1972 Carolina 500

1972 Carolina 500
Race details
Race 5 of 31 in the 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season

Map of Rockingham Speedway
Date March 12, 1972
Location North Carolina Motor Speedway (Rockingham, North Carolina, USA)
Course Permanent racing facility
1.017 mi (1.636 km)
Distance 492 laps, 500 mi (804 km)
WeatherAverage temperature of 48.7 °F (9.3 °C); wind speeds approaching 13.00 miles per hour (20.92 km/h)[1]
Average speed 113.895 miles per hour (183.296 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Bobby Isaac K&K Insurance Racing
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Isaac K&K Insurance Racing
Laps 210
Winner
No. 3
 Bobby Isaac
 K&K Insurance Racing
Television in the United States
Network untelevised
Announcers none

The 1972 Carolina 500 is a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on March 12, 1972, at North Carolina Motor Speedway (Rockingham Speedway) in the American community of Rockingham, North Carolina.[2]

Summary

While the race took place on a paved track spanning 1.017 miles (1.637 km), it took four hours and twenty-three minutes to complete all 492 laps of the race.[2] Bobby Isaac defeated Richard Petty by at least one lap in front of 42500 people.[2] Isaac would earn the pole position with a qualifying speed of 137.539 miles per hour (221.348 km/h).[2][3] Meanwhile, the average race speed was 113.895 miles per hour (183.296 km/h).[2] Eight cautions were given out for 57 laps.[2]

British-born competitor Jackie Oliver finished in last place due to an engine issue on the first lap while Canadian-born Les Covey would fail to finish due to a clutch problem on lap 127. The rest of the 40-car grid would have American-born drivers.[2][4]

Only manual transmission vehicles were allowed to participate in this race; a policy that NASCAR has retained to the present day.

Finishing order

  1. Bobby Isaac
  2. Richard Petty
  3. Jim Vandiver
  4. LeeRoy Yarbrough
  5. Dave Marcis
  6. James Hylton
  7. Benny Parsons
  8. Buddy Arrington
  9. Elmo Langley
  10. Neil Castles
  11. Larry Smith
  12. Joe Frasson
  13. Jabe Thomas
  14. Ed Negre
  15. Ben Arnold
  16. John Sears
  17. David Ray Boggs
  18. Dean Dalton
  19. Frank Warren
  20. Henley Gray
  21. H.B. Bailey
  22. George Altheide
  23. Richard D. Brown
  24. Charlie Roberts
  25. Ron Keselowski
  26. Cecil Gordon*
  27. Bobby Allison*
  28. Johnny Halford*
  29. Bill Champion*
  30. G.C. Spencer*
  31. Bill Shirey*
  32. Walter Ballard*
  33. Les Covey*
  34. Buddy Baker*
  35. Raymond Williams*
  36. Buck Baker*
  37. Richard Childress*
  38. Dub Simpson*
  39. Bobby Mausgrover*
  40. Jackie Oliver*

* Driver failed to finish race

References

  1. ↑ Weather information "1972 Carolina 500 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2011-05-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "1972 Carolina 500 race information". Racing Reference. Retrieved 2011-04-04.
  3. ↑ "1972 Carolina 500 pole position". Everything Stock Car. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  4. ↑ "1972 Carolina 500 race information". Fantasy Racing Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
Preceded by
1972 Miller High Life 500		 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Season
1972 		Succeeded by
1972 Atlanta 500