1972

SALOON STOCKS         149 CARS

SUPERSTOX      63 CARS

HOT RODS    34 CARS

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The points awarded for the 1972 season were as follows:-

 It does not seem to be logical that points      
 are scored for 6th position in the heats but      
 not in the finals, however that is what the      
 promoters published

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First meeting 1972, 47 different Saloon Stocks & 28 different Superstox, this was virtually the same as the previous season, however we also had 9 Hot Rods.               
The average attendance for the season was 38 Saloon Stocks, down 10 on the previous season & 30 Superstox the same as 1971. The Hot Rods averaged 10 cars over the year.              
The highest attendance for the Saloon Stocks was 51 cars on the 9th April.               
The highest attendance for the Superstox was the Open Scottish at the same meeting of 43 cars.              
The Hot Rods reached a peak of 15 cars at the East of Scotland Championship on the 24th of September & equalled on the 15th October. No Scottish Championship this year - strange?              
              
July 15th Spedeweekend at Ipswich filmed for the first time by London Weekend Television for transmission on "World Of Sport" and the then new Sunday Sports Programme.

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Following the introduction of a concrete kerb to the base of the safety fence at Ipswich, a similar addition was made at  Cowdenbeath in 1972. The idea being to reduce the number of car & body crushing 70mph to zero impacts with fence posts. There is no doubt this type of accident was reduced, the price being that previous bounce off the wires collisions now often resulted in wheel damage. A single Armco "skid" rail had also added in 1971, but a lot of cars found themselves wedged under the rail. 

There was also an enforced change to the corner at the pits bend / stand straight due to tightened fire regulations requiring the fence to be moved further away from the fans.               
Unfortunately due to the football pitch, this made the track narrower. 

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The Main Man (photo Frank Love / Retrostox.co.uk)

The honours for the 1972 season were as follows:-

1972 SUPERSTOX POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP

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SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP - 27th AUGUST             OPEN SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP - 9th APRIL

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UK CHALLENGE CUP - 13th AUGUST                 EAST of SCOTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP 1st AUGUST

WEST of SCOTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP - 7th JULY                  "COCK of the NORTH" 29th OCTOBER

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Superstox              
              
The English Board of Control voted to allow Ford engines, to the same spec as the Hot Rods. A move which had been strenuously resisted in the past. The BOC this time however believed the existing BMC 1800cc units would have no performance disadvantage to the Ford units. The basis for the decision was that there were simply more off the shelf parts available for the Ford engines. The engines would be the subject of 350 pound claiming rule, which allowed you to purchase a competitors engine for this price.              
Claiming rules were extremely rarely used however, and when they were it was usually some sort of retribution action for some previous on track contretemps.

Reigning Scottish Saloon Stock Champion Kenny Ireland moved to the Superstox, still only 17 years old. He had purchased the Malcolm Paterson 1971 car, and managed to achieveblue grade by the end of the season.

All in draw re-introduced for grid positions in the Open Scottish Championship, this had been missing for a few years in Scotland.              
With regard to the race itself, Gordon McDougall was the red hot favourite having won 8 races in a row. He was also drawn on the front row. He did have a close run battle with Andy Davidson who had closed right up to him at the end. Malcolm Paterson was 3rd, Derrick Warwick 4th & Doug McMahon 5th (from 25th on the grid).              
So Gordon McDougall's stats after this meeting  for the previous 12 races was, 10 - wins, 1 - 2nd 1 - disqualification.               
Gordon then went on to record his 100th race win on the 28th April at Armadale.

Bill McLeod (F2 /Superstox race number 4) retired from his officiating position of Assistant Track Controller in April 72. Bill had been one of the original BSCDA drivers who joined the Spedeworth organisation in 1965. Bill had always maintained a high standard when racing indeed won the Formula Two European Championship held at White City Glasgow. I believe this may have taken place in 1964, as the race was scheduled to take place there that year, however at this time I cannot confirm this. 

No 4 ex F2 European Champion Bill McLeod (knockhillimages.smugmug.com)

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Oval Racing Stalwart 23 Dougie Farrer (photo Frank Love / Retrostox)

Dougie Farrer decided to make a second attempt in the Superstox in 1972 in a self built car, brother Tam who had reached blue in the Saloon Stocks also planned to try Superstox buying Billy McCourt's old car.              
Dougie had abandoned his previous attempt after only scoring 1 point in the formula.              
This time however he was going to give it a fair go, after all he was already 35 years old!

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Kenny Ireland caught mid 5 times roll (knockhillimages.smugmug.com)

During British Superstox British Qualifying meeting Kenny Ireland executed a 5 times roll, although shaken he was unhurt.

The qualifying rounds for the British Championship were over 4 meetings no less - not that this was exploitation or anything. So despite the qualifying events often excluding the best drivers from the top events in the end, it often produced great racing. This time it was even more thrilling than before, with added spice, as the race was to be televised by ITV's World of Sport and they obviously wanted to be on TV. 

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Andy Davidson parked on top of Malcolm Paterson (photo knockhillimages.smugmug.com)

The Scottish Superstox Championship was quite an eventful race. While trying to get past Malcolm Paterson, Andy Davidson managed to park his car on top of Malcolm's', eliminating them both. Gordon McDougall was the next hot contender out when he hit the fence and bounced out into the middle of the track. Vic Russell had taken up the lead, but Ronnie Nisbet caught him up. He couldn't find a way passed, so Vic ended up in the fence. This fracas allowed John Duncker to catch up with Ronnie and he just failed to spin him. It looked as though his next attempt should surely succeed. Through all of this Vic was still in his car stuck in the fence, unable to get out. The race was therefore declared. Ronnie first, John second, Eric Moore collecting 3rd. 

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Qualifying for the 1972 British Championship as follows:-             
Andy Davidson   32         
Tennant Douglas   27         
Bill Crawford   18         
Bill Pullar   13         
Alan Neilson   11         
Malcolm Paterson   8         
Gordon McDougall had accumulated 9 points, but as the defending champion would take part in any case. 

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"Happy" Sam Page (85), 1967 Scottish Points Champion, was forced to retire through doctors orders in 1972, he had made sporadic appearances in the last few seasons, but had still been capable of some great form winning 3 finals towards the end of the 1971 season.

Andy Davidson brought the long running Paterson / May share of the UK Challenge Cup to an end by winning the event in 1972. Andy had a brilliant season finishing 2nd in the Scottish Points               
Championship to Malcolm Paterson (up from 5th the previous season), 2nd in the Open Scottish to Gordon McDougall & the leading winner of finals with 9. He also finished 6th in the World Championship at Wimbledon.

In 1972 Gwen Cecil intimated a 50 lap race in the Superstox, where she donated an extra 50 pounds to the winner as well as the normal final prize money.               
She believed that the Scottish drivers did not get enough experience of driving 50 lap races, which all the major championships were. The format then was that the places at the end of the 25 laps were registered as a normal final with normal points and prize money, the race then continued for another 25 laps with the winner receiving the extra 50 pounds. Kenny Ireland's parents donated an extra 15 pounds for 2nd & 10 pounds for 3rd.               
In the event, to quote Gwen "to say I was disappointed is an understatement", the race turned into a bit of a procession. Roy had apparently told her that long races invariably turn into endurance tests. I don't think the experiment was ever repeated. Andy Davidson was the winner.                 
Maybe the extra laps did some good for Andy Davidson with his 6th in the World Championship at Wimbledon the following week, he finished behind Geoff Goddard (294), Pete Welland (264), John Cayzer (381), Tony May (363) & Bob Perry (217).

Scottish qualifiers for the 1972 World Championship were Bob Morton, Andy Davidson, Bill Crawford, Vic Russell, Gordon McDougall, Malcolm Paterson, Alan Neilson & John Duncker.               
Geoff Goddard retained his title, form Pete Welland and John Cayzer. Andy Davidson collected a well earned 6th & Gordon McDougall 8th.

It was reported that the crowd for this meeting was an amazing 40,000! I would be grateful if anyone can confirm that Wimbledon could attract such crowds. My feeling is that it is a missprint.

On the 15th October Andy took his 3rd 40 point haul for the season, winning both his heats & the final, strangely this was to be Andy's last success, he obtained a few places in the remaining three meetings, & made an appearance at the Christmas meeting also getting places in each race, but then never raced again. Scotland's greatest Stock Car journalist (now enjoying retirement) Ian Fraser happened across Andy for the first time in 20 years in a supermarket in Lochgelly. Following a conversation I had with Ian in 2010, he put to Andy why he did retire?, basically it was the agro in the pits after the racing that Andy found increasingly distasteful.               
A great shame Andy achieved some brilliant results in his relatively short career, in extremely fast self built cars.

Both Malcolm Paterson and Gordon McDougall also had 40 point maximums at Cowdenbeath during the season but only once each. Malcolm also obtained a total of 3 (4 race maximums at Armadale) where there were 3 all in heats contested. I do not know if Spedeworth Scotland scored these meetings different. For these purposes I have scored the meetings as per the published scoring system ie these then become 52 point maximums.

           
Billy McCourt debuted a midget styled Superstox with its engine in the back, but wasn't an outstanding success. He did finish top of the yellows though. 

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The stats for the most wins in 1972 were as follows:- 

For these purposes the British, Open Scottish, UK Challenge Cup & "Cock of The North" (Final & Championship winners race) are counted as finals.              
 

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Scottish Championship 1st Hamish Buchan, 2nd Davey Philp, 3rd Dave Wallis (knockhillimages.smugmug.com)

1972 SALOON STOCK POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP  

SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP - 3rd SEPTEMBER         EAST of SCOTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP - 1st OCTOBER 

WEST of SCOTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP - DATE N/A           "COCK of the NORTH" - 31st OCTOBER

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The stats for the most wins in 1972 were as follows:-