1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
The 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 was the seventh race of the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 13th August at the Milwaukee Mile, the race would ultimately be won by Joe Leonard, dominating the race after fellow Parnelli-Offenhauser driver Mario Andretti retired due to a locked wheel. The race was also the last to be televised by the TVS Television Network.
Background
The 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 was the 12th running of the event, the annual race being named in memory of two-time IndyCar champion Tony Bettenhausen.[1] It was one of two 1972 USAC Championship Car Season races to be held at Milwaukee Mile,[2] the other being the 1972 Rex Mays Classic, which occurred on 4th June and was won by Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser.[3] Lasting 200 miles,[4] the race would continue to be held until it was dropped from the schedule from 1983 onwards.[5]
Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mario Andretti winning the pole position with a record speed of 127.932 mph.[6][4] Directly behind him was Joe Leonard, who was seeking to win his third consecutive race,[6] with fellow Parnelli-Offenhauser driver Al Unser lining up third out of 25 competitors.[4]
The Race
With the starting order decided, the 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 commenced on 13th August.[4] Andretti held his lead at the start and would remain the lap leader for the first 107 laps.[4] He generally faced competition from Leonard and Unser throughout, although the latter retired after 79 laps because of a suspension failure.[6][4] On lap 108, Andretti came in for a pit stop.[6] As he did so, his brakes suddenly locked, which caused his car to catch fire.[6][4] While Andretti escaped harm, the fire ended up burning crewmen Al Clark and Jim Dillamarter, who both required hospital treatment.[6]
With Andretti out, Leonard assumed the first position and controlled the remaining 93 laps.[4][6] He therefore claimed victory and $15,139 in prize money.[4][6] Billy Vukovich, Jr. finished second in an Eagle-Offenhauser, being four laps down from Leonard, with Gerhardt-Offenhauser's Johnny Rutherford taking third, a further three laps down from the leader.[4][6]
Availability
According to IndyCar on TV, the race would receive live flag-to-flag coverage from the TVS Television Network.[7] It also proved to be the final IndyCar race to be aired by the network. But of twelve IndyCar races to have been televised by TVS, none are currently publicly available. Nevertheless, a few photos of the race remain viewable.
Gallery
Video
Image
See Also
- 1962 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)
- 1962 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)
- 1963 Trenton 100 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)
- 1963 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)
- 1964 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)
- 1964 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)
- 1965 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)
- 1965 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)
- 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)
- 1966 Trenton 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)
- 1967 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1967)
- 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)
- 1968 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)
- 1969 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)
- 1969 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)
- 1969 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)
- 1970 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Rocky Mountain 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1971 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Marlboro 300 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Michigan 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Schaefer 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1972 Best Western Motels 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Indianapolis 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Phoenix 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Trenton Times 300 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1973 Schaefer 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1973)
- 1973 Texas 200 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1973)
- 1974 Phoenix 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)
- 1974 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)
- 1974 Trentonian 200 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)
- 1975 Bricklin 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)
- 1975 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)
- 1975 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)
- 1976 Indianapolis 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1977 American Parts 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1977 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1977 Michigan Grand Prix (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1977 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1977 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1977 Texas Grand Prix (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1977 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 1978 Coors 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)
- 1978 Daily Express Indy Silverstone (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)
- 1978 Daily Mail Indy Trophy (partially found CBS and BBC One footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)
- 1978 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)
- 1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979)
- 1979 California 500 (lost footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1979)
- 1979 Gould Grand Prix (lost footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979)
- 1980 Miller High Life 150 (partially found footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)
- 1980 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)
- 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)
- 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)
- 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150 (lost CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1981)
- 1981 Pocono 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1981)
- 1996 Las Vegas 500K (partially lost footage of IRL Season race; 1996)
- Indianapolis 500 WFBM-TV Broadcasts (lost racing footage; 1949-1950)
- Indianapolis 500 MCA closed-circuit broadcasts (partially lost racing footage; 1964-1970)
References
- ↑ Haul Away! noting origins of the race's name. Retrieved 14th May '22
- ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the 1972 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 14th May '22
- ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1972 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 14th May '22
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the event Retrieved 14th May '22
- ↑ UPI reporting on the event being dropped from 1983 onwards. Retrieved 14th May '22
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 The New York Times reporting on Leonard winning the race. Retrieved 14th May '22
- ↑ IndyCar on TV detailing the TVS Television Network broadcast of the race, and noting it was the final TVS airing of an IndyCar event. Retrieved 14th May '22