The 1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 24th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 1st modern-era NASCAR Cup series season. The season began on Sunday January 23 and ended on Sunday November 12. Richard Petty won his second consecutive Winston Cup Championship and fourth overall. Larry Smith was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year.
This season is considered to be the first of NASCAR's "modern era". The number of races was reduced from 48 to 31, all dirt tracks were removed from the schedule, and a minimum race distance of 250 miles (402 km) was established for oval tracks. (The shortest scheduled race in the modern era was the 2021–2023 Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway of 133.25 miles, on dirt; the shortest Cup Series race since the rule change was the 1992 Watkins Glen race, which was 125.127 miles (51 laps) because of rain in an era before NASCAR began racing in rain.)
Exactly ten minutes from the Old Dominion 500 along with a flyover by the local military jets were used in the 1973 American film The Last American Hero. While Richard Petty and Bobby Allison got filmed most of the time, a moment involving Ray Hendrick's #2 vehicle crashing on lap 311 was also a notable event during the filming.
Schedule No. Race title Track Date 1 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California January 23 125 Mile Qualifying Races Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida February 17 2 Daytona 500 February 20 3 Richmond 500 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, Richmond, Virginia February 27 4 Miller High Life 500 Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California March 5 5 Carolina 500 North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina March 12 6 Atlanta 500 Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, Georgia March 26 7 Southeastern 500 Bristol International Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee April 9 8 Rebel 400 Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina April 16 9 Gwyn Staley 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina April 23 10 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia April 30 11 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway, Lincoln, Alabama May 7 12 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina May 28 13 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway, Dover, Delaware June 4 14 Motor State 400 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan June 11 15 Golden State 400 Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, California June 18 16 Lone Star 500 Texas World Speedway, College Station, Texas June 25 17 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida July 4 18 Volunteer 500 Bristol International Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee July 9 19 Northern 300 Trenton Speedway, Trenton, New Jersey July 16 20 Dixie 500 Atlanta International Raceway, Hampton, Georgia July 23 21 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway, Lincoln, Alabama August 6 22 Yankee 400 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan August 20 23 Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway, Nashville, Tennessee August 27 24 Southern 500 Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina September 4 25 Capital City 500 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway, Richmond, Virginia September 10 26 Delaware 500 Dover Downs International Speedway, Dover, Delaware September 17 27 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia September 24 28 Wilkes 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina October 1 29 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina October 8 30 American 500 North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina October 22 31 Texas 500 Texas World Speedway, College Station, Texas November 12
Season recap Date Event Circuit WinnerJanuary 23 Winston Western 500 Riverside International Raceway Richard PettyFebruary 20 Daytona 500 Daytona International Speedway A. J. FoytFebruary 27 Richmond 500 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Richard PettyMarch 5 Miller High Life 500 Ontario Motor Speedway A. J. FoytMarch 12 Carolina 500 North Carolina Speedway Bobby IsaacMarch 26 Atlanta 500 Atlanta International Raceway Bobby AllisonApril 9 Southeastern 500 Bristol International Speedway Bobby AllisonApril 16 Rebel 500 Darlington Raceway David PearsonApril 23 Gwyn Staley 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Richard PettyApril 30 Virginia 500 Martinsville Speedway Richard PettyMay 7 Winston 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway David PearsonMay 28 World 600 Charlotte Motor Speedway Buddy BakerJune 4 Mason-Dixon 500 Dover Downs International Speedway Bobby AllisonJune 11 Motor State 400 Michigan International Speedway David PearsonJune 18 Golden State 400 Riverside International Raceway Ray ElderJune 25 Lone Star 500 Texas World Speedway Richard PettyJuly 4 Firecracker 400 Daytona International Speedway David PearsonJuly 9 Volunteer 500 Bristol International Speedway Bobby AllisonJuly 16 Northern 300 Trenton Speedway Bobby AllisonJuly 23 Dixie 500 Atlanta International Raceway Bobby AllisonAugust 6 Talladega 500 Alabama International Motor Speedway James HyltonAugust 20 Yankee 400 Michigan International Speedway David PearsonAugust 27 Nashville 420 Nashville Speedway Bobby AllisonSeptember 4 Southern 500 Darlington Raceway Bobby AllisonSeptember 10 Capital City 500 Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway Richard PettySeptember 17 Delaware 500 Dover Downs International Speedway David PearsonSeptember 24 Old Dominion 500 Martinsville Speedway Richard PettyOctober 1 Wilkes 400 North Wilkesboro Speedway Richard PettyOctober 8 National 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway Bobby AllisonOctober 22 American 500 North Carolina Speedway Bobby AllisonNovember 12 Texas 500 Texas World Speedway Buddy Baker
Notes: Winston Western 500: Petty makes his debut under STP sponsorship. Texas World Speedway held two NASCAR races for the only time.
Race summaries Winston Western 500 The Winston Western 500 was held on January 23 at Riverside International Raceway. A.J. Foyt won the pole. Richard Petty and Bobby Allison made important debuts in their careers - Petty debuted under the sponsorship of STP while Allison was making his maiden voyage with the Richard Howard Chevrolet under Junior Johnson's control. Foyt fell out with transmission failure. Allison started 16th but stormed through the field and led 102 laps before falling to second at the end. Fog shortened the race to 149 laps as Petty led 37 of the final 39 laps, driving for the final time in an all-blue racecar.
Top ten results: #43 - Richard Petty #12 - Bobby Allison #71 - Bobby Isaac #96 - Ray Elder #04 - Hershel McGriff #32 - Kevin Tarris #48 - James Hylton #64 - Elmo Langley #39 - Friday Hassler #24 - Cecil Gordon
Daytona 500 The 14th Daytona 500 was held on February 20 at Daytona International Speedway. Bobby Isaac Won the pole. A.J. Foyt was unchallenged after Richard Petty fell out with engine failure 80 laps into the 500 and cruised to his only Daytona 500 win and first win at the track since 1965. Petty led 31 laps, Foyt 167, and Bobby Allison led two, indicative of the slump in competitive depth of the series with the withdrawal of the factories from participation. Isaac's engine soured on the start and he finished 33rd, while Buddy Baker crashed with Walter Ballard, who flipped in the trioval grass.
Top ten results: #21 - A.J. Foyt #6 - Charlie Glotzbach #31 - Jim Vandiver #72 - Benny Parsons #48 - James Hylton #3 - Cale Yarborough #05 - David Sisco #25 - Jabe Thomas #4 - John Sears #23 - Vic Elford
Richmond 500 The Richmond 500 was held on February 27 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. Bobby Allison won the pole. Richard Petty, Allison, and Bobby Isaac led all 500 laps and finished 1-2-3; Isaac finished seven laps down while Dave Marcis and Bill Dennis finished in the top five, both at least twelve laps down.
Top ten results: #43 - Richard Petty #12 - Bobby Allison #71 - Bobby Isaac #2 - Dave Marcis #90 - Bill Dennis #48 - James Hylton #64 - Elmo Langley #72 - Benny Parsons #24 - Cecil Gordon #4 - John Sears
Miller 500 The Miller High Life 500 was held on March 5 at Ontario Motor Speedway. A.J. Foyt won the pole. The battle was between Foyt, Richard Petty, Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison, and Bobby Isaac, while West Coast ace Ray Elder and Benny Parsons also led. 51 cars started with over 30 additional entries sent home after qualifying. Isaac crashed with Mark Donohue 45 laps in ("it's a new car and it's totaled out," said the dejected Isaac) while Petty lost a lap on a botched pitstop; he push-drafted Baker and Allison to keep them challenging Foyt ("Foyt was ridiculously faster than my Chevy down the straights," Allison said), but Foyt took what would be his final NASCAR win.
Top ten results: #21 - A.J. Foyt #12 - Bobby Allison #11 - Buddy Baker #96 - Ray Elder #04 - Hershel McGriff #48 - James Hylton #42 - Marty Robbins #64 - Elmo Langley #9 - Ramo Stott
Carolina 500 The Carolina 500 was held on March 12 at North Carolina Motor Speedway. Bobby Allison won the pole, but had to start 39th after changing tires following qualifying. He stormed through the field to lead 260 laps, but at Lap 345 his engine failed. Isaac led 210 laps for the win, only his third big-track Grand National win and what would be his final career Grand National win. The race occurred two days following the birth of future cup champion Matt Kenseth.
Top ten results: #71 - Bobby Isaac #43 - Richard Petty #31 - Jim Vandiver #45 - LeeRoy Yarbrough #2 - Dave Marcis #48 - James Hylton #72 - Benny Parsons #67 - Buddy Arrington #64 - Elmo Langley #06 - Neil Castles
Atlanta 500 The Atlanta 500 was held on March 26 at Atlanta International Raceway. Bobby Allison won the pole. Working to solve the engine issues plaguing the team, Junior Johnson began using Union aviation oil for Allison's engines. Allison engaged in a race-long duel with Bobby Isaac, escaping a hard crash with Ron Keselowski at one point. Late in the race A. J. Foyt stormed to the front but Allison grabbed the lead with four laps to go and edged Foyt and Isaac for the first superspeedway win for Chevrolet in some eight years.
Top ten results: #12 - Bobby Allison #21 - A.J. Foyt #71 - Bobby Isaac #15 - David Pearson #27 - Donnie Allison #43 - Richard Petty #72 - Benny Parsons #11 - Buddy Baker #45 - LeeRoy Yarbrough #48 - James Hylton
Southeastern 400 The Southeastern 400 was held on April 9 at Bristol International Speedway. Bobby Allison won the pole.
Top ten results: #12 - Bobby Allison #71 - Bobby Isaac #43 - Richard Petty #45 - LeeRoy Yarbrough #24 - Cecil Gordon #14 - Coo Coo Marlin #64 - Elmo Langley #48 - James Hylton #49 - G.C. Spencer #25 - Jabe Thomas
Rebel 400 The Rebel 400 was held on April 16 at Darlington Raceway. With A. J. Foyt having to serve his Indycar commitments, Wood Brothers Racing hired David Pearson to drive their #21. Pearson responded by winning the pole, and leading 202 laps to score his first victory since March 1971. Richard Petty finished a lap down in second; the 1-2 finish began one of the most celebrated periods in NASCAR history. Bobby Allison led 29 laps but finished a very distant (15 laps down) seventh. Joe Frasson finished third.
Top ten results: #21 - David Pearson #43 - Richard Petty #18 - Joe Frasson #72 - Benny Parsons #48 - James Hylton #67 - Buddy Arrington #12 - Bobby Allison #4 - John Sears #25 - Jabe Thomas #24 - Cecil Gordon
Gwyn Staley 400 The Gwyn Staley 400 was held on April 23 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Bobby Isaac won the pole. Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, and Isaac dominated the race and finished 1-2-3. Petty led the last 25 laps after a late tire change where his team put on "gumballs" (softer compound tires). The racing between the three became heated during the day, Petty calling it "a wing-doolie" of a race.
Top ten results: #43 - Richard Petty #12 - Bobby Allison #71 - Bobby Isaac #48 - James Hylton #72 - Benny Parsons