Indianapolis 500
Race Results for the 1972 Indianapolis 500
| Finish | Start | Car Num. | Driver | Car Name/Entrant* | Make/Model | Status | Laps | Led | Prize Money |
| 1 | 3 | 66 | Mark Donohue | Sunoco McLaren | McLaren/Offy | 162.962 | 200 | 13 | $218,763 |
| 2 | 19 | 4 | Al Unser (W) | Viceroy | Parnelli/Offy | 160.192 | 200 | 0 | $95,258 |
| 3 | 6 | 1 | Joe Leonard | Samsonite | Parnelli/Offy | 159.327 | 200 | 0 | $58,793 |
| 4 | 24 | 52 | Sam Sessions | Gene White Firestone | Lola/Ford | 158.411 | 200 | 0 | $39,583 |
| 5 | 7 | 34 | Sam Posey (R) | Norris Eagle | Eagle/Offy | Running | 198 | 0 | $37,411 |
| 6 | 11 | 5 | Lloyd Ruby | Wynn's | Atlanta/Foyt | Running | 196 | 0 | $29,557 |
| 7 | 25 | 60 | Mike Hiss (R) | STP Pylon Windshield Wiper Blade | Eagle/Offy | Running | 196 | 0 | $30,814 |
| 8 | 5 | 9 | Mario Andretti (W) | Viceroy | Parnelli/Offy | Out of fuel | 194 | 0 | $24,822 |
| 9 | 31 | 11 | Jimmy Caruthers (R) | US Armed Forces/Steed | Scorpion/Foyt | Running | 194 | 0 | $23,094 |
| 10 | 32 | 21 | Cale Yarborough | Bill Daniels GOP | Atlanta/Foyt | Running | 193 | 0 | $22,133 |
| 11 | 21 | 84 | George Snider | ITT-Thompson | Coyote/Foyt | Running | 190 | 0 | $23,080 |
| 12 | 15 | 48 | Jerry Grant | Mystery Eagle | Eagle/Offy | Penalty | 188 | 16 | $24,156 |
| 13 | 23 | 44 | Dick Simon | TraveLodge Sleeper | Lola/Foyt | Out of fuel | 186 | 0 | $19,759 |
| 14 | 4 | 7 | Gary Bettenhausen | Sunoco McLaren | McLaren/Offy | Ignition | 182 | 138 | $41,284 |
| 15 | 33 | 40 | Wally Dallenbach | STP Oil Treatment | Lola/Foyt | Running | 182 | 0 | $19,645 |
| 16 | 14 | 89 | John Martin (R) | Unsponsored | Brabham/Offy | Fuel leak | 161 | 0 | $18,084 |
| 17 | 30 | 37 | Lee Kunzman (R) | Caves Buick Company | Gerhardt/Offy | Lost tire | 131 | 0 | $17,901 |
| 18 | 12 | 23 | Mel Kenyon | Gilmore Racing | Coyote/Ford | Fuel injection | 126 | 0 | $17,146 |
| 19 | 28 | 17 | Denny Zimmerman | Bryant Heating & Cooling | McLaren/Offy | Ignition rotor | 116 | 0 | $17,320 |
| 20 | 26 | 24 | Gordon Johncock | Gulf McLaren | McLaren/Offy | Exhaust valve | 113 | 0 | $17,823 |
| 21 | 10 | 15 | Steve Krisiloff | Ayr-Way/Lloyd's | Kingfish/Offy | Ignition rotor | 102 | 0 | $15,954 |
| 22 | 29 | 31 | John Mahler (R) | Harbor Fuel Oil | McLaren/Offy | Piston | 99 | 0 | $16,013 |
| 23 | 13 | 56 | Jim Hurtubise | Miller High Life | Coyote/Foyt | Penalty | 94 | 0 | $15,350 |
| 24 | 20 | 14 | Roger McCluskey | American Marine Underwriters | Antares/Offy | Valve | 92 | 0 | $15,016 |
| 25 | 17 | 2 | A.J. Foyt (W) | ITT-Thompson | Coyote/Foyt | Turbocharger | 60 | 0 | $15,611 |
| 26 | 16 | 98 | Mike Mosley | Vivitar | Eagle/Offy | Accident | 56 | 3 | $15,984 |
| 27 | 8 | 18 | Johnny Rutherford | Patrick Petroleum | Brabham/Offy | Rod | 55 | 0 | $14,535 |
| 28 | 18 | 3 | Bill Vukovich II | Sugaripe Prune | Eagle/Offy | Rear end | 54 | 0 | $14,364 |
| 29 | 22 | 95 | Carl Williams | City of Terre Haute | Eagle/Offy | Oil cooler | 52 | 0 | $14,022 |
| 30 | 1 | 6 | Bobby Unser (W) | Olsonite Eagle | Eagle/Offy | Ignition rotor | 31 | 30 | $30,830 |
| 31 | 2 | 12 | Peter Revson | Gulf McLaren | McLaren/Offy | Gearbox | 23 | 0 | $15,924 |
| 32 | 9 | 42 | Swede Savage (R) | Michner Industries | Eagle/Offy | Rod | 5 | 0 | $13,767 |
| 33 | 27 | 33 | Salt Walther (R) | Dayton Disc Brakes | P.J. Colt/Foyt | Magneto | 0 | 0 | $14,538 |
- * complete car name/entrant data not available for all entries
- (R) - Indicates Rookie
- (W) - Indicates Past Winner