36xRacing

Fast facts:
Winner: Richard Petty
Most laps led: Bobby Allison (239 – 60%)

Race notes:

• This was Buddy Baker’s fourth race driving for Junior Johnson in the 71. Johnson’s 71 car finished third in the spring Wilkesboro race with Bobby Isaac driving. (Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph Oct 1, ’71)
• Bobby Allison and Richard Petty entered as the clear favorites on short tracks in 1972. Allison was fined after the previous race at Martinsville for contact with Petty.
• After Buddy Baker led the opening lap from pole, Bobby Allison and Richard Petty swapped P1 for the rest of the race
• The one caution in the race arrived with less than 50 to go on lap 363
  • Allison was leading by nearly a full lap at the time of caution – The Terre Haute Tribune (Oct 2, ’72)
• Allison and Petty had an intense battle for the final ten laps – Petty’s car was described as, “looking like it had gone through a wrecking machine.” And Allison’s car was, “smoking bumper to bumper because of sheet metal dragging against the tires.” – Terre Haute Tribune
  • “He crunched me real good, filling my car full of smoke. I couldn’t see anything from then on, but I knew he was beside me, so I crunched him.” – Bobby Allison – Terre Haute Tribune
• Petty won by just a car length
• 43-12-71 is one of four podiums featured in podium-igami as the most common exact podiums in modern NASCAR history. This is the exact same podium numbers from the April race.
  • Bobby Allison finished second to Richard Petty in all eight of Petty’s 1972 wins
• Leaving the race, Allison and Petty are tied at eight wins on the season

Top finishing drivers:

Pos	Driver	Laps
1.	Richard Petty #43	400
2.	Bobby Allison #12	400
3.	Buddy Baker #71	396
4.	Benny Parsons #72	392
5.	John Sears #28	388