On April 23, 1972, North Wilkesboro Speedway hosted the Gwyn Staley 400, run over 400 laps on the track’s .625-mile oval. A crowd of 16,000 fans attended the event and saw Richard Petty score the victory after a strong duel with Bobby Allison, winning by just two seconds at the finish. The race covered 250 miles and was completed at an average speed of 86.381 mph.
Bobby Isaac earned the pole position with a qualifying speed of 107.506 mph and remained competitive throughout the afternoon, finishing third. James Hylton crossed the line in fourth, while Benny Parsons completed the top five. The race began with a 30-car starting lineup, featuring many of NASCAR’s leading drivers of the era.
There were five caution flags for 45 laps, slowing the pace several times on the tight short track. Even with the cautions, the race featured close competition among the front-runners, with Petty and Allison battling for the win in the closing stages. When the checkered flag fell, Petty added another North Wilkesboro victory to his record, while Allison and Isaac turned in strong finishes behind him.
