The Holden Dealer Team was again dominant in 1972 with their XU-1 Toranas, The championship was a close tussle between their two drivers, the reigning champion Colin Bond and 1969 champion, Frank Kilfoyle. Bond narrowly won the championship taking three wins to Kilfoyle’s two. George Shepheard was champion by a safer margin, having navigated for Kilfoyle in the Alpine.
Tom Snooks has provided the full story here.
To see other years of the Australian Rally Championship go to the ARC series page.
Events were run under the National Rally Code. Several of the event had difficult navigation, most obviously South Australia where all points scoring places were filled by locals.
Vehicle eligibility was CAMS Group C – Australian Touring Cars, with additional requirements as per the NRC and state addenda.
Points were awarded down to sixth: 9-6-4-3-2-1, maybe with the best five out of six results to count.
A Manufacturers Award continued.
The series had six rounds again, but the Classic was dropped in favour of the Alpine.
| Place | Driver | State | Bun/Cur | Akademos | Snowy | Warana | SA | Alpine | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colin Bond | NSW | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 33 | ||
| 2 | Frank Kilfoyle | Viv | 9 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 30 | ||
| 3 | Doug Stewart | NSW | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 | ||
| 4 | John Taylor | SA | 9 | 9 | |||||
| 5 | Stewart McLeod | SA | 3 | 3½ | 1 | 7½ | |||
| 6 | Doug Chivas | NSW | 3½ | 3 | 6½ | ||||
| 7= | Richard Harris | NSW | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 7= | Tom Barr-Smith | SA | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 9 | Bob Riley | NSW | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||||
| 10= | Bob Watson | Vic | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 10= | Garru Chapman | SA | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 10= | Peter Janson | Vic | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 13= | Peter Lang | ACT | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 13= | Barry Ferguson | NSW | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 13= | Tony Pennell | SA | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 16= | George Fury | Vic | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 16= | Mike Chapman | Qld | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 16= | Keith Intveld | SA | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 19= | Paul Older | NSW | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 19= | Mike Fitzgerald | Vic | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 19= | Chuck Mora | SA | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 22= | Helmut Goetz | Vic | ½ | ½ | |||||
| 22= | Gil Davis | Vic | ½ | ½ |
| Place | Navigator | State | Bub/Cur | Akademos | Snowy | Warana | SA | Alpine | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Shepheard | NSW | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 42 | |
| 2 | Roger Bonhomme | Vic | 9 | 6 | 6 | 21 | |||
| 3 | Dave Johnson | NSW | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 | ||
| 4 | Graham West | SA | 9 | 9 | |||||
| 5 | Peter Meyer | NSW | 3½ | 3 | 6½ | ||||
| 6= | Graham Lockie | NSW | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 6= | Jack Lock | SA | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||||
| 6= | Rob Hunt | SA | 6 | 6 | |||||
| 9 | Adrian Mortimer | SA | 3½ | 1 | 4½ | ||||
| 10= | Geoff Thomas | Vic | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 10= | Norm Vincent | SA | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 10= | Mike Prendergast | Vic | 4 | 4 | |||||
| 13= | Ed O’Clearly | ACT | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 13= | Warwick Smith | Vic | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 13= | Brian Gemmell | NSW | 3 | 3 | |||||
| 16= | Monty Suffern | Vic | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 16= | Allan Lawson | Qld | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 16= | Ian Hese | SA | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 16= | Adrian van Loon | NSW | 2 | 2 | |||||
| 20= | Brian MacIlvenny | NSW | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 20= | Geoff Schmidt | Vic | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 20= | Colin Abbey | SA | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 23= | Mike Mitchell | Vic | ½ | ½ | |||||
| 23= | Peter Haas | Vic | ½ | ½ |