# 1972 Daytona 500

The 1972 Daytona 500, the 14th running of the event, was held on February 20, 1972, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. A. J. Foyt, driving a 1971 Mercury, won the race.
First Daytona 500 starts for David Sisco and Walter Ballard. Only Daytona 500 start for Richard D. Brown, George Altheide, David Ray Boggs, Ed Hessert, Larry Dickson, Jimmy Finger, Mark Donohue, and Raymond Williams. Last Daytona 500 starts for Vic Elford, Henley Grey, Ben Arnold, Bill Seifert, Elmo Langley, and Bill Champion.

## Summary

Foyt drove his number 21 to victory after starting the race from the outside front-row position. There were three cautions flags which slowed the race for a total of 17 laps. Foyt dominated the event, winning by almost two laps over his closest competitor. The victory over Charlie Glotzbach was Foyt's first win of the season.
The 1972 Daytona 500 has the distinction of being the event which had the fewest leaders for a NASCAR race held at Daytona International Speedway; with only Foyt, Richard Petty, and Bobby Allison recorded as leading a lap during the competition. The Daytona 500 was the second event held during the 1972 season, and completed in three hours and five minutes with an average speed of 161 mph. There were a total of 13 lead changes between Foyt, Allison, and Petty throughout the race.
Foyt's victory would earn him a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the first time for a reigning Daytona 500 champion.
Walter Ballard had a huge crash in this race on lap 16 as a result of getting together with Buddy Baker in the tri-oval. Baker himself would disappear from the race on lap 18. Ballard went upside down after climbing the nose of Baker's car. He rolled into the tri-oval grass and barrel rolled 3 times before coming back onto all fours. Both drivers were uninjured.
Raymond Williams earned the dubious honor of being the only driver ever to both begin and finish in last-place in the same Daytona 500. Also, attrition was through the roof in this race, as only 26 cars even made it 200 miles, just 22 cars ran at least half the race, and just 19 made it 110 laps. Also, the distances between some of the leading finishers were just astounding. Third-place finisher Jim Vandiver (and fourth-place Benny Parsons) was six laps/15 miles behind the winner, fifth-place James Hylton was 9 laps/22.5 miles behind, sixth-place Cale Yarborough was 12 laps/30 miles or 6% of the race distance behind, and 10th-place finisher Vic Elford was 18 laps/45 miles or 9% of the race distance behind Foyt.
Bobby Isaac won the pole but A.J. Foyt overtook him right at the start although the two fought for the lead on the first lap. As Foyt pulled away Issac's day turned out to be a short one as engine problems put the K&K Insurance Dodge on the trailer before the 10 percent mark of the race.

## Race results

| Pos | Grid | No. | Driver | Entrant | Manufacturer | Laps | Winnings | Laps led | Time/Status |
| 1 | 2 | 21 | A. J. Foyt | Wood Brothers Racing | 1971 Mercury | 200 | $45,400 | 167 | 3:05:42 |
| 2 | 6 | 6 | Charlie Glotzbach | Cotton Owens | 1971 Dodge | 199 | $16,250 | 0 | +1 Lap |
| 3 | 8 | 31 | Jim Vandiver | O. L. Nixon | 1970 Dodge | 194 | $10,475 | 0 | +6 Laps |
| 4 | 33 | 72 | Benny Parsons | L. G. DeWitt | 1970 Mercury | 194 | $7,150 | 0 | +6 Laps |
| 5 | 35 | 48 | James Hylton | James Hylton | 1971 Ford | 191 | $5,925 | 0 | +9 Laps |
| 6 | 16 | 3 | Cale Yarborough | Ray Fox | 1971 Plymouth | 188 | $4,660 | 0 | +12 Laps |
| 7 | 23 | 05 | David Sisco | Charlie McGee | 1972 Chevrolet | 186 | $4,215 | 0 | +14 Laps |
| 8 | 21 | 25 | Jabe Thomas | Don Robertson | 1970 Plymouth | 184 | $4,365 | 0 | +16 Laps |
| 9 | 15 | 4 | John Sears | J. Marvin Mills | 1970 Plymouth | 183 | $4,145 | 0 | +17 Laps |
| 10 | 13 | 23 | Vic Elford | Don Robertson | 1970 Plymouth | 182 | $3,445 | 0 | +18 Laps |
| 11 | 26 | 03 | Tommy Gale | Frank Vasko | 1971 Mercury | 182 | $2,405 | 0 | +18 Laps |
| 12 | 38 | 64 | Elmo Langley | Elmo Langley | 1971 Ford | 181 | $2,700 | 0 | +19 Laps |
| 13 | 5 | 91 | Richard D. Brown | Ralph McNabb | 1972 Chevrolet | 179 | $3,525 | 0 | +21 Laps |
| 14 | 37 | 19 | Henley Gray | Henley Gray | 1971 Ford | 179 | $2,395 | 0 | +21 Laps |
| 15 | 34 | 0 | George Altheide | George Altheide | 1970 Dodge | 177 | $1,750 | 0 | +23 Laps |
| 16 | 4 | 12 | Bobby Allison | Richard Howard | 1972 Chevrolet | 177 | $4,900 | 2 | +23 Laps |
| 17 | 20 | 76 | Ben Arnold | Ben Arnold | 1971 Ford | 176 | $1,760 | 0 | +24 Laps |
| 18 | 7 | 79 | Frank Warren | Frank Warren | 1970 Dodge | 170 | $2,300 | 0 | Engine |
| 19 | 25 | 57 | David Ray Boggs | David Ray Boggs | 1970 Dodge | 165 | $1,630 | 0 | +35 Laps |
| 20 | 27 | 86 | Ed Hessert | Neil Castles | 1970 Dodge | 107 | $1,170 | 0 | Distributor |
| 21 | 30 | 44 | Larry Dickson | Richard Giachetti | 1971 Ford | 103 | $1,535 | 0 | Engine |
| 22 | 9 | 56 | Jim Hurtubise | Richard Hammond | 1970 Chevrolet | 100 | $1,700 | 0 | Engine |
| 23 | 14 | 90 | Bill Dennis | Donlavey Racing | 1972 Ford | 85 | $2,120 | 0 | Valve |
| 24 | 19 | 70 | J. D. McDuffie | McDuffie Racing | 1971 Chevrolet | 84 | $2,010 | 0 | Oil pressure |
| 25 | 3 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | H. B. Cunningham | 1972 Chevrolet | 81 | $1,975 | 0 | Valve |
| 26 | 32 | 43 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises | 1972 Plymouth | 80 | $5,060 | 31 | Valve |
| 27 | 12 | 2 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | 1972 Dodge | 57 | $2,025 | 0 | Engine |
| 28 | 28 | 88 | Ron Keselowski | Roger Lubinski | 1970 Dodge | 44 | $1,370 | 0 | Piston |
| 29 | 36 | 45 | Bill Seifert | Bill Seifert | 1971 Ford | 44 | $1,830 | 0 | Steering |
| 30 | 18 | 97 | Red Farmer | Willie Humphries | 1972 Ford | 32 | $1,375 | 0 | Engine |
| 31 | 17 | 61 | Jimmy Finger | Don Bierschwale | 1971 Ford | 26 | $1,350 | 0 | Head gasket |
| 32 | 22 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Buddy Arrington | 1970 Plymouth | 21 | $1,300 | 0 | Crash |
| 33 | 1 | 71 | Bobby Isaac | Nord Krauskopf | 1972 Dodge | 19 | $10,230 | 0 | Engine |
| 34 | 31 | 11 | Buddy Baker | Petty Enterprises | 1972 Dodge | 18 | $2,300 | 0 | Crash |
| 35 | 10 | 16 | Mark Donohue | Penske Racing | 1972 Matador | 18 | $1,375 | 0 | Push rod |
| 36 | 29 | 30 | Walter Ballard | Vic Ballard | 1971 Ford | 16 | $1,660 | 0 | Crash |
| 37 | 24 | 9 | Ramo Stott | Jack Housby | 1972 Dodge | 13 | $1,165 | 0 | Oil pressure |
| 38 | 39 | 10 | Bill Champion | Bill Champion | 1971 Ford | 13 | $1,585 | 0 | Crank |
| 39 | 11 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Cecil Gordon | 1971 Mercury | 11 | $1,725 | 0 | Valve |
| 40 | 40 | 47 | Raymond Williams | Raymond Williams | 1971 Ford | 4 | $800 | 0 | Steering |
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