View source for 1972 Indianapolis 500

{{short description|56th running of the Indianapolis 500}}
{{Infobox Indy500
| race_name      = 56th Indianapolis 500
| race_logo      = 1972MarkDonohueIndy500.JPG
| sanction       = [[United States Auto Club|USAC]]
| season         = [[1972 USAC Championship Car season|1972 USAC Trail]]
| team           = [[Penske Racing]]
| date           = May 27, 1972
| winner         = [[Mark Donohue]]
| mph            = {{convert|162.962|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}
| pole           = [[Bobby Unser]]
| pole_speed     = {{convert|195.940|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}
| fast_time      = [[Bobby Unser]]
| rookie         = [[Mike Hiss]]
| leader         = [[Gary Bettenhausen]] (138)
| anthem         = [[Purdue All-American Marching Band|Purdue Band]]
| back_home      = [[Jim Nabors]]
| start_engines  = [[Tony Hulman]]
| pace_car       = [[Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds|Hurst/Olds Cutlass]]
| pace_driver    = [[Jim Rathmann (race car driver)|Jim Rathmann]]
| starter        = Pat Vidan<ref name="Illustrated">{{cite book|last=Fox|first=Jack C.|title =The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994|publisher =Carl Hungness Publishing|edition=4th|date=1994|pages=22|language=en|isbn=0-915088-05-3}}</ref>
| attendance     = 275,000<ref>{{cite news|title=Grant 2d, May File Protest After Seeing Official Results|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11433823/|first=Ray|last=Marquette|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 28, 1972|access-date=June 2, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref>
| network        = [[ESPN on ABC|ABC]]
| announcers     = [[Jim McKay]], [[Jackie Stewart]]
| rating         = 
| share          = 
| previous       = [[1971 Indianapolis 500|1971]]
| next           = [[1973 Indianapolis 500|1973]]
}}
The '''56th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes''' was held at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] in [[Speedway, Indiana]], on Saturday, May 27, 1972.<ref name=bdstm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Xe9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2494%2C7042731 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Donohue bides time, then charges to victory |date=May 28, 1972 |page=1B}}</ref> The race is notable in that for the first time, the cars were permitted [[Wing (automotive)|bolt-on wings]], and speeds climbed dramatically.<ref name=gdshcb>{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1972/06/05/612872/good-show-charlie-brown |magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Jones |first=Robert F. |title=Good show Charlie Brown! |date=June 5, 1972 |page=22}}</ref> [[Bobby Unser]] won the pole position at a then-remarkable speed of {{convert|195.940|mph|1|abbr=on}} for four laps,<ref name=nsplaind>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ue9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6838%2C3776329 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title='No speed limit at Indy...' |date=May 15, 1972 |page=3B}}</ref> breaking [[Peter Revson]]'s track record of {{convert|178.696|mph|1|abbr=on}} from [[1971 Indianapolis 500|1971]] by {{convert|17.244|mph|1|abbr=on}} – the largest one-year track record increase in Indy history. The race average speed of {{convert|162.962|mph|1|abbr=on}} was also a new record, which stood until [[1984 Indianapolis 500|1984]].

[[Gary Bettenhausen]] led 138 laps until his car suffered ignition trouble on lap 176, and he coasted to the pits. [[Jerry Grant]] took over the lead, but pitted for a new tire and fuel on lap 188 in teammate Bobby Unser's pit - for which he was later disqualified. Bettenhausen's [[Team Penske|Penske]] teammate [[Mark Donohue]] won the race, after leading only the final 13 laps.<ref name=bdstm/><ref name=gdshcb/><ref name=ppupiou>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gocqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P1oEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6063%2C4712833 |work=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title='500' opens up for Donohue win |date=May 28, 1972 |page=D1}}</ref> It was owner [[Roger Penske]]'s first of nineteen Indy 500 victories (as of [[2023 Indianapolis 500|2023]]) and the first victory for a [[McLaren]] chassis at Indy. [[Al Unser|Al Unser Sr.]], who won the race in [[1970 Indianapolis 500|1970]] and [[1971 Indianapolis 500|1971]], was looking to become the first driver in history to "[[three-peat]]" at the Indianapolis 500. He fell short, but his runner-up finish ties for the best three-year span (1st-1st-2nd) in Indy history.

For the first time, [[Jim Nabors]] was invited to sing "[[Back Home Again in Indiana]]" during the [[Indianapolis 500 traditions|pre-race ceremonies]]. Nabors accepted and performed with little rehearsal and was warmly received. It was the beginning of a 36-year tradition, where Nabors performed nearly every year from 1972 through [[2014 Indianapolis 500|2014]].

The 1972 race was the first to utilize the Electro-PACER Light system to facilitate the yellow light periods. Speedway officials still did not utilize the [[Safety car|pace car]] during cautions, and this enforcement tool would be used at Indy for seven years, albeit not without controversy in subsequent races. This system was similar in concept to systems such as the [[Safety car#Virtual safety car (VSC)|Virtual Safety Car]] and the "[[2014 24 Hours of Le Mans#Circuit and regulation changes|Slow zone]]" that became popular in the 2010s. Although the technology for the Electro-PACER system was primitive compared to the later systems used over forty years later.

After the decade of the 1960s saw numerous drivers from Europe and other nationalities, the 1972 race was the first since [[1962 Indianapolis 500|1962]] and the last to have an [[Americans|all-American]] lineup. [[Mario Andretti]] who was born in [[Istria]] (part of [[Italy]] at the time) was a [[Citizenship in the United States#Naturalized citizenship|naturalized]] [[United States|U.S.]] citizen at the time of this race.

==Race schedule==
Following the pattern set in 1970 and 1971, the race was scheduled for the Saturday of [[Memorial Day]] weekend. This would be the final Indy 500 scheduled for a Saturday (the [[1986 Indianapolis 500|1986 race]] was held on a Saturday due to a week-long rain delay). Falling on May 27, it was also the earliest calendar date that race had been held up to that point. In 1973, the race would be scheduled for Monday, and starting in 1974, the race would permanently move to the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

On Sunday May 28, the annual 500 Victory Banquet was held at the newly completed [[Indiana Convention Center]] for the first time.

{|
|
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
|- valign="top"
!colspan=7|Race schedule — April/May, 1972
|-
!scope="col" width="70"|Sun
!scope="col" width="70"|Mon
!scope="col" width="70"|Tue
!scope="col" width="70"|Wed
!scope="col" width="70"|Thu
!scope="col" width="70"|Fri
!scope="col" width="70"|Sat
|-
|23<br />&nbsp;
|24<br />&nbsp;
|25<br />&nbsp;
|26<br />&nbsp;
|27<br />&nbsp;
|28<br />&nbsp;
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|29<br /><small>Practice</small>
|-
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|30<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 2<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 3<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6<br /><small>Practice</small>
|-
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 7<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| 8<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 9<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|10<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|11<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|12<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"|13<br /><small>Pole Day</small>
|-
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|14<br /><small>Time Trials</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|15<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|16<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|17<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|18<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|19<br /><small>Practice</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|20<br /><small>Time Trials</small>
|-
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|21<br /><small>Bump Day</small>
|22<br />&nbsp;
|23<br />&nbsp;
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|24<br /><small>Carb Day</small>
|25<br />&nbsp;
|26<br /><small>[[Indianapolis 500 traditions#500 Festival Parade|Parade]]</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|27<br /><small>Indy 500</small>
|-
|28<br />&nbsp;
|29<br /><small>Memorial Day</small>
|30<br />&nbsp;
|31<br />&nbsp;
|<br />&nbsp;
|<br />&nbsp;
|<br />&nbsp;
|}
|valign="top"|
{|
|
{| style="margin-right:0; font-size:85%; text-align:center;" class="wikitable"
! Color
! Notes
|- style="background:#DFFFDF;"
| Green
| Practice
|- style="background:#CFCFFF;"
| Dark Blue
| Time trials
|- style="background:#DFDFDF;"
| Silver
| Race day
|- style="background:#FFCFCF;"
| Red
| Rained out<nowiki>*</nowiki>
|-
| Blank
| No track activity
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> <small>Includes days where track<br />activity was significantly<br />limited due to rain</small>
|}
|}

==Practice and time trials==
In 1972, for the first time, [[United States Auto Club|USAC]] allowed [[Wing (automotive)|bolt-on wings]] to be affixed the cars. Previously, "wings" were required to be integral parts of the car's bodywork. [[Downforce]] levels increased by significant margins, and speeds climbed substantially during practice. During a tire test in March, [[Bobby Unser]] reportedly drove a lap of 190.8&nbsp;mph, the first driver ever to lap the Speedway unofficially at over 190&nbsp;mph.

The existing official track record going into the month had been set by [[Peter Revson]] in 1971 at 179.354&nbsp;mph. During the first week of practice, the stage was set for record speeds early on. During the first day the track was available, Sunday April 30, [[Jim Malloy]] became the first driver to break the 180&nbsp;mph barrier in practice, at 181.415&nbsp;mph. Later in the week, Malloy ran a practice lap of 188.048&nbsp;mph, by far an unofficial track record. By the end of the first week of practice, 11 drivers had practiced over 180&nbsp;mph.

During the second week of practice, [[Gary Bettenhausen]] turned a lap of 190.315&nbsp;mph on Sunday May 7. He became the first driver ever of the month to break 190&nbsp;mph. Two days later, Bettenhausen was over 191&nbsp;mph. Not to be upstaged, on Wednesday May 10, [[Bobby Unser]] blistered the track at 194.721&nbsp;mph.

By the eve of pole day, three drivers had cracked the 190&nbsp;mph barrier in practice, and more than a dozen had practiced faster than the existing qualifying record.

===First day time trials – Saturday May 13===
Pole day time trials were scheduled for Saturday May 13, however, rain kept the track closed most of the day. The track opened briefly for practice, and at 5:50&nbsp;p.m. time trials began. Three cars made it on the track, but none of them completed runs. [[A. J. Foyt]] was the last car out, but he blew his engine in turn two right after taking the green flag.

===Second day time trials – Sunday May 14===
Pole qualifying was moved into Sunday, and the qualifying line picked up where it had left off the day before. The track opened for practice promptly at 9 a.m. At 10:21&nbsp;a.m., [[Jim Malloy]] slid high exiting turn 3, and hit the outside wall in the north short chute. He suffered fractured arms and legs, burns, and was in critical condition. Four days later, Malloy would die from his injuries.

After the Malloy crash, rain closed the track until 2:30&nbsp;p.m. [[Bill Vukovich II]] was the first driver to make a qualifying attempt. His first lap of 185.797&nbsp;mph was a new one-lap track record, and the first official lap at Indy over 180&nbsp;mph. However, he did a 360° spin in turn one, and came to rest against the outside wall on the second lap, and the run was for naught. [[Mike Mosley]] went out next, but the car quit on the final lap. More rain fell, and the track closed for another hour to wait out the shower.

At 4:15&nbsp;p.m., [[Joe Leonard]] (185.223&nbsp;mph) became the first driver to complete a qualifying run. He set one and four-lap records, but they would not last long. [[Mario Andretti]] (187.617&nbsp;mph) was the next car out, and he took over the top spot temporarily, also breaking the track record in the process.

Shortly before 5&nbsp;p.m., [[Bobby Unser]] took to the track. He set new all-time one and four-lap qualifying records, becoming the first driver to officially break the 190&nbsp;mph barrier at Indianapolis.

*Lap 1 – 46.17 seconds, 194.932&nbsp;mph (new 1-lap track record)
*Lap 2 – 45.91 seconds, 196.036&nbsp;mph (new 1-lap track record)
*Lap 3 – 45.76 seconds, '''196.678&nbsp;mph''' (new 1-lap track record)
*Lap 4 – 45.89 seconds, 196.121&nbsp;mph
*Total – 3:03.73, '''195.940&nbsp;mph''' (new 4-lap track record)<ref name=nsplaind/>

Unser established himself as the man to beat for the pole position. He shattered the previous year's track record by over 17&nbsp;mph. Twelve cars completed runs and the 6 o'clock gun closed the track with six cars still left in line. The pole position round would be stretched into the following weekend. Among those not yet on the track were [[Mark Donohue]] and [[Peter Revson]]. After blowing his engine Saturday, [[A. J. Foyt]] was ineligible for the pole, and was not yet in the field either.

===Third Day – Saturday May 20===
Six cars entered the day still eligible for the pole round, and five of those made attempts. [[Mark Donohue]] put himself on the front row with a run of 191.408&nbsp;mph. Moments later, [[Peter Revson]] put himself second with a run of 192.885&nbsp;mph. [[Bobby Unser]] held on to the pole position, and the front of the field was set. For the first time since 1940–1941, the same three drivers qualified on the front row in consecutive years. Unser, Revson, and Donohue started on the front row (albeit in different order) in 1971 as well.

At 11:30&nbsp;a.m., "third day" qualifying commenced. [[A. J. Foyt]] put his car solidly in the field with 188.996&nbsp;mph. Two-time defending race winner [[Al Unser]], Sr. also qualified. The fastest of the "third day" qualifiers would be [[Jerry Grant]], with a run of 189.294&nbsp;mph.

At the end of the day, the field was filled to 27 cars.

===Bump Day – Sunday May 21 (Jim Hurtubise "Beer engine")===
[[File:Jim Hurtubise.jpg|125px|thumb|right|[[Jim Hurtubise]]]]
After blowing five engines during the month, [[Gordon Johncock]] finally put a car in the field. His speed of 188.511&nbsp;mph would be the fastest of the day (8th-fastest overall), and he qualified in 26th.

At 5 p.m., [[Salt Walther]] filled the field to 33 cars. [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]] (178.423&nbsp;mph) was now on the bubble. Dallenbach survived three attempts, but was eventually bumped by [[Cale Yarborough]] with a half-hour remaining. Yarborough (178.864&nbsp;mph) beat Dallenbach's time by a mere 0.50 seconds, however, Yarborough himself was now on the bubble. An agonizing final 25 minutes saw six drivers try to bump him out. One by one, they each fell short. Seconds before the 6 o'clock gun, [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]] got in a back-up car for one last chance. His first two laps were just shy of bumping in, and on his third lap, the car began smoking. He was forced to pull into the pits and wave off the run. The field was set with Yarborough holding on to make the field. All 33 cars in the field qualified faster than the pole car from the previous year.

As the attention on the track was focusing on Cale Yarborough, [[Jim Hurtubise]] wheeled his Gohr Distributing-sponsored Mallard roadster in the qualifying line shortly before the closing deadline of 6 p.m. Gohr Distributing was a Buffalo-area [[Beer distribution in America|beer distributor]] for various brands of beer, and they promoted the [[Miller Brewing Company|Miller High Life]] brand on the car.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/Hamberg%20NY%20Photo%20News/Hamberg%20NY%20Photo%20News%20Misc%20Issues/Hamberg%20NY%20Photo%20News%20Misc%20Issues%20-%200723.pdf|title=Hurtubise's Indianapolis Car|publisher=Hamburg NY Photo News|access-date=2013-11-06}}</ref> Since Hurtubise had already qualified himself, when asked why he was putting the car in line, he claimed he 'might put someone else in it,'<ref name="toga2007">''[[Donald Davidson (historian)|The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' – [[WIBC (FM)|1070-AM WIBC]], May 19, 2007</ref> a practice that was commonplace at the time. Hurtubise had become known for last-minute (unsuccessful) qualifying efforts in his obsolete front-engined roadster, usually to the delight of fans, but sometimes drawing the ire of others.<ref>''[[Donald Davidson (historian)|The Talk of Gasoline Alley]]'' – [[WIBC (FM)|1070-AM WIBC]], May 17, 2003</ref> Time expired before the Mallard got anywhere near the front of the line. In fact, Hurtubise purposely queued the car late on purpose so it would not make it to the front. The engine cover was then removed to reveal that car had no engine.<ref name="Star05-22-1972">{{cite news|title=Pit Pass|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6270190/1972_indianapolis_500_jim_hurtubise/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=33|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 22, 1972|access-date=August 17, 2016}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="News05-26-1972pg33">{{cite news|title=Popular Non-Winner 'Herk' Eyes Title|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28332480/|newspaper=The Indianapolis News|page=33|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 26, 1972|access-date=February 12, 2019}}{{Open access}}</ref> Instead it had a plastic-lined trough filled with ice and a number of chilled bottles of his sponsor's product, which he shared with the other pit crews and race officials.<ref name=SI>{{cite web|url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093654/index.htm |title=The Ghost Of Indy's Past |access-date=2008-07-14 |author=Chapin, Kim |date=1978-05-15 |publisher=[[Sports Illustrated]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829180030/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093654/index.htm |archive-date=2008-08-29 }}</ref> Most in attendance found the gesture to be humorous, however, some officials were not amused. Some were even becoming skeptical before he opened the cover, as already melting ice was leaving a trail of water visible on the pit lane beneath the car. It would be the first of several run-ins Hurtubise would have with USAC officials. This type of stall tactic infuriated officials, which made further rule changes to prevent this ruse. (In modern times, alcohol is prohibited in the pit area owing to WADA Code that prohibits alcohol among participants in motorsport events.) As a result, cars are now subject to cursory inspection, even before arriving at the official technical inspection area, and must obtain a sticker from officials to notify officials the car has been approved before entering the qualifying line.

===Carburetion Day===
During practice on May 16, [[Art Pollard]] wrecked his qualified car. The team was forced to replace it with a back-up car. Pollard, however, suffered a fractured leg, and was out for the remainder of the month. The team hired [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]] (who had been bumped) to drive as a substitute. For race day, the car was moved to the 33rd starting position due to the car/driver change.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nmUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w9QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3708,2708593&dq=carburetion+day&hl=en
|title=Final chance to map battle plans at Indy|publisher=The Southeastern Missourian|date=1972-05-19|access-date=2013-11-06}}</ref>

The final practice session was scheduled for Wednesday May 24 from 1-4 p.m.  [[Gordon Johncock]] (186.4&nbsp;mph) was the fastest car of the day. No accidents were reported, and two drivers ([[John Mahler]] and [[Carl Williams (racing driver)|Carl Williams]]) skipped the session altogether.

====Electro-PACER Light System / Rule changes====
The Carburetion Day practice session was expanded to allow the drivers more opportunity to practice under the new Electro-PACER Light system. The new devices were installed around the track to facilitate enforcement of the caution periods.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ydJSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QH8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7055,6653627&dq=carburetion+day&hl=en
|title=Indy Drivers Eye Saturday Assault|publisher=The Deseret News|date=1972-05-25|access-date=2013-11-06}}</ref><ref name="Heat">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wWQtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lIkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=597,3737203&q=pacer+light+indianapolis&hl=en|title=Heat May Complicate Indianapolis 500|publisher=Schenectady Gazette|date=1972-05-27|access-date=2013-11-06}}</ref> At the time, the [[Safety car|pace car]] was not utilized during caution periods, nor did the field pack up under yellow.

The PACER system featured a series of eight message panels situated around the track at equal intervals. They were programmed to enforce an 80&nbsp;mph speed limit during caution periods. Drivers were instructed to hold their position under yellow, and each message board around the track would display a number from 1 to 9, illustrating the gap between themselves and the car in front of him. The goal and the requirement was to keep the numbers consistent at all of the boards around the entire circuit. For instance, if a driver saw a "7" on the first board he encountered, he was to drive at such a speed that would display a "7" at all of the boards around the circuit for the remainder of the caution period. If he saw a "6" on the next board, it indicated that he was going too fast, and he would have to slow down a bit. If it displayed an "8" on the next board, that meant he was driving too slow, and needed to speed up slightly.<ref name="Heat" /> In addition to the digits, three small indicator lights were added on the top of each board - each representing a {{frac|1|4}} fraction of a digit - to allow for "fine tuning" of the gaps. Officials were stationed around the track to observe and issue penalties for violating the PACER system, which could mean a one-lap penalty for repeated abuse.

The Electro-PACER Light system would be used at Indianapolis from 1972 through 1978. Despite its seemingly simple format and instructions, it would be the source of ire and controversy during the years that it was used. Some drivers discovered and exploited loopholes in the system, and officials would find it more difficult to police than they expected. The PACER system would be a primitive precursor to later systems such as the [[Safety car#Virtual safety car (VSC)|Virtual Safety Car]] and [[2014 24 Hours of Le Mans#Circuit and regulation changes|"Slow Zones"]] introduced in the 2010s in [[Formula One]] and at [[24 Hours of Le Mans|Le Mans]], respectively. In the end, the drivers themselves lobbied for the pack-up rule during caution periods, and it was finally adopted in 1979.

One additional rule change for 1972 involved the mandatory pit stops. A minimum of four pit stops (fuel hookup required) was required for 1972. The change was up from two pit stops in 1965–1967, and up from three in 1968–1971. Individual tire changes were still optional, but the rapidly increasing speeds from 1972 on would generate greater tire wear. As a result, tire changes became increasingly necessary and more common. Several drivers won the race in the 1960s without changing any tires, but no longer would that be practical nor feasible.

==Starting grid==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
!Row
!colspan=2 width="195"|Inside
!colspan=2 width="195"|Middle
!colspan=2 width="195"|Outside
|-
! 1
|align="center" width="20"|6
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Unser]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|12
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Peter Revson]]
|align="center" width="20"|66
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mark Donohue]]
|-
! 2
|align="center" width="20"|7
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Gary Bettenhausen]]
|align="center" width="20"|9
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mario Andretti]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Joe Leonard]]
|-
! 3
|align="center" width="20"|34
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Posey]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|18
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny Rutherford]]
|align="center" width="20"|42
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Swede Savage]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|-
! 4
|align="center" width="20"|15
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Krisiloff]]
|align="center" width="20"|5
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lloyd Ruby]]
|align="center" width="20"| 23
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mel Kenyon]]
|-
! 5
|align="center" width="20"|56
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Hurtubise]]
|align="center" width="20"|89
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Martin (American racing driver)|John Martin]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|48
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Grant]]
|-
! 6
|align="center" width="20"|98
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mike Mosley]]
|align="center" width="20"|2
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[A. J. Foyt]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|3
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Vukovich II]]
|-
! 7
|align="center" width="20"|4
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Al Unser]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|14
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Roger McCluskey]]
|align="center" width="20"|84
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[George Snider]]
|-
! 8
|align="center" width="20"|95
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Carl Williams (racing driver)|Carl Williams]]
|align="center" width="20"|44
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dick Simon]]
|align="center" width="20"|52
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sammy Sessions]]
|-
! 9
|align="center" width="20"|60
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mike Hiss]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|24
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Gordon Johncock]]
|align="center" width="20"|33
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Salt Walther]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|-
! 10
|align="center" width="20"|17
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Denny Zimmerman]]
|align="center" width="20"|31
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Mahler]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|37
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Lee Kunzman]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|-
! 11
|align="center" width="20"|11
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Caruthers]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|align="center" width="20"|21
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Cale Yarborough]]
|align="center" width="20"|40
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.]]
|-
|}

{{legend|orange|text=R|Indianapolis 500 rookie|border=solid 1px darkgray}}
{{legend|gold|text=W|Indianapolis 500 winner|border=solid 1px darkgray}}

===Alternates===
*First alternate: [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]] (#10, #73)

===Failed to qualify===
{{div col|colwidth=28em}}
*[[Merle Bettenhausen]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#35)'''
*[[Tom Bigelow]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#70)'''
*[[Lee Brayton]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#61)'''
*[[Larry Dickson]] (#19)
*[[George Eaton (racing driver)|George Eaton]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#25) – Failed rookie test'''
*[[Bob Harkey]] (#20, #99)
*[[David Hobbs (racing driver)|David Hobbs]] (#83) – Did not arrive
*[[Parnelli Jones]] {{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}} (#49) – Did not arrive
*[[Jerry Karl]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#4, #16, #58, #99)'''
*[[Arnie Knepper]] (#90)
*[[Al Loquasto]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#43)'''
*[[Jim Malloy]] (#16) – Fatal accident
*[[Jim McElreath]] (#73)
*[[Rick Muther]] (#38)
*[[Art Pollard]] (#40) – Withdrew, injured
*[[Bill Puterbaugh]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#91)'''
*[[Bill Simpson (racing driver)|Bill Simpson]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#28)'''
*[[Jigger Sirois]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' (#20, #50, #91, #97)'''
*[[Bud Tingelstad]] (#33)
*[[Bruce Walkup]] (#97)
*[[Bentley Warren]] (#36)<ref>{{cite web|title=1972 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/races/197203.htm|publisher=ChampCarStats.com|access-date=27 June 2015}}</ref>
{{div col end}}


==Race summary==
[[File:Jim Nabors USMC-010809-M-9466S-159.jpg|thumb|[[Jim Nabors]] performed during the pre-race ceremonies for the first time in 1972.]]

===Pre-race ceremonies — Jim Nabors===
On race morning, track president [[Tony Hulman]] was reportedly chatting with [[William F. Harrah]], owner of [[Harrah's Las Vegas|Harrah's casino]]. [[Jim Nabors]] was accompanying Harrah as a guest at the race. Hulman recognized Nabors, and asked him if he wanted to 'sing the song' during the pre-race ceremonies. Believing that Hulman was talking about "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]", Nabors agreed, and walked over to arrange with the [[Purdue All-American Marching Band|Purdue Band]]. Nabors asked the band leader what [[Key (music)|key]] they were going to play, and it was not until that moment that he was informed he was going to be singing "[[Back Home Again in Indiana]]". A surprised Nabors quickly jotted the lyrics down on a sheet of paper, climbed up on a ladder, and performed the song unrehearsed. Although some contemporary accounts vary,<ref name="Star05-20-1972pg1">{{cite news|title=Jim Nabors To Sing 'Home In Indiana'|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10375799/|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 20, 1972|access-date=April 19, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=33 Drivers Can Win At Indy, Says Cale|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10375724/|first=Jim|last=Warters|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|page=30|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 27, 1972|access-date=April 19, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref> it was nevertheless the beginning of a 36-year [[Indianapolis 500 traditions|tradition]] that would see Nabors perform the song at Indianapolis nearly every year through [[2014 Indianapolis 500|2014]].

===Start===
[[Tony Hulman]] gave the command to start engines, and the field began to pull away for two pace laps. After the pace car crash a year earlier, the veteran driver [[Jim Rathmann (race car driver)|Jim Rathmann]] was assigned the [[Indianapolis 500 pace cars|pace car]] driving duties. The passengers in the [[Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds|Hurst/Olds]] pace car included [[Tony Hulman]], astronaut [[Pete Conrad]], [[Chris Schenkel]] of ABC Sports, Bob Draper ([[Hurst Performance|Hurst]]), and Dolly Cole (wife of [[General Motors|GM]] executive [[Ed Cole]]), believed to be the first woman ever to ride in the pace car.

As the field pushed off from the starting grid, [[A. J. Foyt]]'s car stalled and failed to pull away. His crew hurriedly wheeled the car to the south end of the pit, and tried to figure out what was wrong with the machine. With the rest of the field gone, Foyt was possibly out of the race before the green flag. As the field was coming out of turn four, the starter held up one finger, indicating that the pace car should take the field on a second pace lap. However, at that moment the crew got Foyt's car running, and quickly pushed him away. The starter waved the pace car off the track and abruptly dropped the green flag, catching many drivers in the wrong gear to go racing and making for a ragged start.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vHJQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9RAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1225,4315790&dq=jim+hurtubise&hl=en|title=Foyt Says Indy Officials 'Too Old'|publisher=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=1972-06-14|access-date=2013-11-06}}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> With Foyt slowly coming up to speed on the apron, the field blasted by him into turn one. Just as the race went green, rookie [[Salt Walther]] dropped out from a parts failure.

===First half===
[[Bobby Unser]] grabbed the lead in the first turn, and led the first 30 laps. Unser set a blistering pace with [[Mark Donohue]] and [[Jerry Grant]] running close behind. On lap 31, Bobby Unser slowed and headed to the pits with a broken [[Distributor|ignition rotor]]. Unser was out of the race, and [[Gary Bettenhausen]] took the lead.

[[A. J. Foyt]] was forced to play catch-up from the onset, but was running fast laps in the 180&nbsp;mph range. His day was short, however, as he blew the turbocharger. After several lengthy pit stops, Foyt dropped out of the race. Among the early outs were [[Peter Revson]] (started 2nd) and [[Johnny Rutherford]] (started 8th). During a pit stop around lap 42, [[Jerry Grant]] and [[Mark Donohue]] battled side-by-side as they exited their stalls, and Donohue nearly crashed into the scoring pylon. Meanwhile, a fire broke out in the pit area of [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]], but he was able to continue.

[[Mike Mosley]] took the lead on lap 54. Two laps later, he lost a wheel and crashed into the outside wall in turn four. The impact ruptured the fuel tank, and the car caught fire as it slid down the mainstretch. Mosley unbuckled before the car came to a rest and jumped from the car trying to put out the flames. Mosley suffered burns but was not seriously injured. It was the second year in a row Mosley wrecked out in the fourth turn.

On lap 81, for the second time, [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]] had a fire in the pits.

At the halfway point, 13 cars were out of the race. [[Gary Bettenhausen]] continued to dominate the race, and led at the halfway point. After completing 94 laps, [[Jim Hurtubise]] ran out of fuel in turn two. When the safety truck went to tow him back to the pits, they proceeded to tow him through the infield and the garage area gate rather than directly around the track back to his pit stall.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ag9RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BsQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3939,3133302&dq=hurtubise&hl=en|title=Hurtubise added to disgruntled list|publisher=The Telegraph-Herald|date=1972-06-01|access-date=2013-11-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WLoqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kmYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1259,5490906&dq=jim+hurtubise&hl=en|title=Donohue Official Winner; Grant Dropped To 12th|publisher=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=1972-05-29|access-date=2013-11-06}}</ref> He refueled and rejoined the race, but was subsequently disqualified for leaving the race track.<ref name="toga2007"/> Some feel it was a "payback" gesture by USAC for Hurtubise's antics on bump day regarding his 'beer engine.'<ref name="toga2007"/>

===Second half===
[[Gary Bettenhausen]] continued to lead, pushing record speeds. Attrition began to take its toll on the field. By the 400-mile mark, eighteen cars were out of the race.

Lee Kunzman lost a wheel in turn two, bringing out a yellow light on the leader's lap 147.

[[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]] had his third fire in the pits on lap 151. The final round of scheduled pit stops occurred for the leaders around laps 160-165. Bettenhausen pitted first on lap 162, briefly giving the lead over to Jerry Grant. When Grant pitted four laps later, his long pit stop relinquished the lead back to Bettenhausen. Grant himself later theorized that, because he was running a high line to improve his Eagle-Offy's handling, he might have picked up debris that caused a puncture of his right-front tire.

The yellow light came on with about 27 laps to go for debris on the backstretch. When the green light came back on, [[Gary Bettenhausen]]'s car seemed to hesitate. With 25 laps to go, Bettenhausen suddenly started slowing in the north end of the track. After leading 138 laps, his car quit with ignition trouble. Bettenhausen later reported that the car had also suffered a pinhole puncture in the radiator earlier in the race. Slowly losing water, the engine temperature stayed in a mostly safe range while at racing speed, but during the yellow caution period, it overheated. He limped around very slowly for a handful of laps, then parked the car in the pits for a 14th place finish.

[[Jerry Grant]] blasted by to take the lead, and Bettenhausen's Penske teammate [[Mark Donohue]] was now promoted to second place.

===Finish===
With 13 laps to go, [[Jerry Grant]] led [[Mark Donohue]] and [[Al Unser|Al Unser Sr.]] Grant was forced to make a pit stop on lap 188 to change a bad tire. Grant entered the pit area, but he overshot his own pit stall and instead pulled into the pit box of his teammate [[Bobby Unser]] (Unser was already out of the race). Grant's crew carried their equipment to Unser's pit box and serviced Grant's right front tire. In the confusion, Unser's crew refueled Grant's car with fuel from Unser's pitside tank. By the time Grant went back out on the race track, he had lost the lead.

With Grant's unscheduled pit stop, [[Mark Donohue]] took the lead on lap 188. Grant dropped to second place on the track. Donohue had about a one-lap lead over Grant, and third place Al Unser was two laps down. [[Mike Hiss]] spun in the south shortchute between turns 1 and 2 on lap 194, but did not hit the wall. Hiss continued, and the yellow light was on for less than one minute. The green flag came back out with five laps to go.

Donohue led the final 13 laps, and scored his first Indy 500 victory, and the first Indy victory for car owner [[Roger Penske]]. Per the rules of the time, the remainder of the field was permitted to continue racing for about five minutes after Donohue took the checkered flag. During that time, [[Sam Posey]] and [[Mario Andretti]] made pit stops, with Posey taking on fuel and returning to the track to finish 5th. Andretti was out of fuel, and dropped from 5th to 8th in the final standings.

In the immediate aftermath of the finish, USAC official [[Frank Delroy]] announced there would be no penalty for Grant pitting in the wrong stall. The initial ruling was that no fuel actually flowed into the tank. However, the decision would be further investigated during the evening, and a final ruling would be made when official results posted at 8:00&nbsp;a.m. the next morning.

==Post race==

===Jerry Grant penalty===
The morning after the race, [[United States Auto Club|USAC]] officials penalized [[Jerry Grant]] for taking fuel from [[Bobby Unser]]'s pit tank. They disqualified him from that point on, and erased the final 12 laps from his tally. He was officially scored as out of the race with 188 laps completed. The penalty elevated [[Al Unser|Al Unser Sr.]] to second place, and dropped Grant to 12th finishing position.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tire Change Costs Grant A Victory|newspaper=The Pittsburgh Press|date=1972-05-28|author=UPI|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gocqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P1oEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6063,4712833&dq=jerry-grant&hl=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Race Penalty Against Jerry Grant Upheld |newspaper=Schenectady Gazette |date=1972-05-08|author=AP|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bmctAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cokFAAAAIBAJ&dq=jerry-grant&pg=3973%2C2057416}}</ref> According to the rules, each car was allotted a strict limit of only 250 gallons of [[methanol]] in their pit-side tank (not including the fuel in the car at the start of the race) to complete the full 500 miles.

The details of the pit snafu were never fully explained, and remains a topic of discussion among historians and fans. The team maintained that fueling the car was an unintentional mistake, however, others felt otherwise. It has been reported by some witnesses that Grant was directed into Unser's pit stall by the crew, while others believe Grant simply overshot his own stall.<ref name="name">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/25/sports/autoracing/jerry-grant-racecar-driver-who-broke-speed-barrier-dies-at-77.html?_r=0 |title=Jerry Grant, Racecar Driver Who Broke Speed Barrier, Dies at 77|work=The New York Times|first=Daniel|last=Slotnik|date=2012-08-24|access-date=2013-10-07}}</ref> Several possible theories emerged, with one prevailing opinion suggesting that Grant's car was out of fuel, and his pit-side tank was also empty, due to him running high turbocharger boost during the race. Grant supposedly needed a splash of fuel to make it to the finish, and since Bobby Unser dropped out early, his pit-side tank was still mostly full. It was thought that Grant deliberately stopped in Unser's pit, aware of the predicament, and knowing Unser's tank would fill his car sufficiently and [[Hydraulic head|quicker]]. Another claim was made to Grant's defense that while the fuel hose was admittedly hooked up, no fuel actually flowed into the car. This claim was quickly dismissed. Grant maintained later in life the infraction was unintentional, maintained his innocence, and felt the penalty was unjust.

===Post-race notes===
Mark Donohue won the race leading only the final 13 laps, the third-lowest total in Indy history to that point ([[Joe Dawson (racing driver)|Joe Dawson]] led two laps in [[1912 Indianapolis 500|1912]], and [[Graham Hill]] led ten laps in [[1966 Indianapolis 500|1966]]). The race was slowed five times for cautions for only 20 minutes. Donohue's average speed of 162.962&nbsp;mph set a new race record that would last until [[1984 Indianapolis 500|1984]].

Vanguard Racing (of which [[Leonard W. Miller]] was involved), became the first [[African American]]-owned team to enter a car in the Indy 500. [[John Mahler]] (who was white) served as the driver. He dropped out after 99 laps with a broken piston.

==Box score==
{| class="wikitable"
!Finish
!Start
!No
!Name
!Chassis
!Engine
!Tire
!Qual
!Laps
!Time/Retired
|-
!1
|3
|66
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mark Donohue]]
|[[McLaren M16]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|191.408
|200
|3:04:05.54<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/105782140/|title=Official '500' Finish|date=May 29, 1972|work=The Indianapolis Star|access-date=2017-07-22|page=35|language=en|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
|-
!2
|19
|4
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Al Unser]] '''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}'''
|[[Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing|Parnelli]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|183.617
|200
| +3:10.95
|-
!3
|6
|1
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Joe Leonard]]
|[[Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing|Parnelli]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|185.223
|200
| +4:12.07
|-
!4
|24
|52
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Sammy Sessions]]
|[[Lola Cars|Lola]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Ford]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|180.415
|200
| +5:17.34
|-
!5
|7
|34
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Posey]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|184.379
|198
|Flagged (-2 laps)
|-
!6
|11
|5
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lloyd Ruby]]
|Atlanta
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|181.415
|196
|Flagged (-4 laps)
|-
!7
|25
|60
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mike Hiss]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|179.015
|196
|Flagged (-4 laps)
|-
!8
|5
|9
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mario Andretti]] '''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}'''
|[[Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing|Parnelli]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|187.617
|194
|Out of Fuel
|-
!9
|31
|11
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jimmy Caruthers]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|Scorpion
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|178.909
|194
|Flagged (-6 laps)
|-
!10
|32
|21
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Cale Yarborough]]
|Atlanta
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|178.864
|193
|Flagged (-7 laps)
|-
!11
|21
|84
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[George Snider]]
|[[Coyote (chassis)|Coyote]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|181.855
|190
|Flagged (-10 laps)
|-
!12
|15
|48
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry Grant]]
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|189.294
|188
|Penalized
|-
!13
|23
|44
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Dick Simon]]
|[[Lola Cars|Lola]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|180.424
|186
|Out of Fuel
|-
!14
|4
|7
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Gary Bettenhausen]]
|[[McLaren M16]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|188.877
|182
|Ignition
|-
!15
|33
|40
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.]]
|[[Lola Cars|Lola]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|181.626
|182
|Flagged (-18 laps)
|-
!16
|14
|89
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[John Martin (American racing driver)|John Martin]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[Brabham]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|179.614
|161
|Fuel Leak
|-
!17
|30
|37
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lee Kunzman]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|Gerhardt
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|179.265
|131
|Lost Tire
|-
!18
|12
|23
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mel Kenyon]]
|[[Coyote (chassis)|Coyote]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|181.388
|126
|Fuel Injection
|-
!19
|28
|17
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Denny Zimmerman]]
|[[McLaren M16]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|180.027
|116
|Ignition Rotor
|-
!20
|26
|24
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Gordon Johncock]]
|[[McLaren M16]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|188.511
|113
|Exhaust Valve
|-
!21
|10
|15
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Krisiloff]]
|Kingfish
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|181.433
|102
|Ignition Rotor
|-
!22
|29
|31
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[John Mahler]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[McLaren M16]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|179.497
|99
|Piston
|-
!23
|13
|56
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Hurtubise]]
|[[Coyote (chassis)|Coyote]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|181.050
|94
|Penalized
|-
!24
|20
|14
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Roger McCluskey]]
|Antares
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|182.686
|92
|Valve
|-
!25
|17
|2
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[A. J. Foyt]] '''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}'''
|[[Coyote (chassis)|Coyote]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|188.996
|60
|Turbocharger
|-
!26
|16
|98
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mike Mosley]]
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|189.145
|56
|Crash T4
|-
!27
|8
|18
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Johnny Rutherford]]
|[[Brabham]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|183.234
|55
|Rod
|-
!28
|18
|3
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Bill Vukovich II]]
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|184.814
|54
|Rear End
|-
!29
|22
|95
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Carl Williams (driver)|Carl Williams]]
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|180.469
|52
|Oil Cooler
|-
!30
|1
|6
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Bobby Unser]] '''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}'''
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|195.940
|31
|Ignition Rotor
|-
!31
|2
|12
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Peter Revson]]
|[[McLaren M16]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|192.885
|23
|Gearbox
|-
!32
|9
|42
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Swede Savage]] '''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}'''
|[[All American Racers|Eagle]]
|[[Offenhauser]]
|align=center|{{Goodyear}}
|181.726
|5
|Rod
|-
!33
|27
|33
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Salt Walther]] {{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}
|[[Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing|Colt]]
|[[Ford Indy V8 engine|Foyt V-8]]
|align=center|{{Firestone}}
|180.542
|0
|Magneto
|}

'''{{Color box|gold|W|border=silver}}''' Former Indianapolis 500 winner

'''{{Color box|orange|R|border=silver}}''' Indianapolis 500 Rookie

*[[Jerry Grant]] completed 200 laps and unofficially placed 2nd. After the race, he was penalized for pitting in Bobby Unser's pit on lap 188, and all subsequent laps were disallowed.
*[[Jim Hurtubise]] completed 171 and unofficially placed 16th. After the race, he was penalized for being towed through the infield on lap 94, and all subsequent laps were disallowed. Car owner Dick Sommers filed a protest, but it was denied.

===Race statistics===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Lap Leaders
|-
! Laps
! Leader
|-
|1–30 || [[Bobby Unser]]
|-
|31–53 || [[Gary Bettenhausen]]
|-
|54–56 || [[Mike Mosley]]
|-
|57–161 || [[Gary Bettenhausen]]
|-
|162–165 || [[Jerry Grant]]
|-
|166–175 || [[Gary Bettenhausen]]
|-
|176–187 || [[Jerry Grant]]
|-
|188–200 || [[Mark Donohue]]
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Total laps led
|-
! Driver
! Laps
|-
|[[Gary Bettenhausen]] || 138
|-
|[[Bobby Unser]] || 30
|-
|[[Jerry Grant]] || 16
|-
|[[Mark Donohue]] || 13
|-
|[[Mike Mosley]] || 3
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|PACER Yellow Light Periods<ref name="News05-29-1972pg23">{{cite news|title=Yellow Lights|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1972-indy-500-yell/153702481/|newspaper=[[Indianapolis News]]|page=23|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 29, 1972|access-date=August 20, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref>
|-
!colspan=2|5 for 14 laps (20 minutes, 36 seconds)
|-
! Laps<nowiki>*</nowiki>
! Reason
|-
| 30–31 || Debris in turn 1 (<1 minute)
|-
| 56–61 || Mike Mosley crash in turn 4 (10 minutes)
|-
| 145–150 || Lee Kunzman lost wheel in turn 2 (6 minutes)
|-
| 172–175 || Debris on backstretch (3 minutes)
|-
| 193–195 || Mike Hiss spun in southchute (1 minute)
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|<nowiki>*</nowiki> – ''<small>Approximate lap counts</small>''
|}
{{col-end}}

{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|[[Tire]] participation chart<ref name="Star05-27-1972pg1">{{cite news|title=Scorecard For The 1972 500-Mile Race|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1972-indy-500-scor/153142159/|newspaper=[[The Indianapolis Star]]|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 27, 1972|access-date=August 12, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="News05-26-1972pg23">{{cite news|title=500 Row-By-Row|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1972-indy-500-line/153142252/|newspaper=[[Indianapolis News]]|page=23|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 26, 1972|access-date=August 12, 2024}}{{Open access}}</ref>
|-
!Supplier
!No. of starters
|-
|align="center" style="background:blue;"|'''[[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|<span style="color:yellow;">Goodyear</span>]]''' ||align="center"| '''18'''<nowiki>*</nowiki>
|-
|align="center" style="background:red;"|'''[[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|<span style="color:white;">Firestone</span>]]''' ||align="center"| '''15'''&nbsp;
|-
|colspan=2 align=center|<nowiki>*</nowiki> - ''<small>Denotes race winner</small>''
|}

==Qualifying chronology==
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! Att<br />#
! Time
! Qual<br />Day
! Car<br />#
! Driver<br />Name
! Laps
! Qual<br />Time
! Qual<br />Speed
! Rank
! Start
! Comment
|- align="center"
! colspan=11 | Saturday, May 13, 1972
|-
! 1
| 17:50
| 1
| 17
| [[Denny Zimmerman]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 2
| 17:53
| 1
| 14
| [[Roger McCluskey]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 3
| 17:57
| 1
| 2
| [[A. J. Foyt]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| blown engine
|- align="center"
! colspan=11 | Sunday May 14, 1972
|-
! 4
| 14:38
| 1
| 4
| [[Al Unser]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| blown engine
|-
! 5
| 14:46
| 1
| 3
| [[Billy Vukovich II]]
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
| accident
|-
! 6
| 15:08
| 1
| 98
| [[Mike Mosley]]
| 3
| —
| —
| —
| —
| pulled off
|-
! 7
| 16:14
| 1
| 1
| [[Joe Leonard]]
| 4
|  3:14.36
| 185.223
| 10
| 6
| &nbsp;
|-
! 8
| 16:19
| 1
| 9
| [[Mario Andretti]]
| 4
|  3:11.88
| 187.617
| 9
| 5
| &nbsp;
|-
! 9
| 16:25
| 1
| 18
| [[Johnny Rutherford]]
| 4
|  3:16.47
| 183.234
| 14
| 8
| &nbsp;
|-
! 10
| 16:31
| 1
| 44
| [[Dick Simon]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 11
| 16:36
| 1
| 52
| [[Sam Sessions]]
| 3
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 12
| 16:43
| 1
| 7
| [[Gary Bettenhausen]]
| 4
|  3:10.60
| 188.877
| 6
| 4
| &nbsp;
|-
! 13
| 16:49
| 1
| 6
| [[Bobby Unser]]
| 4
|  3:03.73
| 195.940
| 1
| 1
| &nbsp;
|-
! 14
| 16:56
| 1
| 34
| [[Sam Posey]]
| 4
|  3:15.25
| 184.379
| 12
| 7
| &nbsp;
|-
! 15
| 17:01
| 1
| 72
| [[Mike Hiss]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 16
| 17:05
| 1
| 40
| [[Art Pollard]]
| 4
|  3:18.21
| 181.626
| 18
| 33
| driver injured; replaced by Wally Dallenbach
|-
! 17
| 17:19
| 1
| 5
| [[Lloyd Ruby]]
| 4
|  3:18.44
| 181.415
| 20
| 11
| &nbsp;
|-
! 18
| 17:24
| 1
| 95
| [[Carl Williams (racing driver)|Carl Williams]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 19
| 17:27
| 1
| 21
| [[Cale Yarborough]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 20
| 17:31
| 1
| 10
| [[Wally Dallenbach Sr.|Wally Dallenbach]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| flagged off
|-
! 21
| 17:40
| 1
| 10
| Wally Dallenbach
| 4
| 3:21.77
| 178.421
| —
| —
| bumped by #21
|-
! 22
| 17:46
| 1
| 42
| [[Swede Savage]]
| 4
|  3:18.10
| 181.726
| 17
| 9
| &nbsp;
|-
! 23
| 17:55
| 1
| 89
| [[John Martin (American racing driver)|John Martin]]
| 4
| 3:20.43
| 179.614
| 28
| 14
| &nbsp;
|-
! 24
| 17:59
| 1
| 56
| [[Jim Hurtubise]]
| 4
| 3:18.84
| 181.050
| 22
| 13
| &nbsp;
|- align="center"
! colspan=11 | Saturday May 20, 1972
|-
! 25
| 11:02
| 1
| 15
| [[Steve Krisiloff]]
| 4
| 3:18.42
| 181.433
| 19
| 10
| &nbsp;
|-
! 26
| 11:07
| 1
| 23
| [[Mel Kenyon]]
| 4
| 3:18.47
| 181.388
| 21
| 12
| &nbsp;
|-
! 27
| 11:13
| 1
| 66
| [[Mark Donohue]]
| 4
| 3:08.08
| 191.408
| 3
| 3
| &nbsp;
|-
! 28
| 11:22
| 1
| 58
| [[Jerry Karl]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 29
| 11:23
| 1
| 12
| [[Peter Revson]]
| 4
| 3:06.64
| 192.885
| 2
| 2
| &nbsp;
|-
! 30
| 11:30
| 3
| 2
| [[A. J. Foyt]]
| 4
| 3:10.48
| 188.996
| 5
| 16
| &nbsp;
|-
! 31
| 11:36
| 3
| 14
| [[Roger McCluskey]]
| 4
| 3:17.06
| 182.685
| 15
| 20
| &nbsp;
|-
! 32
| 11:43
| 3
| 4
| Al Unser
| 4
| 3:16.06
| 183.617
| 13
| 19
| &nbsp;
|-
! 33
| 11:49
| 3
| 84
| [[George Snider]]
| 4
| 3:17.96
| 181.855
| 16
| 21
| &nbsp;
|-
! 34
| 11:55
| 3
| 52
| Sam Sessions
| 4
| 3:19.54
| 180.415
| 26
| 24
| &nbsp;
|-
! 35
| 12:02
| 3
| 95
| Carl Williams
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
| waved off
|-
! 36
| 12:08
| 3
| 31
| [[John Mahler]]
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| blown engine
|-
! 37
| 12:13
| 3
| 98
| Mike Mosley
| 4
| 3:10.63
| 188.848
| 7
| 17
| &nbsp;
|-
! 38
| 12:20
| 3
| 3
| Billy Vukovich II
| 4
| 3:14.79
| 184.814
| 11
| 18
| &nbsp;
|-
! 39
| 12:28
| 3
| 48
| [[Jerry Grant]]
| 4
| 3:10.18
| 189.294
| 4
| 15
| &nbsp;
|-
! 40
| 12:41
| 3
| 24
| [[Gordon Johncock]]
| 3
| —
| —
| —
| —
| pulled off
|-
! 41
| 12:57
| 3
| 60
| Mike Hiss
| 4
| 3:21.10
| 179.015
| 31
| 25
| &nbsp;
|-
! 42
| 17:20
| 3
| 95
| Carl Williams
| 4
| 3:19.48
| 180.469
| 24
| 22
| &nbsp;
|-
! 43
| 17:52
| 3
| 44
| Dick Simon
| 4
| 3:19.53
| 180.424
| 25
| 23
| &nbsp;
|- align="center"
! colspan=11 | Sunday May 21, 1972
|-
! 44
| 12:02
| 3
| 24
| Gordon Johncock
| 4
| 3:10.97
| 188.511
| 8
| 26
| &nbsp;
|-
! 45
| 12:11
| 4
| 37
| [[Lee Kunzman]]
| 4
| 3:20.82
| 179.265
| 30
| 30
| &nbsp;
|-
! 46
| 12:17
| 4
| 11
| [[Jimmy Caruthers]]
| 4
| 3:21.23
| 178.900
| 32
| 31
| &nbsp;
|-
! 47
| 12:27
| 4
| 31
| [[John Mahler]]
| 4
| 3:20.56
| 179.497
| 29
| 29
| &nbsp;
|-
! 48
| 14:43
| 4
| 17
| Denny Zimmerman
| 4
| 3:19.77
| 180.207
| 27
| 28
| &nbsp;
|-
! 49
| 16:47
| 4
| 58
| Jerry Karl
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 50
| 16:53
| 4
| 21
| Cale Yarborough
| 3
| —
| —
| —
| —
| waved off
|-
! 51
| 16:56
| 4
| 33
| [[Salt Walther]]
| 4
| 3:19.40
| 180.542
| 23
| 27
| &nbsp;
|-
! 52
| 17:06
| 4
| 90
| [[Arnie Knepper]]
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
| blown engine
|-
! 53
| 17:20
| 4
| 19
| [[Larry Dickson]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 54
| 17:24
| 4
| 99
| Jerry Karl
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 55
| 17:29
| 3
| 21
| Cale Yarborough
| 4
| 3:21.27
| 178.864
| 33
| 32
| bumps #10
|-
! 56
| 17:34
| 4
| 16
| Jerry Karl
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 57
| 17:39
| 4
| 36
| [[Bentley Warren]]
| 3
| —
| —
| —
| —
| pulled off
|-
! 58
| 17:45
| 4
| 10
| Wally Dallenbach
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
| pulled off
|-
! 59
| 17:50
| 4
| 61
| [[Lee Brayton]]
| 1
| —
| —
| —
| —
| waved off
|-
! 60
| 17:53
| 4
| 97
| [[Jigger Sirois]]
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| &nbsp;
|-
! 61
| 18:00
| 4
| 10
| Wally Dallenbach
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| pulled off
|}

==Pace car==
The Pace Car was a 1972 Hurst/Olds convertible with a Hurst Performance modified 455 cubic inch W-30 engine built to pre-smog high compression 1970 specs. It was equipped with a TH-400 transmission and a "His and Hers"  Hurst Dual Gate shifter, plus a 3.42 rear axle ratio. An all aluminum W-27 differential cover was used for weight and cooling purposes. Mark Donohue was given the car for winning the race that day. About 629 of these cars were built for public consumption of which 130 were convertibles, 220 with sunroofs and the remaining 279 being hardtops. Almost all of these  Pace Car  replicas had the less powerful L-75 455 engine and 3.23 axle. A W-30 (L-77) could be ordered but only with 1972 specs netting 300HP with only 8.5 compression. All were painted Cameo white and carried unique 3M Firefrost Gold reflective fade out(pin dotted) laser stripes. In addition to this package, special Indy Pace Car decals with festival stickers could be ordered with  large H/O stickers adorning the quarter panels.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

==Broadcasting==

===Radio===
The race was carried live on the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network|IMS Radio Network]]. It was carried on over 1,200 affiliates, including [[shortwave]] transmission to [[Japan]], [[Vietnam]], the [[Arctic]] and [[Antarctic]]. The broadcast reached an estimated 100 million listeners worldwide. [[Sid Collins (broadcaster)|Sid Collins]] served as chief announcer and [[Len Sutton]] served as "driver expert"  for the seventh and final time. At the conclusion of the race, [[Lou Palmer (motorsport broadcaster)|Lou Palmer]] reported from victory lane.

[[Sid Collins (broadcaster)|Sid Collins]] celebrated his milestone [[Silver Jubilee|25th year]] as chief announcer. During the pre-race coverage, [[Governor of Indiana|Governor]] [[Edgar Whitcomb]] presented Collins with the Distinguished Hoosier Award, a recognition from [[American Forces Network]], and a personalized letter of recognition from [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon]]. [[List of mayors of Indianapolis|Indianapolis mayor]] [[Richard Lugar|Dick Lugar]] likewise presented Collins with a silver microphone and declared May 27, 1972, as "Sid Collins Day".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://indianajournalismhof.org/1979/01/sid-collins/ |title=Sid Collins, 1979 |publisher=Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame |access-date=2014-03-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420064528/http://indianajournalismhof.org/1979/01/sid-collins/ |archive-date=2014-04-20 }}</ref>

The entire on-air crew remained mostly consistent from 1966 to 1971. Bob Forbes was assigned as "wireless" microphone, covering the garages and roving reports. For 1972, the pre-race coverage expanded from 30 minutes to 45 minutes and came on-air at 10:15&nbsp;a.m. local time. Howdy Bell's vantage point in turn two (an observation spot against the outside of the retaining wall), would be the final time reporting from that location. Starting in 1973, the vantage point would move to the new VIP Suites.

Jim Shelton (born May 27, 1919<ref>[http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/heavens.html Rock Radio heaven]</ref>), who was reporting his 23rd race on the crew, was also celebrating his 53rd birthday.<ref>1972 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]]</ref><ref>[http://www.mocavo.com/James-Undercoffer-1919-1993-Social-Security-Death-Index/16268682979789430781 James S. Undercoffer (1919-1993)]</ref>
<!-- Bill Fletemyer and Bill Lamm were the scorers.."for 13 years" -->

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!colspan=3|[[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]] 
|-
!Booth Announcers!!Turn Reporters!![[Sideline reporter|Pit/garage reporters]]
|-
|valign="top"|
'''[[Play-by-play|Chief Announcer]]:''' [[Sid Collins (broadcaster)|Sid Collins]]<br />
'''Driver expert:''' [[Len Sutton]]<br />
'''[[Statistician]]:''' John DeCamp<br />
'''[[Historian]]:''' [[Donald Davidson (historian)|Donald Davidson]]<br />
|valign="top"|
'''Turn 1:''' Mike Ahern<br />    
'''Turn 2:''' Howdy Bell<br />
'''Backstretch:''' Doug Zink<br />
'''Turn 3:''' Ron Carrell<br />
'''Turn 4:''' Jim Shelton<br />
|align="center" valign="top"|Chuck Marlowe (north)<br />Luke Walton (center)<br />[[Lou Palmer (motorsport broadcaster)|Lou Palmer]] (south)<br />Bob Forbes (wireless/garages)
|}

===Television===
The race was carried in the United States on [[ESPN on ABC|ABC Sports]] on a [[Tape delay (broadcasting)|same-day tape delay]] basis. The race was held in the afternoon, and the broadcast aired in [[prime time]] later in the day. The two and a half hour broadcast was hosted by [[Chris Schenkel]]. [[Jim McKay]] and [[Jackie Stewart]] served as booth announcers. [[Chris Economaki]] was one of the pit reporters. [[Keith Jackson]] and [[Stu Nahan]] hosted a separate 30-minute trackside report before the ABC telecast that was available to some viewers on the west coast.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sports Today|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16087526/1972_indy_500_tv/|newspaper=Independent Press-Telegram|page=131|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|date=May 21, 1972|access-date=December 28, 2017}}{{Open access}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!colspan=2|[[ESPN on ABC|ABC]] [[List of Indianapolis 500 broadcasters|Television]]
|-
!Booth Announcers!![[Sideline reporter|Pit/garage reporters]]
|-
|valign="top"|
'''Host:''' [[Chris Schenkel]]<br />
'''[[Play-by-play|Announcer]]:''' [[Jim McKay]]<br />
'''[[Color commentator|Color]]:''' [[Jackie Stewart]]<br />
|align="center" valign="top"|[[Chris Economaki]]<br />
|}

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:1972 Hurst Olds Pace Car.jpg|1972 Hurst/Olds Pace Car.
File:1973RevsonIndyMcLaren.jpg|The McLaren M16C was driven by Peter Revson
File:1972 Olsonite Eagle - June 2022 - Sarah Stierch.jpg|Bobby Unser's Olsonite Eagle
File:Indy500winningcar1972.JPG|1972 winning car taking ceremonial laps in 2011
</gallery>

==Notes==
{{Commons category}}
===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Works cited===
*''1972 Indianapolis 500 Press Information - Daily Trackside Summary''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120427163136/https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/history/stats/ Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats] - Official Site
*1972 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network]]

===See also===
* [[1972 USAC Championship Car season]]

{{Indy 500 Walker
|Previous_race = 1971
|Previous_winner = [[Al Unser]]
|This_race = 1972
|This_winner = [[Mark Donohue]]
|Next_race = 1973
|Next_winner = [[Gordon Johncock]]
|Fastest_average_speed = 162.962
|Previous_fastest_average_speed = 157.735 {{nobold|mph<br>{{small|([[1971 Indianapolis 500]])}}}}
|Next_fastest_average_speed = 163.612 {{nobold|mph<br>{{small|([[1984 Indianapolis 500]])}}}}
}}
{{Indy 500}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}

[[Category:Indianapolis 500 races]]
[[Category:1972 in motorsport|Indianapolis 500]]
[[Category:1972 in sports in Indiana|Indianapolis 500]]
[[Category:1972 in American motorsport]]