1972 Australian Grand Prix

Australia  1972 Australian Grand Prix
Race details
Race 7 of 8 in 1972 Tasman Series
Date 20 February 1972
Official name XXXVII Australian Grand Prix
Location Sandown Raceway, Melbourne, Victoria
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 3.1 km (1.92 mi)
Distance 52 laps, 161.2 km (99.84 mi)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver Matich-Repco Holden
Time 1'01.3
Fastest lap
Driver New Zealand Graham McRae Leda-Chevrolet
Time 1'02.4
Podium
First Leda-Chevrolet
Second Lola-Chevrolet
Third McLaren-Chevrolet

The 1972 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for cars complying with the Tasman Formula, which admitted both Formula 5000 and 2 litre racing cars. The race, which was held at Sandown International Raceway on 20 February 1972, had 19 starters.

It was the thirty seventh Australian Grand Prix and doubled as round seven of the 1972 Tasman Series and was held only 3 months after the 1971 race.

Defending winner Frank Matich started the race on pole in his Repco Holden powered Matich A50 which had won the 1971 race on debut. New Zealand's Graham McRae started alongside Matich on the front row in his Leda GM1-Chevrolet.

Matich led from the start but was out after just 5 laps with a failed scavenge pump. McRae recorded the first of three AGP wins (all won at Sandown) by 3 seconds from the Lola T300-Chevrolet of Frank Gardner who had qualified 3rd. British International driver David Hobbs finished 3rd in his McLaren M18/M22-Chevrolet after starting from 4th on the grid.

McRae's win gave him an unassailable lead in the 1972 Tasman Series points table with one round remaining.

Classification

Results as follows:[1][2]

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Car Qual Gap
1 3 Australia Frank Matich Matich A50 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 1:01.3
2 22 New Zealand Graham McRae Leda GM1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:01.8 +0.5
3 1 Australia Frank Gardner Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:01.8 +0.5
4 10 United Kingdom David Hobbs McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:02.3 +1.0
5 4 Australia Bob Muir Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:02.7 +1.4
6 29 Australia John McCormack Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 1:02.8 +1.5
7 2 United Kingdom Mike Hailwood Surtees TS8A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:03.0 +1.7
8 34 Belgium Teddy Pilette McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:03.2 +1.9
9 5 Australia Kevin Bartlett McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:03.5 +2.2
10 12 Australia Warwick Brown McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:03.9 +2.6
11 6 Australia Max Stewart Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 1:04.4 +3.1
12 76 Australia John Harvey Brabham BT36 / Waggott 2.0L I4 1:05.2 +3.9
13 28 Australia Garrie Cooper Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 1:05.3 +4.0
14 88 New Zealand Frank Radisich McLaren M10B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 1:06.5 +5.2
15 30 Canada Dave McConnell GRD 272 / Hart 2.0L I4 1:07.1 +5.8
16 7 Australia Colin Hyams Lola T192 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:08.2 +6.9
17 17 Australia Gary Campbell Elfin 600B / Waggott 2.0L I4 1:08.3 +7.0
18 60 New Zealand Robbie Francevic McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 1:10.2 +8.9
19 64 Australia Tony Stewart Mildren (Rennmax) / Waggott 1.9L I4 1:11.5 +10.2

Race

Pos No. Driver Car Laps Time
1 22 New Zealand Graham McRae Leda GM1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 52 54m 59.4s
2 1 Australia Frank Gardner Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 52 55m 02.1s
3 10 United Kingdom David Hobbs McLaren M18/M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 52 55m 11.8s
4 2 United Kingdom Mike Hailwood Surtees TS8A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 51
5 12 Australia Warwick Brown McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 50
6 34 Belgium Teddy Pilette McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 50
7 76 Australia John Harvey Brabham BT36 / Waggott 2.0L 4cyl 50
8 60 New Zealand Robbie Francevic McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 49
9 28 Australia Garrie Cooper Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 49
10 30 Canada Dave McConnell GRD 272 / Hart 2.0L 4cyl 49
11 17 Australia Gary Campbell Elfin 600B / Waggott 2.0L 4cyl 47
12 64 Australia Tony Stewart Mildren (Rennmax) / Waggott 1.9L 4cyl 44
13 88 New Zealand Frank Radisich McLaren M10B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 26
Ret 7 Australia Colin Hyams Lola T192 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 30
Ret 4 Australia Bob Muir Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 19 engine
Ret 6 Australia Max Stewart Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 16 engine
Ret 5 Australia Kevin Bartlett McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8 6 transmission
Ret 3 Australia Frank Matich Matich A50 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 5 scavenge pump
Ret 29 Australia John McCormack Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8 4 gearbox

Notes

References

  1. Sergent, Bruce. "1972 Rounds 5-8 Australia". Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  2. Wilson, Stewart (1986). "1972". In Howard, Graham. The Official 50-race history of the Australian Grand Prix. Gordon, NSW: R & T Publishing. pp. 362–368. ISBN 0-9588464-0-5.
Preceded by
1971 Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
1972
Succeeded by
1973 Australian Grand Prix
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