The 1972 AMA Motocross Championship season was the 1st AMA Motocross National Championship season.
Summary 1972 marked the inaugural year for the AMA Motocross National Championship. Brad Lackey dominated the 500cc class ahead of Gary Jones and Wyman Priddy. In 1972, after the season-ending 500cc race on September 2, American riders competing for the AMA national championship continued to accumulate points counting towards the national championship while they competed in the 1972 Trans-AMA motocross series which began on October 1 and hosted visiting European riders from the Motocross World Championship.
Jones claimed the 250cc championship ahead of his Yamaha teammate, Jimmy Weinert.
Nationals 500cc RoundDateLocationWinnerTeamReport 1 April 16 Atlanta, Georgia Barry Higgins ČZ Report 2 May 7 Memphis, Tennessee Barry Higgins ČZ Report 3 May 14 Sacramento, California Brad Lackey ČZ Report 4 May 21 Orange, California Brad Lackey ČZ Report 5 May 28 Carlsbad, California Brad Lackey ČZ Report 6 June 11 Washington, Indiana Wyman Priddy ČZ Report 7 June 18 Tahoe Vista, California Brad Lackey ČZ Report 8 September 2 Alabama International Motor Speedway Brad Lackey Kawasaki ReportSource:
Trans-AMA Series RoundDateLocationTop AmericanTeamReport 9 October 1 Linnville, Ohio Bryan Kenney Maico Report 10 October 8 St. Peters, Missouri Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 11 October 15 Atlanta, Georgia Jimmy Weinert Yamaha Report 12 October 22 Orlando, Florida Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 13 October 29 Houston, Texas Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 14 November 5 Carlsbad Raceway Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 15 November 12 Phoenix, Arizona Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 16 November 19 Puyallup, Washington Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 17 November 26 Livermore, California Brad Lackey Kawasaki Report 18 December 3 Orange, California Marty Tripes ČZ ReportSources:
250cc RoundDateLocationWinnerTeamReport 1 April 16 Atlanta, Georgia Sonny DeFeo ČZ Report 2 May 7 Memphis, Tennessee Sonny DeFeo ČZ Report 3 May 14 Sacramento, California Gunnar Lindstrom Husqvarna Report 4 May 21 Orange, California Jim Pomeroy Bultaco Report 5 May 28 Carlsbad, California Gary Jones Yamaha Report 6 June 11 Washington, Indiana Gary Bailey Bultaco Report 7 June 18 Tahoe Vista, California Gary Jones Yamaha Report 8 June 25 Boise, Idaho Gary Jones Yamaha Report 9 July 2 Olympia, Washington Gunnar Lindstrom Husqvarna Report 10 July 8 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Marty Tripes Yamaha Report 11 July 16 New Berlin, New York Gary Jones Yamaha Report 12 July 23 Elkhorn, Wisconsin Jimmy Weinert Yamaha Report 13 July 30 Mid-Ohio Gary Jones Yamaha Report 14 September 2 Alabama International Motor Speedway Gary Bailey Bultaco ReportSource:
Final standings 500cc Pos Rider Machine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pts 1 Brad Lackey ČZ 1 1 1 1 2030 Kawasaki 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 Gary Jones Yamaha 8 12 9 2 8 5 3 2 3 7 3 3 829 3 Wyman Priddy ČZ 3 2 1 2 2 4 7 11 750 4 Rich Thorwaldson Suzuki 7 19 4 14 3 2 11 6 3 6 7 726 5 Jim Pomeroy Bultaco 16 13 3 13 3 3 5 5 10 2 12 4 665 6 Bryan Kenney Maico 1 4 6 4 3 9 8 7 8 582 7 Jimmy Weinert Yamaha 4 10 1 2 6 14 2 542 8 Mike Runyard ČZ 6 17 5 4 12 4 8 4 5 5 513 9 Gary Chaplin Maico 6 7 2 3 11 15 12 15 5 4 10 496 10 Mark Blackwell Husqvarna 7 6 9 7 2 9 5 6 8 6 480 - Barry Higgins ČZ 1 1 2 20 9 12 - - Jim Cooke Kawasaki 3 2 3 10 16 7 14 16 7 - - Robert Brown ČZ 9 3 8 11 15 7 6 9 9 11 - - Marty Tripes Yamaha 18 14 16 10 2 - ČZ 1 - Gary Semics Husqvarna 2 3 10 - - Rob Norgaard ČZ 2 13 16 9 - - Jim Wilson ČZ 5 3 6 13 - - John DeSoto Kawasaki 5 2 20 19 12 20 17 - - James Jerles Suzuki 4 3 - - Eric Nelson Maico 6 7 4 -Sources only document the points awarded to the first ten competitors. Source:
250cc
Pos Rider Machine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pts 1 Gary Jones Yamaha 1 1 1 18 2 1 2 1 995 2 Jimmy Weinert Yamaha 3 15 2 6 9 3 2 1 2 10 781 3 Gunnar Lindstrom Husqvarna 2 1 2 15 14 10 4 1 14 6 5 13 775 4 Peter Lamppu Montesa 2 18 7 12 2 4 19 7 10 5 430 5 Bob Grossi Husqvarna 16 13 9 2 5 3 4 6 430 6 Mike Runyard Montesa 9 4 2 20 10 15 3 4 428 7 Bill Cook Maico 8 3 5 3 20 10 6 9 376 8 Robert Harris Bultaco 7 2 4 13 3 17 20 11 11 373 9 Sonny DeFeo ČZ 1 1 18 14 310 10 Tony Wynn ČZ 3 3 2 7 6 17 480 - James Wicks ČZ 4 7 4 - Husqvarna 15 13 16 14 - Gary Semics Husqvarna 8 6 11 7 7 3 - - Brad Lackey Kawasaki 5 15 7 12 8 10 - - Jim Pomeroy Bultaco 1 16 10 12 12 9 20 18 - - Rich Eierstedt Maico 8 3 4 8 10 15 - - Rex Staten ČZ 9 8 3 4 - - Douglas Sanger Maico 5 10 11 5 9 8 - - John DeSoto Kawasaki 17 5 18 17 15 20 - - Gary Bailey Bultaco 1 1 - - Marty Tripes Yamaha 17 1 19 3 - - Robert Thompson Ossa 18 4 16 - Husqvarna 5 - Ricky Jordan ČZ 14 2 - - John Borg Suzuki 3 -Sources only document the points awarded to the first ten competitors. Source:
See also 1972 Trans-AMA motocross series
References
External links AMA Motocross web site Motocross National Championship web site