1997 Pontiac Excitement 400

Third race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series February 2025 NASWINSTON 3 300 1997 Set by 1996 owner's points Pontiac Excitement 400 0.75 482.803 1.21 400 43rd Annual Pontiac Excitement 400 Richmond, Virginia, Richmond International Raceway 108.499 mph km/h 32 March 2 2 Motor Racing Network ESPN Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons, Ned Jarrett 172 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Dale Jarrett Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Robert Yates Racing The 1997 Pontiac Excitement 400 program cover. 1997 Pontiac Excitement 400.jpg The 1997 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the third stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 2, 1997, in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. In a controversial victory, Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace would manage to hold off the field on the final restart with three to go, scoring his 47th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season.Poole David March 2, 1997 Wallace leaves questions http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0302.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213615/http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0302.htm August 15, 2000 September 23, 2022 That's Racin' The Charlotte ObserverMarch 3, 1997 Wallace's hard-fought victory not yet official at Pontiac 400 60 The Kansas City Star https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110041535/wallaces-hard-fought-victory-not-yet/ September 23, 2022 Newspapers.com To fill out the top three, Geoff Bodine Racing driver Geoff Bodine and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively. In post-race technical inspection, Wallace's engine was found to have failed to "meet compression ratio specifications" according to NASCAR technical inspector Kevin Triplett. At the time, the engine compression ratio was 14:1. On Monday, March 3, NASCAR would run another test. The official test results came to 14.001:1, which while slightly over, was within the guidelines and would allow Wallace to keep his victory.McCollister Tom March 4, 1997 Wallace declared Richmond winner 94 The Atlanta Constitution https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110041679/wallace-declared-richmond-winner/ September 23, 2022 Newspapers.com Background thumb|The layout of Richmond International Raceway, the venue where the race was at. Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. Known as "America's premier short track". Entry list (R) denotes rookie driver. #DriverTeamMake1Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Geoff BodineMattei MotorsportsFord8Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord9Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Loy Allen Jr.TriStar MotorsportsFord20Greg SacksRanier-Walsh RacingFord21Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord29Robert PressleyDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet30Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac31Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet33Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet36Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac37Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord40Robby Gordon (R)Team SABCOChevrolet41Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac44Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord78Billy StandridgeTriad MotorsportsFord81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord91Mike WallaceLJ RacingChevrolet94Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord96David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet97Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac98John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord Qualifying Qualifying was originally scheduled to be held on Friday, February 28. However, due to rain, qualifying was cancelled. In 1997, NASCAR rules mandated that the top 33 spots were based on the 1996 owner's points, since the race was in the first four races of the season. The final 10 spots were based on postmarks on the official entry list. As a result, Terry Labonte, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole.D. Boggs Johnny March 2, 1997 Rain forces Richmond race to start by standings, mail 59 Fort Worth Star-Telegram https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110041858/rain-forces-richmond-race-to-start-by/ September 23, 2022 Newspapers.com Three drivers would fail to qualify: Billy Standridge, Greg Sacks, and Mike Wallace. Full starting lineup Pos.#DriverTeamMake15Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet388Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord43Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet56Mark MartinRoush RacingFord610Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord72Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord84Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet943Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac1028Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord1118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac1225Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord1421Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord1523Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord1616Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord1794Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord187Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord191Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac2075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord2141Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet2298John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord2330Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac2440Robby Gordon (R)Team SABCOChevrolet258Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord269Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord2711Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord2833Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2981Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord3017Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet3122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac3242Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet3337Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord3471Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet3577Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord3631Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3744Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac3836Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac3929Robert PressleyDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet4090Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord4196David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet4297Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac4319Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFordFailed to qualify4478Billy StandridgeTriad MotorsportsFord4520Greg SacksRanier-Walsh RacingFord4691Mike WallaceLJ RacingChevroletOfficial starting lineup Race results Fin1997 Pontiac Excitement 400 - The Third Turn https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/1997_Pontiac_Excitement_400 September 22, 2022 The Third Turn enSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings172Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord400135running180$86,7752187Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord40018running175$56,8753388Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord400172running175$50,7504224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet39965running165$46,2005943Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac3991running160$35,5956610Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord3990running150$30,770715Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3990running146$35,84581118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac3991running147$28,94592330Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac3990running138$25,745103744Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac3980running134$18,545112141Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet3980running130$24,34512269Lake SpeedMelling RacingFord3980running127$24,0451356Mark MartinRoush RacingFord3980running124$23,870141225Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3980running121$23,670151794Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord3988running123$25,330163017Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet3980running115$16,215173337Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord3980running112$15,415182075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord3980running109$22,2651984Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet3970running106$27,540201616Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord3970running103$24,565213929Robert PressleyDiamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet3970running100$16,965221523Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord3970running97$21,840232711Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord3970running94$21,665243122Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac3970running91$14,5402543Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet3970running88$27,940263631Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet3970running85$12,265271421Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord3960running82$21,340282440Robby Gordon (R)Team SABCOChevrolet3960running79$21,215294090Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord3950running76$14,190303836Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac3950running73$11,160312298John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord3950running70$20,61532258Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord3950running67$18,090334196David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet3950running64$11,075344297Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac3950running61$11,065352833Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet3930running58$18,065361028Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord3910crash55$26,065373471Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet3910running52$11,065384319Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFord3890running49$11,065393242Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet3800running46$11,065402981Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord3760engine43$18,065413577Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord3360rear end40$11,065421399Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord2480running37$19,06543191Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac1310engine34$11,965Official race results References 1997 Goodwrench Service 400 1997 Primestar 500 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:NASCAR races at Richmond Raceway Category:March 1997 sports events in the United States Category:1997 in sports in Virginia