2-10)OffenhauserUS Mario AndrettiAll

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

RndDateRace nameTrackLocationPole positionWinning driver12345678910
March 18Jimmy Bryan 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaUSA Bobby UnserUSA Bobby Unser
April 23Trentonian 200Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyUSA Bobby UnserUSA Gary Bettenhausen
May 27International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaUSA Bobby UnserUSA Mark Donohue
June 4Rex Mays ClassicWisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinUSA Bobby UnserUSA Bobby Unser
July 16Michigan 200Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganUSA Bobby UnserUSA Joe Leonard
July 29Schaefer 500Pocono International RacewayLong Pond, PennsylvaniaUSA Bobby UnserUSA Joe Leonard
August 13Tony Bettenhausen 200Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinUSA Mario AndrettiUSA Joe Leonard
September 3California 500Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario, CaliforniaUSA Jerry GrantUSA Roger McCluskey
September 24Trenton 300Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyUSA Bobby UnserUSA Bobby Unser
November 4Best Western 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaUSA Mark DonohueUSA Bobby Unser

: 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. 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.

PosDriverPHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
MIS
POC
MIL
ONT
TRE
PHX
Pts13460222003197041800517206166571620815009144010125011113512790137201469015670165171750018490194602045021415223602325024200252002620027200281602915030130311253212033120341003580367537603860394540304115426-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0PosDriverPHX
TRE
INDY
MIL
MIS
POC
MIL
ONT
TRE
PHX
Pts
USA Joe Leonard5435111153DNQ
USA Bill Vukovich II201828411423415
USA Roger McCluskey7224781119186
USA Al Unser6202191531531234
USA Mark Donohue171912216
USA Mike Hiss107713266214DNQ
USA Johnny Rutherford13Wth272116231065
USA Bobby Unser1173011420Wth2411
USA Sam Sessions44154
USA Mike Mosley31326DNQ552
USA Mario Andretti222881271127283
USA Gary Bettenhausen411432419DNQ
USA Wally Dallenbach Sr.9615DNQ214DNQ21724
USA Salt Walther1133DNQ8627
USA Lee Kunzman221718594261223
USA George Snider16DNQ11236211881010
USA Sam Posey5519
USA Lloyd Ruby2162226DNQ17187
USA Mel Kenyon231018153131628119
USA Art Pollard14Wth7911
USA Jimmy Caruthers912221012
USA Gordon Johncock320922221320
USA Rick MutherDNQ24201251522
USA Jim Malloy155Wth
USA Swede Savage191632617239201919
USA Dick Simon1814139716121614
USA Bill Simpson24DNQ132424917
USA Johnny Parsons62217DNS
USA Cale Yarborough10DNQ
USA John Mahler82211272518
USA Jerry Grant122033218
USA Tom BigelowWth21DNQ713
USA Steve Krisiloff1221183214111518
USA John Hubbard8
USA Al Loquasto9DNQDNQDNQ
USA A. J. Foyt825302221
USA Bentley WarrenDNQDNQ1418102620
USA Lee BraytonDNQ10DNQ17DNQ
USA Jim McElreathDNQDNQ10DNQDNS
CAN George Eaton11
USA Jim Hurtubise122123DNQ23DNQ
USA Greg Weld33DNQ12
USA John Martin161717203213
USA Dee Jones13
USA Carl Williams29163014
USA Joe Tetz1523
USA Larry McCoyDNQ192124
USA Denny Zimmerman192525
USA Peter Revson313123
USA Gig Stephens23
USA Merle BettenhausenDNQ25
USA Arnie KnepperDNQ25
USA Jerry KarlDNQ2829
USA Bob HarkeyDNQ29
USA George FollmerDNS
USA Larry DicksonDNQDNQ
GBR David HobbsDNQ
CAN Eldon RasmussenDNQ
USA Bruce WalkupDNQ
USA Jigger SiroisDNQ
USA Bill PuterbaughWth
USA Bud TingelstadWth
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

|- |

Rookie

|} |}

References

  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 228–229)
  • https://www.champcarstats.com/year/1972.htm Retrieved July 30, 2025
  • https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/1972/ Retrieved July 30, 2025

References

  1. (December 17, 1971). "Marlboro Bowing Out As Auto Racing Angel". The Indianapolis Star.
  2. (September 15, 1971). "USAC Lines Up 17-Event Slate". The Indianapolis Star.
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