foxsports
RACE: 56th Indianapolis 500
DATE: May 27, 1972
WINNER: Mark Donohue
AVERAGE SPEED: 162.962 mph
ADVERTISEMENT
WHAT HAPPENED: Gary Bettenhausen led 138 laps until his car suffered ignition trouble. His teammate, Donohue, led only the last 13 laps to win the first of team owner Roger Penske's 16 Indy 500 victories.
NOTABLE: Tony Hulman asked Jim Nabors to sing ''Back Home Again in Indiana'' during the pre-race ceremonies, and Nabors did so without rehearsal, beginning a 36-year tradition with Nabors performing nearly every year from 1972 to 2014. The 1972 race also was the first since 1962 to have an all-American lineup.
share
