1997 Brickyard 400
{{more citations needed|date=February 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 19 of 32 in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season
| Race Name = Brickyard 400
| Details ref =
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1997|08|2}}
| Year = 1997
| Race_No = 19
| Season_No = 32
| Image = 1997_Brickyard_400_program_cover_and_logo.png
| Caption = 1997 Brickyard 400 program cover
| Official name = Brickyard 400
| Location = Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana
| Course_mi = 2.5
| Course_km = 4.023
| Distance_laps = 160
| Distance_mi = 400
| Distance_km = 643.737
| Weather =
| Avg = {{convert|130.814|mi/h}}
| Pole_Driver = Ernie Irvan
| Pole_Team = Robert Yates Racing
| Pole_Time =
| Most_Driver = Ernie Irvan
| Most_Team = Robert Yates Racing
| Most_laps = 39
| Car = 10
| First_Driver = Ricky Rudd
| First_Team = Rudd Performance Motorsports
| Network = ABC
| Announcers = Bob Jenkins and Benny Parsons
| Ratings = 5.3/18
}}
The 1997 Brickyard 400, the 4th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on August 2, 1997 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Contested at 160 laps on the 2.5 mile (4.023 km) speedway, it was the 19th race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Ricky Rudd won the race.
That was last Cup attempt of Tim Steele, he would pass away in 2024.
Ron Barfield Jr. also raced his only NASCAR Winston Cup race here.
Background
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana, (an enclave suburb of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately {{convert|6|mi|km|0|spell=in}} west of Downtown Indianapolis. It is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is {{convert|2.5|mi|3}} long. The track's turns are banked at 9 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has no banking. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has a zero degree banking. The racetrack has seats for more than 250,000 spectators.
Summary
In the final twenty laps, Dale Jarrett, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin held the top three spots, but none of the three would be able to make it to the finish without one final pit stop for fuel. Jeff Burton and Ricky Rudd also were close on fuel. On lap 145, Robby Gordon brushed the wall, and Burton ran over debris. Burton was forced to pit under green, but as he was finishing his stop, the caution came out. Burton flew out of the pits to beat the leaders, and for a moment it appeared he was in the cat bird's seat with four fresh tires, and would be the leader after all other drivers cycled through their stops. However, he was penalized for speeding while exiting the pit lane, and dropped to 15th. Ricky Rudd was among a few drivers who stayed out, and his gamble put him in the lead. Rudd drove the final 46 laps without a pit stop to take the victory.{{cite news|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-aug-03-1997-4281982/|title=Rudd's gamble pays off|work=Cedar Rapids Gazette|date=August 3, 1997|access-date=February 2, 2024|page=50|via=NewspaperArchive}}
Results
| class="wikitable"
! {{abbr|Pos|Finishing position}} ! {{abbr|SP|Starting position}} ! {{abbr|No.|Car number}} !Driver !Car make !Entrant !Laps !Status |
| 1
| 7 || 10 || Ricky Rudd || Ford || Rudd Performance Motorsports || 160 || Running |
|---|
| 2
| 25 || 18 || Bobby Labonte || Pontiac || Joe Gibbs Racing || 160 || Running |
| 3
| 3 || 88 || Dale Jarrett || Ford || Robert Yates Racing || 160 || Running |
| 4
| 24 || 24 || Jeff Gordon || Chevrolet || Hendrick Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 5
| 16 || 37 || Jeremy Mayfield || Ford || Kranefuss-Haas Racing || 160 || Running |
| 6
| 31 || 6 || Mark Martin || Ford || Roush Racing || 160 || Running |
| 7
| 20 || 30 || Johnny Benson Jr. || Pontiac || Bahari Racing || 160 || Running |
| 8
| 15 || 94 || Bill Elliott || Ford || Bill Elliott Racing || 160 || Running |
| 9
| 6 || 31 || Mike Skinner || Chevrolet || Richard Childress Racing || 160 || Running |
| 10
| 1 || 28 || Ernie Irvan || Ford || Robert Yates Racing || 160 || Running |
| 11
| 8 || 33 || Ken Schrader || Chevrolet || Andy Petree Racing || 160 || Running |
| 12
| 27 || 9 || Lake Speed || Ford || Melling Racing || 160 || Running |
| 13
| 39 || 44 || Kyle Petty || Pontiac || PE2 Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 14
| 4 || 17 || Darrell Waltrip || Chevy || Darrell Waltrip Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 15
| 33 || 99 || Jeff Burton || Ford || Roush Racing || 160 || Running |
| 16
| 41 || 25 || Ricky Craven || Chevrolet || Hendrick Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 17
| 35 || 98 || John Andretti || Ford || Cale Yarborough Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 18
| 42 || 11 || Brett Bodine || Ford || Brett Bodine Racing || 160 || Running |
| 19
| 36 || 22 || Ward Burton || Pontiac || Bill Davis Racing || 160 || Running |
| 20
| 12 || 43 || Bobby Hamilton || Pontiac || Petty Enterprises || 160 || Running |
| 21
| 34 || 27 || Rick Wilson || Ford || David Blair Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 22
| 23 || 92 || Ron Barfield Jr. || Ford || Bill Elliott Racing || 160 || Running |
| 23
| 17 || 75 || Rick Mast || Ford || Butch Mock Motorsports || 160 || Running |
| 24
| 40 || 23 || Jimmy Spencer || Ford || Travis Carter Enterprises || 159 || Running |
| 25
| 26 || 29 || Jeff Green || Chevrolet || Diamond Ridge Motorsports || 159 || Running |
| 26
| 19 || 41 || Steve Grissom || Chevrolet || Larry Hedrick Motorsports || 159 || Running |
| 27
| 30 || 95 || Ed Berrier || Chevrolet || Sadler Brothers Racing || 159 || Running |
| 28
| 11 || 40 || Robby Gordon || Chevrolet || Team SABCO || 159 || Running |
| 29
| 5 || 3 || Dale Earnhardt || Chevrolet || Richard Childress Racing || 158 || Running |
| 30
| 29 || 81 || Kenny Wallace || Ford || FILMAR Racing || 158 || Running |
| 31
| 37 || 91 || Greg Sacks || Chevrolet || LJ Racing || 158 || Running |
| 32
| 2 || 42 || Joe Nemechek || Chevrolet || Team SABCO || 156 || Running |
| 33
| 22 || 16 || Ted Musgrave || Ford || Roush Racing || 155 || Running |
| 34
| 10 || 26 || Rich Bickle || Chevrolet || Darrell Waltrip Motorsports || 153 || Crash |
| 35
| 9 || 96 || David Green || Chevrolet || American Equipment Racing || 137 || Engine |
| 36
| 14 || 46 || Wally Dallenbach Jr. || Chevrolet || Team SABCO || 120 || Ignition |
| 37
| 28 || 12 || Jeff Purvis || Chevrolet || LAR Motorsports || 112 || Running |
| 38
| 43 || 2 || Rusty Wallace || Ford || Penske Racing || 91 || Engine |
| 39
| 18 || 21 || Michael Waltrip || Ford || Wood Brothers Racing || 89 || Running |
| 40
| 38 || 5 || Terry Labonte || Chevrolet || Hendrick Motorsports || 83 || Engine |
| 41
| 32 || 36 || Derrike Cope || Pontiac || MB2 Motorsports || 12 || Crash |
| 42
| 21 || 97 || Chad Little || Pontiac || Mark Rypien Motorsports || 2 || Crash |
| 43
| 13 || 4 || Sterling Marlin || Chevrolet || Morgan-McClure Motorsports || 2 || Engine |
| colspan=8| Source:[https://www.racing-reference.info/race/1997_Brickyard_400/W 1997 Brickyard 400] |
=Failed to qualify=
- Mike Wallace (#1)
- Dick Trickle (#90)
- Geoff Bodine (#7)
- Bobby Hillin Jr. (#78)
- Tim Steele (#61)
- Morgan Shepherd (#77)
- Dave Marcis (#71)
- Hut Stricklin (#8)
- Larry Pearson (#15) – withdrawn
- A. J. Foyt (#50) – withdrawn
=Race statistics=
- Time of race: 3:03:28
- Average Speed: {{convert|130.814|mph}}
- Pole Speed: 177.736
- Cautions: 6 for 25 laps
- Margin of Victory: 0.183 sec
- Lead changes: 19
- Percent of race run under caution: 15.6%
- Average green flag run: 19.3 laps
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Lap leaders | |
| Laps
! Leader | |
|---|---|
| 1–39 | Ernie Irvan |
| 40 | Jeff Gordon |
| 41 | Johnny Benson Jr. |
| 42–54 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. |
| 55 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 56 | Terry Labonte |
| 57 | Ricky Craven |
| 58–77 | Dale Jarrett |
| 78–80 | Jeff Gordon |
| 81 | Johnny Benson Jr. |
| 82–83 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 84 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. |
| 85–88 | Jeff Gordon |
| 89–109 | Jeff Burton |
| 110–113 | Jeff Gordon |
| 114 | Ricky Rudd |
| 115–122 | Mike Skinner |
| 123–135 | Jeff Gordon |
| 136–146 | Dale Jarrett |
| 147–160 | Ricky Rudd |
{{col-break}}
| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Total laps led | |
| Laps
! Leader | |
|---|---|
| 39 | Ernie Irvan |
| 31 | Dale Jarrett |
| 25 | Jeff Gordon |
| 21 | Jeff Burton |
| 15 | Ricky Rudd |
| 14 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. |
| 8 | Mike Skinner |
| 3 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 2 | Johnny Benson Jr. |
| 1 | Ricky Craven |
| 1 | Terry Labonte |
{{col-break}}
| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Cautions: 6 for 25 laps | |
| Laps
! Reason | |
|---|---|
| 4–6 | #97 (Chad Little), #96 (David Green), and #12 (Jeff Purvis) crash turn 1 |
| 15–20 | #36 (Derrike Cope), #21 (Michael Waltrip), #94 (Bill Elliott), #16 (Ted Musgrave), and #43 (Bobby Hamilton) crash turn 2 |
| 84–88 | #5 (Terry Labonte) engine |
| 114–117 | #42 (Joe Nemechek) crash turn 2 |
| 147–150 | Debris #40 (Robby Gordon) |
| 155–157 | #26 (Rich Bickle) crash turn 3 |
{{col-end}}
Media
=Television=
The race was aired live on ABC in the United States. Bob Jenkins and 1973 Cup Series champion Benny Parsons called the race from the broadcast booth. Jerry Punch, Bill Weber and Jack Arute handled pit road for the television side.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" |
| colspan=3 | ABC |
|---|
| colspan=2 | Booth announcers
! rowspan=2 | Pit reporters |
| Lap-by-lap
! Color-commentators |
| Bob Jenkins |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Brickyard 400}}
{{NASCAR on ESPN}}
{{1997 Winston Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1997 Brickyard 400}}