PORSCHE RACING HISTORY1972 - Le Mans 24 Hours
11 June 1972 - Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France
The 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 40th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 10 and 11 June 1972. Porsche 908 was 3rd overall and Porsche 907 was 2nd in S2.0 class
This year's marked the start of a new era with revised Sports-Prototype regulations putting a 3-litre limit on engine size. There was also a significant change to the track with the construction of the new technical section subsequently named the Porsche Curves bypassing the dangerous Maison Blanche corner, which had been the site of many serious accidents in the past. Having already won the Manufacturers’ Championship Ferrari chose not to contest the race. Matra were strong favourites for the outright win after not running the other races to focus on its Le Mans preparation. Once the challenge from Alfa Romeo and Lola had dissipated overnight, Matra were able to ease off to secure a popular 1–2 victory for the home country – France's first since 1950. Henri Pescarolo and Graham Hill were the winners, with a healthy 11-lap margin over teammates François Cevert and Howden Ganley. However the victory was tarnished by the death of veteran Formula One racer Jo Bonnier who died when his Lola prototype collided with a Ferrari GT and flew over the barriers into the trees on the Sunday morning.
| No. | Car | # | Class | Drivers | Entrant | Pos | Class | Grid | Notes |
| 60 | Porsche 908/01L | 908-013 | S3.0 | Reinhold Jöst (D)/Michel Weber (D)/Mario Casoni (I) | Siffert ATE Racing (D) | 3rd | 3rd | 10th | 344 laps |
| 41 | Porsche 911 S | GT | Michael Keyser (USA)/Jürgen Barth (D)/Sylvain Garant (F) | Louis Meznarie (F) | 13th | 6th | 44th | 285 laps | |
| 24 | Porsche 907 | 907-031 | S2.0 | Peter Mattli (CH)/Hervé Bayard (F)/Walter Brun (CH) | Wicky Racing Team (CH) | 18th | 2nd | 24th | 252 laps |
| 67 | Porsche 908/02 | 908/02-016 | S3.0 | Christian Poirot (F)/Philippe Farjon (F) | Christian Poirot (F) | NC | 18th | 206 laps | |
| 5 | Porsche 908/03 | 908/03-013 | S3.0 | Juan Fernandez (E)/Francisco Torredemer (E)/Eugenio Baturone (E) | Escuderia Montjuïch (E) | DNF | 14th | 278 laps - Wheel Bearing | |
| 6 | Porsche 908/02 | 908-022 | S3.0 | Hans-Dieter Weigel (D)/Helmut Krause (D) | Hans-Dieter Weigel (D) | DNF | 13th | 244 laps - Accident | |
| 42 | Porsche 911 S | GT | Claude Haldi (CH)/"Gédéhem" Gérard Darton-Merlin (F) | Claude Haldi (CH) | DNF | 40th | 208 laps - Cylinder Head | ||
| 65 | Porsche 910 | S3.0 | Louis Cosson (F)/Jean-Louis Ravenel (F) | "Novestille" (F) | DNF | 19th | 188 laps - Wheel Bearing | ||
| 45 | Porsche 911 S | 119 300 932 | GT | "Lee Banner" Fernand Saropoulos (GR)/Dominique Bardini (F) | Raymond Touroul (F) | DNF | 45th | 183 laps - Engine | |
| 76 | Porsche 908/02 | 908/02-025 | S3.0 | Raymond Touroul (F)/Jean-Claude Lagniez (F) | Jean Egreteaud (F) | DNF | 12th | 83 laps - Out of Fuel | |
| 44 | Porsche 911 S | 911 230 0955 | GT | Georg Loos (D)/Jean Sage (F)/Franz Pesch (D) | Jean Sage (F) | DNF | 52nd | 64 laps - Engine | |
| 80 | Porsche 911 S | GT | John Fitzpatrick (GB)/Erwin Kremer (D) | Porsche Kremer Racing Team (D) | DNF | 32nd | 39 laps - Crankshaft | ||
| 79 | Porsche 911 S | GT | Hermes Delbar (B)/Roger van der Schrick (B) | Jean-Pierre Gaban (B) | DNF | 39th | 36 laps - Gearbox | ||
| 40 | Porsche 911 S | GT | Pierre Mauroy (F)/Marcel Mignot (F) | René Mazzia (F) | DNF | 50th | 27 laps - Engine | ||
| 58 | Porsche 908/02 | 908/02-005 | S3.0 | Otto Stuppacher (A)/Walter Roser (A) | Bosch Racing Team (A) | DNF | 21st | 11 laps - Accident - Wrong Chassis No.? | |
| 61 | Porsche 908/02 Flunder | 908/02-010 | S3.0 | Walter Brun (CH)/Max Cohen-Olivar (MOR)/André Wicky (CH) | Wicky Racing Team (CH) | DNS |
World Championship for Makes Le Mans 24 Hours
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