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Grant rejoined his old friend Dan Gurney for the 1972 Indianapolis
500â . Grant did not run a lap in practice until the Friday
before the second qualifying weekend. He qualified in 15th
spot, with a speed of 189.294 mph, the fourth fastest time in the
field. When the race began, Bobby Unser took a commanding lead in
his Olsonite Eagle,  and Grant began moving rapidly up through
the field.
When Bobby Unser fell out on Lap 31, Grant moved up to 3rd,
behind Gary Bettenhausen and Mike Mosley. Mosley had an accident
on Lap 56 shortly after taking the lead. Bettenhausen then
dominated more than half the race, with Grant the only driver who
could keep in touch with him. When Bettenhausen's engine
faltered on Lap 182 after a return of green flag racing, Grant
swept into the lead well ahead of Mark Donohue, then in second.
Although Donohue picked up his pace, the race appeared to belong
to  Grant. But a cut tire brought Grant in to pit on Lap 187, and
during his stop the refueling nozzle from team mate Bobby
Unser's car was connected to Grant's car. Grant finished the
race believing that he'd won, but the scorers had Donohue in
first place, with Grant in second. Grant's bad luck was not
over, for a competitor protested Grant for illegally accepting
fuel from a team mate's fuel supply. The protest was upheld, and
Grant was stripped of all laps run after his final pit stop,
dropping him to 12th place in the final reckoning. Mark
Donohue won the 1972 Indianapolis 500â at a speed of 163.465 mph.
started
15th
finished 12th More
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