1972 Daytona 500 Recap
An all-time great racer turns in an excellent performance in the season’s biggest race.
Editor’s note: This is a fictional account of the history of the NASCAR beginning in 1972. This narrative was created by playing NASCAR Grandstand. For an introduction to this dynasty, visit: https://medium.com/historical-sports-gaming/re-writing-nascar-history-an-introduction-8bf5149377ab?
1972 Daytona 500 Recap
Qualifying and Qualifying Races
Qualifying: For the second consecutive race, Bobby Isaac showed a ton of speed in qualifying and earned the pole position in the Daytona 500. Right behind him was the speedy A.J. Foyt in the Wood Brothers #21, who snagged the #2 qualifying position.
Qualifying Format: The Daytona 500 features a completely unique format for determining the starting field. Isaac and Foyt were given the top two spots for being the two fastest qualifiers. All 52 drivers who attempted to qualify for the race were placed into one of two, 26-car qualifying races. The top 14 cars in each race (minus Isaac and Foyt) were placed into starting spots three through 30 for the Daytona 500. Starting spots 31 through 40 then went to the 10 fastest qualifiers who did not earn a starting spot in either qualifying race.
Qualifying Race #1 Round-Up: The first qualifying race featured a ton of activity and action. David Sisco, attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500 for the first time, jumped out to the lead early. Also near the front was a crash in the opening laps that took out Mark Donohue and Jimmy Crawford. Both qualified well enough to make the big race, but would have to start in the back. During pit stops midway through, Sisco lost his lead when #67 Buddy Arrington’s crew had a fantastic pit stop. Arrington would lead most of the second half until a late caution came out after Isaac wrecked with a spin in the infield. After the restart, Sisco overtook Arrington and hung on to win the first qualifying race. Only 12 cars finished the first qualifier after numerous drivers struggled with engine trouble.
Qualifying Race #2 Round-Up: The second qualifier was much more uneventful as A.J. Foyt dominated, leading the race wire to wire even though he already sealed up the #2 starting spot in the big race. Foyt never gave up the lead though he had to hold off a late charge from the #32 of Johnny Halford. There were no crashes in the race and 20 of the 26 cars who started would finish.
Cars that did not qualify: Several Winner’s Circle teams failed to make the field, including #2 Dave Marcis, #7 Dean Dalton, #8 Ed Negre, #10 Bill Champion, #45 Bill Seifert, #74 Bill Shirey, #76 Ben Arnold and #77 Charlie Roberts. This doesn’t include Friday Hassler, who tragically passed away following a qualifying run accident. Hassler was just 36 years old and had just won his first (and only) Winston Cup race at Riverside.
The other four drivers failing to qualify were #4 Dick Kranzler, #31 Jim Vandiver, #86 Ed Hessert and #92 Larry Smith.
Daytona 500 Recap
Continuing to show speed after a strong qualifying race, David Sisco overtook both Bobby Isaac and A.J. Foyt on the opening laps of the race. Sisco maintained his lead through the first green flag run, but lost it after a slow pit stop. Foyt would take over the lead following the green flag stops, with Johnny Halford and #23 Vic Elford right behind him. Sisco would work his way back into second place, but far behind Foyt, whose car was even faster than in his dominating qualifying run. Just before the race’s halfway point, some high-running drivers began to drop out. Mechanical trouble forced Elford out of the race and damage from a flat tire sent Halford to the garage. He came back and finished the race, but would be more than 30 laps down. Just past halfway, Foyt still led, but saw his lead shrink as Sisco, Isaac and the surprising #4 car of John Sears closed the gap. At lap 112, Foyt handed the lead over to Sears, who had never previously led a lap at Daytona. Struggles by Foyt and Sisco following their second-to-last pit stops of the day allowed Sears, who started the race in 13th position, to extend his lead. Just before one last round of green flag pit stops, however, Sears’ lead disappeared as Isaac and the #48 of James Hylton both passed him. Isaac held the lead for a few laps, but after pit stops cycled through, Hylton took over in front. His lead lasted only eight laps, however, as Sisco and Foyt both charged forward following pit stop adjustments to take over the top two spots. Sisco led with 11 laps left when the race’s first and only crash brought out a caution. Running in the middle of the pack, Tommy Gale spun out Buddy Arrington and both ended up in the turn three wall, taking them out of the race. Re-starting with five laps left, Foyt had an excellent restart and overtook Sisco on the back stretch. Sisco wasn’t able to make up the ground he lost and Foyt sent the Wood Brothers to victory lane as he won his first-ever Daytona 500. It was Foyt’s eighth career Cup Series win, his third at Daytona following back-to-back Firecracker 400 wins in the mid-1960s and is the third win for Wood Brothers in the Daytona 500.
NASCAR Standings Update:
There’s not much to discuss only two races in, but the standings have an interesting look. Second-year driver Raymond Williams leads Daytona 500 winner A.J. Foyt by one point, Williams finished top-5 at Riverside and though he lost his engine at Daytona, was in the race long enough to finish 18th. Bobby Isaac is third following his strong run at Daytona. Veteran Elmo Langley is fourth, followed by Walter Ballard. Langley and Ballard are the only two drivers to complete every lap of the first two races of the season so far. The top-10 is rounded out by a bunch of full-timers, including drivers such as James Hylton (6th), Richard Petty (8th) and Bobby Allison (9th) who are expected to move up the standings in the coming weeks.
