1972 was the year that saw the changes started the year before come to fruition and began what would come to be called the modern area. It was the first year with Bill France Jr. at the helm of NASCAR and it was the first year for what had been called the Grand National series to be called the Winston Cup series with R. J. Reynolds being the title sponsor with their Winston brand. There was also a new point system, designed to place emphasis on mileage completed in competition, for the Winston Cup and Grand American Challenge series. All races on tracks under a ½ mile in length or up to 250 miles in distance were moved to a new Grand National East/West division. Winston Cup, Grand American and Grand National cars back to 1969 were allowed to run Grand National East/West. The Grand National East and Grand National West divisions were also under the new point system.
The Grand American Challenge Series opened the year with only Daytona and Talladega on the schedule. The predictions of the series ending had begun in the middle of 1970 and had seen the schedule greatly reduced in 1971 with close to half of the races being combination events that included Grand National and Grand American cars. The future of the series was in doubt but it was not gone yet.
MIDNIGHT CHALLENGE 200
Daytona International Speedway
Saturday, February 6, 1972
The first race the Grand American cars would be eligible to compete in was the Midnight Challenge 200. It was part of a 3 race package that had been the 24 Hours of Daytona. The first event was the SCCA Brundage Western Hemisphere Formula Vee Trophy race on Saturday followed by the SCCA Midnight Challenge Cup race starting at midnight and then the FIA World Series Sports Car Championship race called the Daytona Six Hour Continental on Sunday. 39 cars were entered but only 24 took the green flag. 9 GA cars were entered with 7 starting. Many of the SCCA cars were co-driven but all the GA cars only had one driver except the #86 Firebird of David Boggs and Paul Fleming. The #57 Corvette started from the pole with Dave Heinz behind the wheel and pulled away from the field for 23 laps before his engine expired. Vince Gimondo then took his #47 Camaro to the front and held on for the win. The #89 Camaro of Tom Fraser and Bert Gafford finished second with Wayne Andrews in the #97 Mustang was third and the first GA car across the line. The other GA finishing were Ernie Shaw 11 th , David Boggs/Paul Fleming 14 th , Al Straub 17 th , Glenn Brewer 20 th , Buck Baker 21 st , Bob Williams 23 rd with Bobby Brewer and Herb Kanady not starting. The GA drivers earned GA points based on their finishing position and calculated on the new system. It was reported that there would be 4 class winners in the event but I only have the overall results. I can tell you that the GA cars were not in a class by themselves but included in one of the SCCA classes as Wayne Andrews was not credited with a class win and did not receive a trophy.
Fin. St. Driver # Car Laps Status
1 Vince Gimondo 47 Camaro 53 Running
2 Burt Gafford 89 Camaro 51 Running
3 Wayne Andrews 97 Mustang 50 Running
4 Ruben Novoa 81 Porsche 49 Running
5 Manuel Garcia 36 Camaro 48 Running
6 James Locke 61 Porsche 48 Running
7 George Stone 76 Porsche 48 Running
8 Guido Levetto 0 Camaro 48 Running
9 Richard Weiss 27 Porsche 47 Running
10 John Elliott 80 Camaro 46 Running
11 Ernie Shaw 37 Mustang 46 Running
12 Bobby Clark 75 Datsun 43 Running
13 Tom Nehl 8 Camaro 42 Tranny
14 Paul Fleming 86 Firebird 41
15 David McClain 19 Porsche 35
16 Robert Whitaker 30 Volvo 34
17 Al Straub 74 Mustang 33
18 Phil Currin 99 Corvette 30
19 1 Dave Heinz 57 Corvette 24 Engine
20 Glenn Brewer 49 Mustang 10
21 Buck Baker 87 Firebird 9
22 Jerry Lustig 77 Fiat 8
23 bob Williams 78 Mustang 3
24 John Prasek 46 Porsche 3
Point Standings Midnight Challenge
- Wayne Andrews 158.5
- Ernie Shaw 137.5
- David Boggs 125.25
- AL Straub 109.25
- Glenn Brewer 74.5
- Buck Baker 71.25
- Bob Williams 59.75
CITRUS 250
Daytona International Speedway
Friday, February 18, 1972
The first stand alone race of the 1972 season for the Grand American Challenge Series brought the cars back to Daytona Beach Florida for the 4 th edition of the Citrus 250, a FIA sanctioned event. The FIA sanction opened the door for GN and international drivers to enter. Bobby Allison signed on to drive the Melvin Joseph Mustang with road course ringers Bob Jusola, Vic Elford, Herb Adams and Peter Gregg ready to mount GA cars. Herb Adams would team up with H.B. Bailey in one of Bailey’s Firebirds. Team Porsche driver Peter Gregg was scheduled to drive Reid Shaw’s Mustang that had been vacated by Wayne Andrews. Gentleman racer Shaw only wanted to race when and where he wanted, Wayne wanted to run for a championship and was given that opportunity by Jack StClair who owned a pipeline construction company in Roanoke, Va.. It was the first time Wayne would be a full time racer. He had worked for Shaw managing one of Shaw’s Tie-Rite neck ware plants during the week and racing on a hand shake on the week ends. They remained friends and when Gregg complained that the Mustang had no brakes and would not handle during practice Reid asked Wayne to drive the car to get a second opinion. Wayne went out and posted one of the quickest times of the day. Reid fired Peter Gregg and made a call to put Max Berrier in the car. When Andrews signed on the drive StClairs’ Pipeline Special there had already been a deal put together for Red Farmer to drive the car in the Citrus 250 so Wayne landed a ride in the Mustang owned by John Chisholm, who owned a construction company in Nova Scotia, Canada and had built a track patterned after Bristol called Riverside International Speedway. Engine problems plagued the team in practice and when the second engine broke it appear Wayne might miss the race but Red Farmer, who was nursing an injured leg that was bothering him when trying to tackle the road course, stepped out of the Pipeline Special and turned it over to Andrews.
H.B. Bailey averaged a speed of 108.999 mph to earn the pole position with James Hylton along side in a Camaro. Bobby Allison started third in a Mustang with Herb Adams in a Firebird fourth. Jeff Haar and Baxter Price in Camaros rounded out the top six. Wayne Andrews had qualified the Chisholm Mustang in 6 th but started in Farmers spot of 18 th when the Chisholm Mustang was scratched. Joie Chitwood Jr., Tommy Andrews and Randy Bannister rounded out the top ten starters but Tommy Andrews did not make the grid.
At the drop of the green on the back stretch it was Bailey taking the lead for 7 laps until Allison moved to the front. On lap 22 Allison spun off the track in turn 2 of the infield road course. He ended up next to turn 4, where he re-entered the race, bypassing a large piece of track. When he pitted with a tire vibration he was held on pit road for 30 sec. to make up for the time he gained during the spin. Wayne Andrews, who had charged through the field, took over the lead holding it for 13 laps until a driving rain storm with 40MPH gust hammered the speedway for about 10 minutes. Several cars spun more than once trying to make it to pit road for rain tires. In Andrews’ pit box when the crew spun the lug nuts off they disappeared under the water collecting there and they had trouble finding them extending their stay on pit road. Tiny Lund, who started 12 th , led several laps during the down pour as Bailey decided to park his car due to lack of rain tires. The rain caused enough havoc with spins and pit stops that the penalty did not hurt Allison much. When the rain stopped Allison drove to the front with Andrews second. With two to go Allison had close to a minute lead when Andrews rolled to a stop on the final infield turn out of gas. Lund, who had been running 3 rd a lap behind the leaders went by the parked Mustang to take second. Even without finishing Andrews claimed 3 rd as he had 2 laps on the rest of the field. Joie Chitwood Jr. and Jimmy Capps rounded out the top five.
Allison collected $4,550 of the $23,550 purse.
Fin. St. Driver # Car Laps Status
1 3 Bobby Allison 49 ’70 Mustang 67 Running
2 12 Tiny Lund 55 ’71 Firebird 66 Running
3 18 Wayne Andrews 15 ’70 Mustang 65 DNF
4 8 Joie Chitwood Jr. 77 ’69 Camaro 65 Running
5 Jimmy Lee Capps 90 ‘69 Camaro 65 Running
6 Max Berrier 15 ’71 Mustang 64 Running
7 Stick Elliott 57 ’71 Camaro 63 Running
8 Paul Tyler 79 ’69 Camaro 63 Running
9 5 Jeff Haar 67 ’69 Camaro 63 Running
10 7 Baxter Price 3 ’69 Camaro 63 Running
11 2 James Hylton 92 ’71 Camaro 61 Running
12 4 Herb Adams 96 ’71 Firebird 60 Gearbox
13 Bob Williams 76 ’70 Mustang 59 Off course
14 Glenn Brewer 19 ’69 Camaro 57 Running
15 Jerry Hufflin 60 ’69 Camaro 56 Running
16 Jim Hailey 4 ’69 Javelin 56 Running
17 Al Straub 74 ’71 Mustang 55 Running
18 Bill Chevalier 82 ’71 Camaro 46 Running
19 1 H. B. Bailey 36 ’71 Firebird 39 Tires
20 Vic Elford 00 ’71 Camaro 36 Drive shaft
21 Roy Stamey 25 ’69 Camaro 25 Running
22 David Boggs 86 ’71 Firebird 20 Engine
23 Pee Wee Wentz 5 ’69 Camaro 20 Engine
24 Mike Humphreys 94 ’71 Camaro 17 Tranny
25 Charlie Blanton 95 ’71 Camaro 15 Brakes
26 Bob Jusola 47 ’69 Camaro 15 Battery
27 Ernie Shaw 17 ’70 Mustang 15 Clutch
28 10 Randy Bannister 26 ’69 Camaro 11 Engine
29 Gary Myers 41 ’70 Mustang 11 Engine
30 Dave Dayton 81 ’70 Mustang 8 Engine
31 19 Buck Baker 87 ’71 Firebird 3 Engine
32 Tom Lilly 91 ’70 Camaro 1 Engine
Point Standings after Daytona
- Wayne Andrews 375.75
- AL Straub 246
- Glenn Brewer 219.75
- Bob Williams 209.50
- David Boggs 208.25
- Ernie Shaw 204.25
- Bobby Allison 183.75
- Tiny Lund 180.50
- Jimmy Capps 173.25
- Max Berrier 171.25
- Stick Elliott 168
- Paul Tyler 164.75
- Jeff Haar 162.75
- Baxter Price 160.75
- James Hylton 156.25
- Jerry Hufflin 142
- Jim Hailey 140
- Bill Chevalier 123.50
- Buck Baker 115
- H.B. Bailey 112.75
updated by @dennis-andrews: 01/18/20 05:20:38AM
