1972 USAC Championship Car Season (partially found footage of IndyCar races; 1972)

From The Lost Media Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
1972indianapolis5001.jpg

Program for the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

Status: Partially Found

The 1972 USAC Championship Car Season was the 15th season of USAC's top-level open-wheel championship. The season saw Joe Leonard claim his second of two consecutive USAC Championships. Of the races televised that year, at least eight are deemed to be missing.

1972 Phoenix 150

The 1972 Phoenix 150 (also known as the 1972 Jimmy Bryan 150) was the inaugural race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 18th March at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by polesitter Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser, after having led more than half of the 150-lap event.

It was the ninth running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[1] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the 1972 Best Western 150,[2] which shall be discussed later in this article. While renamed from the Jimmy Bryan 150 to the Phoenix 150, the race still paid tribute to the 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan.[3] The race would have ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before Phoenix races were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.[4]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Unser winning the pole position with a record speed of 141.996 mph.[5][1] He was therefore deemed the pre-race favourite heading into the event.[5] Directly behind him was his brother and Colt-Offenhauser driver Al Unser, with Eagle-Offenhauser's Johnny Rutherford lining up third out of 24 competitors.[1]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Phoenix 150 commenced on 18th March.[1] Unser maintained his lead from the start, holding it for the first 50 laps before making a pit stop that meant he dropped it to Rutherford.[6][1] Rutherford lost the lead a lap later to McLaren-Offenhauser's Mark Donohue, who controlled the next 24 laps.[1] However, he retired 76 laps in when he lost a wheel after a pitstop, causing by a cotter key for the right front tyre giving way.[5][1] Roger McCluskey assumed the first position in a Kuzma-Offenhauser, leading 12 laps before Eagle-Offenhauser's Mike Mosley took over for the next 29 laps.[1] Mario Andretti then went past Mosley on lap 117 in a Parnelli-Offenhauser, but was only able to defend it for three laps before Unser regained the lead.[1]

From there, a long caution period between laps 125-147 meant there was only three more laps of actual racing remaining.[5] Unser defended the lead for the remaining laps to claim victory and $8,996 in prize money.[6][1] Post-race, Unser felt he would have won regardless if the race finished under green or yellow, stating "I don't care whether we finished under a yellow or a green, just so we won. I knew I had the fastest car on the track and the only thing the green would have done at the end would have been to have the opportunity to break down. But no one can run with us."[5] Andretti finished four seconds behind in second, accepting that he would have been unable to challenge Unser even with 20 green laps.[5][1] Mosley finished a lap down in third.[6][1]

1972 Trentonian 200

The 1972 Trentonian 200 (also known as the 1972 Trenton 200) was the second race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 23rd April at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Gary Bettenhausen in a McLaren-Offenhauser, controlling the race following the retirements of Eagle-Offenhauser drivers Bobby Unser and Mike Mosley.

It was the 11th running of the event, with the annual race lasting just over 200 miles.[7] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway, the other being the 1972 Trenton Times 300,[2] which shall be discussed later in this article. Trenton would continue hosting IndyCar races until 1979 before it was dropped from the schedule, with the circuit being demolished in 1980.[8]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 165.289 mph.[7] Directly behind him was Mike Mosley, with Eagle-Offenhauser's Billy Vukovich, Jr. lining up third.[7] Gary Bettenhausen qualified fifth out of 23 competitors.[7] According to Trenton's management, the event set a record attendance of 23,500.[9]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Trentonian 200 commenced on 23rd April.[7] Unser maintained his lead from the start, holding it for the first 12.[9][7] However, reliability problems began to affect many of the 1972 vehicles, which according to The New York Times, lacked adequate shakedown.[9] Among those affected included the Parnelli-Offenhausers of Mario Andretti and Al Unser, who dropped out on lap 3 and 8 respectively due to mechanical issues.[9][7] Bobby Unser meanwhile would retire from the lead when the fuel injection system failed, triggering a fire that necessitated a caution period between laps 13-21.[9][7]

Mosley then took over as the leader, and was able to hang on to the first position for the next 37 laps.[9][7] But like Unser, Mosley's Eagle failed while leading, this time due to a piston failure.[9][7] This enabled Bettenhausen to claim the first position from lap 49 onwards, dominating the remainder of the event to eventually be four laps in front of any other competitor.[9][7] He therefore claimed his third USAC victory and $11,642 in prize money.[9][7] His average speed of 146.211 mph also set a record for the event.[9][7] In second was Kuzma-Offenhauser's Roger McCluskey, with McLaren-Offenhauser driver Gordon Johncock taking third.[7][9] A report from The New York Times criticised the race as being an "inept affair", noting the reliability failures and how most teams were concentrating on the upcoming Indianapolis 500.[9]

1972 Indianapolis 500

The 1972 Indianapolis 500 was the third race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 27th May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Mark Donohue in a McLaren-Offenhauser, scoring his sole Indianapolis 500 victory and the first for car owner Roger Penske.

The 1972 Indianapolis 500 was the 56th running of the event, with the annual race lasting 500 miles.[10] It is one of the most prestigious races in motorsport, and alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport.[11] Additionally, from 1971-1980, it formed part of another Triple Crown, also consisting of USAC's Pocono 500 and California 500.[12]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with 1968 Indy 500 winner Bobby Unser winning the pole position in an Eagle-Offenhauser with a speed of 195.94 mph.[13][14][10] He therefore was considered the pre-race favourite for the event, in a field noted for being the fastest in Indianapolis 500 history at the time, which posted an average qualifying speed of 183.655 mph.[14] The McLaren-Offenhausers were considered Unser's main competition, with Peter Revson and Mark Donohue lining up second and third respectively, out of 33 competitors that qualified for the event.[13][14][10] Also lining up on the field was the three-time 500 winner A.J. Foyt, who qualified 17th in a Coyote-Ford; two-time victor Al Unser, who started 19th in a Parnelli-Offenhauser; and 1969 winner Mario Andretti, who lined up fifth in a Parnelli-Offenhauser.[14][10]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Indianapolis 500 commenced on 27th May.[10] The start was botched as the green flag was flown a lap earlier than expected, resulting in confusion and most drivers being in the incorrect gear.[15] Nevertheless, Bobby Unser held the lead from the start, maintaining it for the first 31 laps.[10] Suddenly, he pitted to retire from the race, as his car suffered a broken distributor.[10] McLaren-Offenhauser's Gary Bettenhausen took over as the leader, holding it for 23 laps until being passed by Mike Mosley in an Eagle-Offenhauser.[10] Mosley led for three laps, but then lost a wheel that resulted in his car slamming into the outside wall at Turn 4.[16][10] The impact resulted in Mosley's McLaren catching fire resulting from a ruptured fuel tank.[16] Though he was able to escape, Mosley suffered minor burns.[16] Meanwhile, Foyt retired after 60 laps due to a broken turbocharger, having made progress after stalling before the start.[15][10]

With Mosley out, Bettenhausen moved back into the first position, leading for the longest uninterrupted duration of the race at 105 laps.[10] On lap 162, Eagle-Offenhauser's Jerry Grant passed Bettenhausen for first, although the latter regained it four laps later.[10] Grant however regained the lead on lap 176, with Bettenhausen ultimately being unable to challenge again after retiring 182 laps in due to an ignition failure.[17][10] Grant appeared to have been controlling proceedings, when he suddenly made an unplanned pitstop as a result of vibrations being caused by an imbalanced left front wheel.[18] The pitstop, however, was deemed illegal, because not only did Grant roll into the pit of his teammate Bobby Unser, but his pit crew attached a fuel hose from Unser's pit tank instead of Grant's.[18]

Following Grant's pitstop, Donohue took the lead in what proved to be the final lead change of the event.[18][10] While a caution period resulted in Donohue losing a lap lead over Grant, he nevertheless remained in front for the final 13 laps to claim his and car owner Roger Penske's first Indy 500 win and $218,767 in prize money.[19][20][21][17][10] He also set two records, including the fastest average speed of 162.2 mph, and the fastest lap of the race at 187.539 mph.[22] Grant crossed the line second, but a post-race protest over his illegal pit stop meant his race ended after lap 188 according to race stewards, dropping him to twelfth.[18][10] Thus, Al Unser finished second, with fellow Parnelli-Offenhauser driver Joe Leonard taking third.[18][10]

1972 Rex Mays Classic

The 1972 Rex Mays Classic (also known as the 1972 Milwaukee 150) was the fourth race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 4th June at the Milwaukee Mile, the race would ultimately be won by polesitter Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser, who dominated proceedings after having led 135 of the 150 laps.

It was the 23rd running of the race, the annual event being held in honour of Rex Mays, a two-time AAA champion who saved fellow racer Duke Dinsmore's life during the 1948 Milwaukee 100.[23] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to be held at Milwaukee Mile,[2] the other being the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200, which shall be discussed later in this article. Lasting 150 miles,[24] the Rex May Classic would commence on an annual basis until it was renamed from 1988 onwards.[25]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a record speed of 126.064 mph.[26][27][24] Such was the performance of the competition that Unser was among ten drivers who broke his previous track record of 122.291 mph.[26] Directly behind him were fellow Eagle-Offenhauser drivers Jerry Grant and Billy Vukovich Jr., in second and third respectively.[26][24]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Rex Mays Classic commenced on 4th June.[24] Unser maintained his lead from the start, leading the first 45 laps.[24] On lap 40, Gerhardt-Offenhauser's Johnny Rutherford crashed out, the impact causing the vehicle to catch fire.[27][24] Rutherford's overalls caught fire, and he suffered first degree burns to his hands and feet, but was otherwise fortune to escape further injuries.[27] Meanwhile the race was red-flagged for 47 minutes so that the inferno could be safely tackled, leaking fuel causing the fire to spread down the backing of the turn.[27]

During the caution period beforehand, Grant assumed the lead briefly after Unser pitted, before making a pitstop himself that allowed Parnelli-Offenhauser driver Mario Andretti to lead on the restart on lap 48.[24] He maintained it until lap 61, before Unser retook the first position.[24] From there, Unser dominated the remaining 90 laps, lapping the field bar three competitors.[27][24] With pre-race favourite Grant having retired after 86 laps because of a broken turbocharger, it enabled Unser to cross the line with a 4.1 second margin to claim victory and $15,830 in prize money.[27][24] The McLaren-Offenhausers of Mark Donohue and Gary Bettenhausen finished second and third respectively.[24][27]

1972 Michigan 200

Main article: 1972 Michigan 200.

1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200

The 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 was the seventh race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 13th August at the Milwaukee Mile, the race would ultimately be won by Joe Leonard, dominating the race after fellow Parnelli-Offenhauser driver Mario Andretti retired due to a locked wheel. The race was also the last to be televised by the TVS Television Network.

It was the 12th running of the even, lasting 200 miles.[28] The annual race was named in memory of two-time IndyCar champion Tony Bettenhausen.[29] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to be held at Milwaukee Mile, the other being the aforementioned 1972 Rex Mays Classic.[2]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mario Andretti winning the pole position with a record speed of 127.932 mph.[30][28] Directly behind him was Joe Leonard, who was seeking to win his third consecutive race,[30] with fellow Parnelli-Offenhauser driver Al Unser lining up third out of 25 competitors.[28]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 commenced on 13th August.[28] Andretti held his lead at the start and would remain the lap leader for the first 107 laps.[28] He generally faced competition from Leonard and Unser throughout, although the latter retired after 79 laps because of a suspension failure.[30][28] On lap 108, Andretti came in for a pit stop.[30] As he did so, his brakes suddenly locked, which caused his car to catch fire.[30][28] While Andretti escaped harm, the fire ended up burning crewmen Al Clark and Jim Dillamarter, who both required hospital treatment.[30]

With Andretti out, Leonard assumed the first position and controlled the remaining 93 laps.[28][30] He therefore claimed victory and $15,139 in prize money.[28][30] Billy Vukovich, Jr. finished second in an Eagle-Offenhauser, being four laps down from Leonard, with Gerhardt-Offenhauser's Johnny Rutherford taking third, a further three laps down from the leader.[28][30]

1972 Trenton Times 300

The 1972 Trenton Times 300 (also known as the 1972 Trenton 300) was the ninth race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 24th September at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by polesitter Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser, making a comeback when he lost a tyre on the 24th lap. Parnelli-Offenhauser's Joe Leonard also secured his second consecutive Championship by finishing third.

It was the fourth running of the event, with the annual race lasting 300 miles.[31] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway, the other being the aforementioned 1972 Trentonian 200,[2]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a record speed of 171.521 mph.[32][31] Directly behind him were the Parnelli-Offenhausers of Mario Andretti and Al Unser, in second and third respectively.[31] Joe Leonard qualified fourth out of 28 competitors.[31] He had the opportunity to secure his second USAC Championship providing he finished within the top five.[33][34]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Trenton Times 300 commenced on 24th September.[31] Unser maintained his lead from the start, holding it for the first 23 laps.[32][31] Andretti meanwhile retired before the race began due to a broken half shaft.[32][31] As Unser was leading, he suddenly lost his right front tyre, which ended up alongside the wire fence around Victory Lane.[32] Bobby pitted, but this enabled his brother Al to take the lead.[32][31] From there, the battle for the lead became a more open competition, with Leonard passing Unser on lap 28, only to quickly lose it to McLaren-Offenhauser's Gordon Johncock.[31] Nevertheless, Leonard remained in contention for the first position, thus maximising his chances of earning a second crown.[32]

Bobby Unser meanwhile climbed the order, eventually passing Leonard for the first position on lap 89.[32][31] Ultimately, while Leonard and McLaren-Offenhauser's Mark Donohue provided competition for the lead initially, Unser eventually controlled proceedings once he passed the latter on lap 132.[32][31] That turned out to be the final lead change of the race, with Unser holding out for the remaining 69 laps to claim victory and $17,024 in prize money.[32][31] His average speed of around 143.236-143.88 mph also set a record for the event.[32][31] Donohue finished 15.3 seconds behind in second, while Leonard's third place was enough to secure the title.[32][34][31]

1972 Best Western Motels 150

The 1972 Best Western Motels 150 was the final race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 4th November at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser, after having led 96 of the 150 laps.

It was the 23rd running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[35] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the aforementioned Phoenix 150.[2] While renamed to reflect the Best Western Motels sponsorship, the race was still in memory of AAA driver Bobby Ball,[36]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mark Donohue winning the pole position in a McLaren-Offenhauser with a speed of 141.732 mph.[35] Directly behind him was Parnelli-Offenhauser's Mario Andretti, with Unser lining up third out of 24 competitors.[35] Having won the Phoenix 150, Unser was seeking to achieve a Phoenix double by winning this race.[1]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1972 Best Western 150 commenced on 4th November.[35] Andretti shot into the lead on the first lap, holding it for the first 53 laps.[35] Unser overtook him on lap 54, maintaining the lead for 46 consecutive laps.[35] Meanwhile, polesitter Donohue retired after 90 laps due to a broken turbocharger.[35] Mike Mosley then moved into the first position on lap 100 in an Eagle-Offenhauser, but Unser retook it a lap later.[35] This proved to be the final lead change of the race, with Unser defending the first position for the final 50 laps from Mosley and Andretti to claim the Phoenix double and $9,496 in prize money.[35] Mosley finished second, while Andretti was a lap down in third.[35]

Availability

According to IndyCar on TV, the 1972 Phoenix 150 received live flag-to-flag coverage from ABC as part of its Wide World of Sports.[37] The broadcast has yet to resurface, although a British Pathé newsreel of the event is publicly available. Photos and newspaper clippings can also be found online.[5]

The 1972 Trentonian 200 was also televised live by ABC.[38] It was almost shown flag-to-flag, but ABC elected to interrupt proceedings for seven minutes to show coverage of the Apollo 16 Moon landing.[38] The broadcast has yet to resurface, however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available. Nevertheless, photos of the event can be found online.

As for the 1972 Indianapolis 500, IndyCar on TV claims two-and-a-half hours of race footage was televised by ABC on 27th May 1972.[39] In addition to this, a 30-minute trackside report was broadcast.[39] While most Indianapolis 500 television broadcasts since 1971 are now publicly available, the 1972 and 1976 editions remain mostly missing. According to YouTuber epaddon, only a 20-minute French kinescope of the ABC broadcast is currently available, with them also uploading a video that synced the radio broadcast of the start to the French footage. On 28th January 2016, IndyCar planned to upload the entire broadcast to YouTube to celebrate Team Penske's 50th anniversary.[40] While they found a copy in its tape library, the tape ultimately cut out midway through the event.[40] The organisation promised to obtain a new copy of the broadcast, although an upload of this footage has yet to occur as of modern times.[40] Nevertheless, some films of the race are publicly available.

Meanwhile, the 1972 Rex Mays Classic and the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 both received live flag-to-flag coverage from the TVS Television Network, the latter notable for being the final IndyCar race broadcast on the network.[41][42][26] But of twelve IndyCar races to have been televised by TVS, none are currently publicly available. Nevertheless, some home movie footage of the 1972 Rex Mays Classic can be viewed online, as can photos from both events.

45 minutes of highlights from the 1972 Trenton Times 300 were televised by ABC on 30th September 1972 as part of its Wide World of Sports, alongside the World Parachuting Championships.[43] Finally, the 1972 Best Western Motels 150 received live flag-to-flag coverage from ABC as part of its Wide World of Sports.[44] Neither broadcast has resurfaced, nor any other race footage, though photos can be found online.

Gallery

Videos

Film of the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

Speedvision film of the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

Start of the 1972 Indianapolis 500 ABC telecast synced with the radio broadcast.

Silent footage of the 1972 Rex Mays Classic.

nascarman History's Top 10 Lost IndyCar Broadcasts detailing TVS Television Network's IndyCar broadcasts (0:20-0:59) and ABC's coverage of the 1972 Indianapolis 500 (4:00-4:20).

External Links

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Phoenix 150. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Racing-Reference detailing the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  3. Motorsport Memorial page for Jimmy Bryan. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  4. IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Issues of Autoweek detailing the 1972 Phoenix 150. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the 1972 Phoenix 150. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Trentonian 200. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  8. Racing Circuits detailing the history of the Trenton Speedway. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 The New York Times reporting on Bettenhausen winning the 1972 Trentonian 200. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  11. Bwin detailing the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Retrieved 29th May '22
  12. ESPN detailing USAC's Triple Crown. Retrieved 29th May '22
  13. 13.0 13.1 The New York Times reporting on Bobby Unser winning the pole position for the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The New York Times reporting on Bobby Unser being deemed the favourite to win the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  15. 15.0 15.1 The New York Times reporting on the botched start for the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 The Crash Photos Database detailing Mosley's crash at the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 Autoweek summarising Donohue's 1972 Indianapolis 500 win and Bettenhausen retiring due to an ignition failure. Retrieved 29th May '22
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 The New York Times reporting on Grant being dropped from second to 12th following the 1972 Indianapolis 500 after a protest regarding an illegal pitstop was upheld. Retrieved 29th May '22
  19. The New York Times reporting on Donohue winning the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  20. Autoweek noting this was Roger Penske's first 1972 Indianapolis 500 win. Retrieved 29th May '22
  21. Autosport noting the prize money Donohue received for winning the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  22. Nevada Musclecars noting the records Donohue set at the 1972 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  23. Motorsports Hall of Fame detailing how the Milwaukee 100 was renamed in honour of Rex Mays. Retrieved 14th May '22
  24. 24.00 24.01 24.02 24.03 24.04 24.05 24.06 24.07 24.08 24.09 24.10 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 14th May '22
  25. Race Department noting the Rex May Classic name lasted from 1950 to 1987. Retrieved 14th May '22
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the pole position for the 1972 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 14th May '22
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the 1972 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 14th May '22
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 28.7 28.8 28.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200. Retrieved 14th May '22
  29. Haul Away! noting origins of the Tony Bettenhausen 200's name. Retrieved 14th May '22
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 30.5 30.6 30.7 30.8 The New York Times reporting on Leonard winning the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200. Retrieved 14th May '22
  31. 31.00 31.01 31.02 31.03 31.04 31.05 31.06 31.07 31.08 31.09 31.10 31.11 31.12 31.13 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Trenton Times 300. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  32. 32.00 32.01 32.02 32.03 32.04 32.05 32.06 32.07 32.08 32.09 32.10 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the 1972 Trenton Times 300. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  33. The New York Times reporting on Leonard having the chance to win his second Championship at the 1972 Trenton Times 300. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  34. 34.0 34.1 Racing-Reference detailing the final standings of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 35.6 35.7 35.8 35.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1972 Best Western Motels 150. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  36. Midwest Racing Archives detailing the origins of the Bobby Ball race. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  37. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1972 Phoenix 150. Retrieved 4th Jun '22
  38. 38.0 38.1 IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1972 Trentonian 200. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  39. 39.0 39.1 IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1972 Indian polis 500. Retrieved 29th May '22
  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 IndyCar detailing finding a tape of the 1972 Indianapolis 500 that was cut out midway through. Retrieved 29th May '22
  41. IndyCar on TV detailing the TVS Television Network broadcast of the 1972 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 14th May '22
  42. IndyCar on TV detailing the TVS Television Network broadcast of the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200, and noting it was the final TVS airing of an IndyCar event. Retrieved 14th May '22
  43. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1972 Trenton Times 300. Retrieved 5th Jun '22
  44. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1972 Best Western Motels 150. Retrieved 5th Jun '22