Race: Southern 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Race 24 of 31
Date: September 4, 1972
Track: Darlington Raceway
← Nashville 420 | 1972 Season Results | Capital City 500 →
Southern 500 Race Information
| Winner | Bobby Allison | Car | No. 12 Chevrolet |
| Team / Owner | Richard Howard | Sponsor | Coca-Cola |
| Winner Start | 1st | Winner Laps Led | 229 |
| Started First | Bobby Allison | Most Laps Led | Bobby Allison (229) |
| Race Distance | 501.322 miles (367 laps) | Track Length | 1.366 miles |
| Track Type | Paved oval | Starters | 40 |
| Total Purse | $109,900 | Winner Earnings | $23,990 |
| Different Leaders | 7 | Lead-Lap Finishers | 2 |
| Points Leader After Race | A.J. Cox | Season Race | 24 of 31 |
Southern 500 Race Results
| Fin | Start | No. | Driver | Sponsor | Team / Owner | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Points | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 12 | Bobby Allison | Coca-Cola | Richard Howard | Chevrolet | 367 | 229 | running | — | $23,990 |
| 2 | 13 | 21 | David Pearson | Purolator Special | Wood Brothers | Mercury | 367 | 123 | running | — | $11,065 |
| 3 | 3 | 43 | Richard Petty | STP | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 360 | 4 | running | — | $8,990 |
| 4 | 2 | 28 | Fred Lorenzen | Lemon Tree Inn | Hoss Ellington | Chevrolet | 354 | 0 | running | — | $4,940 |
| 5 | 18 | 66 | H.B. Bailey | Blank & Kalashian / Monk King Co. | Vernon Blank | Pontiac | 351 | 6 | running | — | $4,630 |
| 6 | 15 | 67 | Buddy Arrington | Arrington Automotive | Buddy Arrington | Dodge | 348 | 0 | running | — | $3,325 |
| 7 | 5 | 16 | Dave Marcis | AMC Matador | Roger Penske | Matador | 348 | 0 | running | — | $2,865 |
| 8 | 16 | 31 | Jim Vandiver | Nixon Co. | O.L. Nixon | Dodge | 343 | 0 | running | — | $2,665 |
| 9 | 21 | 42 | Marty Robbins | Robbins Enterprises | Marty Robbins | Dodge | 339 | 0 | running | — | $2,465 |
| 10 | 19 | 14 | Coo Coo Marlin | Cunningham-Kelley | H.B. Cunningham | Chevrolet | 337 | 2 | running | — | $2,415 |
| 11 | 9 | 48 | James Hylton | Pop Kola | James Hylton | Mercury | 335 | 0 | running | — | $2,665 |
| 12 | 28 | 30 | Walter Ballard | Heikimian's Cars / Ballard Racing | Vic Ballard | Mercury | 328 | 0 | running | — | $2,365 |
| 13 | 38 | 10 | Bill Champion | Champion Trucking | Bill Champion | Ford | 327 | 0 | running | — | $2,265 |
| 14 | 34 | 8 | Ed Negre | Negre Wrecker Services | Ed Negre | Dodge | 324 | 0 | running | — | $2,165 |
| 15 | 36 | 0 | J.D. McDuffie | Altheide Automotive | George Altheide | Dodge | 318 | 0 | running | — | $1,515 |
| 16 | 30 | 3 | Tommy Gale | Gale Trucking | Frank Vasko | Mercury | 305 | 0 | running | — | $1,365 |
| 17 | 33 | 79 | Frank Warren | — | Frank Warren | Dodge | 286 | 0 | running | — | $1,765 |
| 18 | 26 | 57 | David Ray Boggs | Boggs Racing | David Ray Boggs | Dodge | 280 | 0 | oil leak | — | $1,715 |
| 19 | 17 | 49 | G.C. Spencer | Spencer Antiques | G.C. Spencer | Plymouth | 258 | 0 | crash | — | $1,165 |
| 20 | 27 | 25 | Jabe Thomas | Nolen's Restaurant | Don Robertson | Plymouth | 249 | 0 | crash | — | $1,715 |
| 21 | 31 | 7 | Dean Dalton | Sunny King Motors | Dean Dalton | Mercury | 245 | 0 | crash | — | $1,560 |
| 22 | 32 | 64 | Elmo Langley | Woodfield Motors | Elmo Langley | Ford | 228 | 0 | crash | — | $1,485 |
| 23 | 37 | 6 | Neil Castles | Howard Furniture | Neil Castles | Plymouth | 205 | 0 | engine | — | $960 |
| 24 | 29 | 19 | Henley Gray | Gray's Garage | Henley Gray | Ford | 167 | 0 | engine | — | $1,450 |
| 25 | 25 | 92 | Larry Smith | Black Label | Harley Smith | Ford | 165 | 0 | crash | — | $940 |
| 26 | 24 | 65 | Buck Baker | Poling Racing | Joe Phipps | Chevrolet | 157 | 0 | engine | — | $935 |
| 27 | 35 | 13 | Eddie Yarboro | Rumple Furniture | Eddie Yarboro | Plymouth | 147 | 0 | engine | — | $930 |
| 28 | 12 | 24 | Cecil Gordon | Collins & Aikman | Cecil Gordon | Mercury | 145 | 0 | crash | — | $1,425 |
| 29 | 4 | 11 | Buddy Baker | STP | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 139 | 1 | crash | — | $920 |
| 30 | 23 | 4 | John Sears | J. Marvin Mills Heating & Air | J. Marvin Mills | Plymouth | 138 | 0 | overheating | — | $1,415 |
| 31 | 39 | 83 | Paul Tyler | Smithville Farms | Norris Reed | Mercury | 135 | 0 | engine | — | $810 |
| 32 | 6 | 45 | Dick Brooks | Porter Ford | Bill Seifert | Mercury | 133 | 2 | crash | — | $1,300 |
| 33 | 20 | 61 | Clarence Lovell | Bierschwale-Haverlah | Don Bierschwale | Ford | 104 | 0 | engine | — | $795 |
| 34 | 40 | 88 | Ron Keselowski | Messina Trucking | Roger Lubinski | Dodge | 58 | 0 | engine | — | $790 |
| 35 | 8 | 72 | Benny Parsons | Pop Kola | L.G. DeWitt | Mercury | 43 | 0 | engine | — | $1,285 |
| 36 | 22 | 76 | Ben Arnold | Speed Engineering | Ben Arnold | Ford | 37 | 0 | engine | — | $1,280 |
| 37 | 14 | 18 | Joe Frasson | Frasson Cement | Joe Frasson | Dodge | 34 | 0 | crash | — | $775 |
| 38 | 11 | 15 | Donnie Allison | Moore Engineering | Bud Moore | Ford | 12 | 0 | crash | — | $770 |
| 39 | 10 | 90 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Truxmore Bodies | Junie Donlavey | Ford | 12 | 0 | crash | — | $1,265 |
| 40 | 7 | 71 | Bobby Isaac | K & K Insurance | Nord Krauskopf | Dodge | 12 | 0 | crash | — | $2,760 |
Season Navigation
1972 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Results