1972 Australian Grand Prix

  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	Frank Matich	Matich-Repco Holden
Time	1'01.3
Fastest lap
Driver	Graham McRae	Leda-Chevrolet
Time	1'02.4
Podium
First	Graham McRae	Leda-Chevrolet
Second	Frank Gardner	Lola-Chevrolet
Third	David Hobbs	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	Frank Matich	Matich A50 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	1:01.3	—
2	22	Graham McRae	Leda GM1 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:01.8	+0.5
3	1	Frank Gardner	Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:01.8	+0.5
4	10	David Hobbs	McLaren M22 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:02.3	+1.0
5	4	Bob Muir	Lola T300 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:02.7	+1.4
6	29	John McCormack	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	1:02.8	+1.5
7	2	Mike Hailwood	Surtees TS8A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:03.0	+1.7
8	34	Teddy Pilette	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:03.2	+1.9
9	5	Kevin Bartlett	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:03.5	+2.2
10	12	Warwick Brown	McLaren M10B / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:03.9	+2.6
11	6	Max Stewart	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	1:04.4	+3.1
12	76	John Harvey	Brabham BT36 / Waggott 2.0L I4	1:05.2	+3.9
13	28	Garrie Cooper	Elfin MR5 / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	1:05.3	+4.0
14	88	Frank Radisich	McLaren M10B / Repco Holden 5.0L V8	1:06.5	+5.2
15	30	Dave McConnell	GRD 272 / Hart 2.0L I4	1:07.1	+5.8
16	7	Colin Hyams	Lola T192 / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:08.2	+6.9
17	17	Gary Campbell	Elfin 600B / Waggott 2.0L I4	1:08.3	+7.0
18	60	Robbie Francevic	McLaren M10A / Chevrolet 5.0L V8	1:10.2	+8.9
19	64	Tony Stewart	Mildren (Rennmax) / Waggott 1.9L I4	1:11.5	+10.2

Race

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

Notes

• Pole Position: Frank Matich - 1:01.3
• Fastest Lap: Graham McRae - 1:02.4

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.