1972 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season August 2023 USAC Championship Car 1972 USAC National Championship Trail 10 March 18 November 4 National champion USA Joe Leonard USA 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. 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,"Marlboro Bowing Out As Auto Racing Angel https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27513034/ The Indianapolis Star 54 Newspapers.com December 17, 1971 January 22, 2019 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. Foyt 1, 3, 8–10Lola (4), Coyote (5, 8)FoytUS Sam Sessions 4–5, 8 United States All American RacersEagleOffenhauserUS Bobby Unser All United States Andy GranatelliLolaFoytUS Wally Dallenbach 3–10 United States Gene White RacingLolaFoytUS Sam Sessions 3 United States GerhardtGerhardt (4, 7), Eagle (5–6, 8–10)OffenhauserUS Johnny Rutherford 4–10 United States Jerry O'Connell RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Bill Vukovich II All United States Leader Card RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Mike Mosley 1–4, 8–10 United States Lindsey Hopkins RacingKuzma (1–2, 4, 7, 9) Antares (3) McLaren (5–6, 8, 10)OffenhauserUS Roger McCluskey AllEagleOffenhauserUS Wally Dallenbach 1–2Eagle (1, 4–5, 8–10) Kuzma (2) Coyote (3, 6–7)Foyt (1–7) Offenhauser (8–10)US Mel Kenyon All United Kingdom McLarenMcLarenOffenhauserUS Gordon Johncock 2–3, 5–9 United States Page RacingEagle (1–6, 9–10) McLaren (8)OffenhauserUS Mike Hiss 1–6, 8–10 United States Patrick RacingEagle (1–2) Brabham (3)OffenhauserUS Johnny Rutherford 1–3Eagle (1–4, 7) Brabham (5–6, 8–10)OffenhauserUS Swede Savage All United States Team PenskeMcLarenOffenhauserUS Mark Donohue 1–4, 9–10McLarenOffenhauserUS Gary Bettenhausen 1–7 United States Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingColt (1), Parnelli (2–10)OffenhauserUS Joe Leonard AllColt (1), Parnelli (2–10)OffenhauserUS Al Unser AllColt (1), Parnelli (2–10)OffenhauserUS Mario Andretti All Schedule and results All races running on Oval/Speedway. Rnd Date Race name Track Location Pole position Winning driver 1 March 18 Jimmy Bryan 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona USA Bobby Unser USA Bobby Unser 2 April 23 Trentonian 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey USA Bobby Unser USA Gary Bettenhausen 3 May 27 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana USA Bobby Unser USA Mark Donohue 4 June 4 Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin USA Bobby Unser USA Bobby Unser 5 July 16 Michigan 200 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan USA Bobby Unser USA Joe Leonard 6 July 29A A Schaefer 500 Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania USA Bobby Unser USA Joe Leonard 7 August 13 Tony Bettenhausen 200 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin USA Mario Andretti USA Joe Leonard 8 September 3 California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California USA Jerry Grant USA Roger McCluskey 9 September 24 Trenton 300 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey USA Bobby Unser USA Bobby Unser 10 November 4 Best Western 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona USA Mark Donohue USA Bobby Unser A 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.USAC Lines Up 17-Event Slate https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27512735/ The Indianapolis Star 37 Newspapers.com September 15, 1971 January 22, 2019 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. List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems Pos Driver PHX TRE INDY MIL MIS POC MIL ONT TRE PHX Pts 1USA Joe Leonard 5 4 3 5 1 1 1 15 3 DNQ 3460 2USA Bill Vukovich II 20 18 28 4 11 4 2 3 4 15 2200 3USA Roger McCluskey 7 2 24 7 8 11 19 1 8 6 1970 4USA Al Unser 6 20 2 19 15 3 15 31 23 4 1800 5USA Mark Donohue 17 19 1 2 2 16 1720 6USA Mike Hiss gold RY silver 10 7 7 13 26 6 2 14 DNQ 1665 7USA Johnny Rutherford 13 Wth 27 21 16 2 3 10 6 5 1620 8USA Bobby Unser 1 17 30 1 14 20 Wth 24 1 1 1500 9USA Sam Sessions 4 4 15 4 1440 10USA Mike Mosley 3 13 26 DNQ 5 5 2 1250 11USA Mario Andretti 2 22 8 8 12 7 11 27 28 3 1135 12USA Gary Bettenhausen 4 1 14 3 24 19 DNQ 790 13USA Wally Dallenbach Sr. 9 6 15 DNQ 2 14 DNQ 21 7 24 720 14USA Salt Walther 11 33 DNQ 8 6 27 690 15USA Lee Kunzman 22 17 18 5 9 4 26 12 23 670 16USA George Snider 16 DNQ 11 23 6 21 18 8 10 10 517 17USA Sam Posey 5 5 19 500 18USA Lloyd Ruby 21 6 22 26 DNQ 17 18 7 490 19USA Mel Kenyon 23 10 18 15 3 13 16 28 11 9 460 20USA Art Pollard 14 Wth 7 9 11 450 21USA Jimmy Caruthers 9 12 22 10 12 415 22USA Gordon Johncock 3 20 9 22 22 13 20 360 23USA Rick Muther DNQ 24 20 12 5 15 22 250 24USA Jim Malloy 15 5 Wth 200 25USA Swede Savage 19 16 32 6 17 23 9 20 19 19 200 26USA Dick Simon 18 14 13 9 7 16 12 16 14 200 27USA Bill Simpson 24 DNQ 13 24 24 9 17 200 28USA Johnny Parsons 6 22 17 DNS 160 29USA Cale Yarborough 10 DNQ 150 30USA John Mahler 8 22 11 27 25 18 130 31USA Jerry Grant 12 20 33 21 8 125 32USA Tom Bigelow Wth 21 DNQ 7 13 120 33USA Steve Krisiloff 12 21 18 32 14 11 15 18 120 34USA John Hubbard orange R silver 8 100 35USA Al Loquasto 9 DNQ DNQ DNQ 80 36USA A. J. Foyt 8 25 30 22 21 75 37USA Bentley Warren DNQ DNQ 14 18 10 26 20 60 38USA Lee Brayton orange R silver DNQ 10 DNQ 17 DNQ 60 39USA Jim McElreath DNQ DNQ 10 DNQ DNS 45 40CAN George Eaton 11 30 41USA Jim Hurtubise 12 21 23 DNQ 23 DNQ 15 42USA Greg Weld 33 DNQ 12 6 -USA John Martin 16 17 17 20 32 13 0 -USA Dee Jones 13 0 -USA Carl Williams 29 16 30 14 0 -USA Joe Tetz orange R silver 15 23 0 -USA Larry McCoy orange R silver DNQ 19 21 24 0 -USA Denny Zimmerman 19 25 25 0 -USA Peter Revson 31 31 23 0 -USA Gig Stephens 23 0 -USA Merle Bettenhausen DNQ 25 0 -USA Arnie Knepper DNQ 25 0 -USA Jerry Karl DNQ 28 29 0 -USA Bob Harkey DNQ 29 0 -USA George Follmer DNS 0 -USA Larry Dickson DNQ DNQ 0 -GBR David Hobbs DNQ 0 -CAN Eldon Rasmussen DNQ 0 -USA Bruce Walkup DNQ 0 -USA Jigger Sirois DNQ 0 -USA Bill Puterbaugh Wth 0 -USA Bud Tingelstad Wth 0 Pos Driver PHX TRE INDY MIL MIS POC MIL ONT TRE PHX Pts Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th-10th place Dark Blue Finished(Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish(Ret) Red Did not qualify(DNQ) Brown Withdrawn(Wth) Black Disqualified(DSQ) White Did not start(DNS) Blank Did notparticipate(DNP) Not competing In-line notationBoldPole positionItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race lapsgold RY silver Rookie of the Yearorange R silver Rookie References http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1972/ USAC National Championship 1972 Åberg, Andreas Driver Database 2009-05-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20080325034403/http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1972/ 2008-03-25 live http://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/ Indy 500 and USAC racing (1971-1978) Harms, Phil Ferner, Michael Measures, Gerry Brown, Allen OldRacingCars.com 2009-05-03 https://archive.today/20120906023507/http://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/ 2012-09-06 live http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1972.htm 1972 USAC National Championship Trail ChampCarStats.com 2009-05-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20081024014015/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1972.htm 2008-10-24 live http://old.motorsport.com/stats/champ/data/1972sum.pdf 1972 Championship Driver Summary Harms Phil Motorsport.com 2011-05-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20120810003609/http://www.motorsport.com/stats/champ/data/1972sum.pdf 2012-08-10 dead http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053905/http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf 2016-03-04 (p. 228–229) https://www.champcarstats.com/year/1972.htm Retrieved July 30, 2025 https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/1972/ Retrieved July 30, 2025 See also 1972 Indianapolis 500 USAC Championship Car season * Category:USAC Championship Car Category:1972 in American motorsport