1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World

August 2023 July 2026 Motor race held in Bay Lake, Florida USA Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Walt_Disney_World_Speedway_diagram.svg January 25 1997 yes Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Presented by Aurora Indy Racing League Walt Disney World Speedway, Bay Lake, Florida Permanent racing facility 1.000 1.609 149 149.000 239.792 200 200.000 321.869 Mixture of dry weather and rain; temperatures reaching up to 75.2 F C along with wind speeds reaching up to 20 mph km/hhttps://www.almanac.com/weather/history/zipcode/32821/1997-01-25 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World weather information Old Farmers' Almanac 2013-10-26 Tony Stewart Team Menard 21.685 USA Tony Stewart Team Menard 22.579 5 USA Eddie Cheever Team Cheever USA Mike Groff Byrd-Cunningham Racing USA Scott Goodyear Treadway Racing CAN 3 10 The 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Presented by Aurora was an open-wheel car race that was sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC) and held on January 25, 1997, at Walt Disney World Speedway in Bay Lake, Florida before 54,000 spectators. It was the third of 10 rounds in the 1996–97 Indy Racing League season and the second running of the event. Cheever Racing's Eddie Cheever won the 149-lap race, shortened from the scheduled 200-lap distance due to rain, with Byrd-Cunningham Racing driver Mike Groff finishing second and Scott Goodyear coming in third for Treadway Racing. Groff led the Drivers' Championship standings entering the race, which brought about the debut of the Indy Racing League's new car specifications that introduced normally aspirated engines as a replacement for the turbocharged engines in order to reduce the costs and speeds of the series. Tony Stewart was a clear favorite to win the race, having lapped quick speeds in preseason testing and practice sessions and earning the pole position by recording the fastest lap time of qualifying. After leading the first 130 laps, he gave up the lead to Buzz Calkins during a pit stop. He reclaimed the position 15 laps later when Calkins retired from the race with an engine failure, but spun on his own oil that leaked from his car, giving Cheever the top position. Once a large downpour developed over the track, the race was declared official, with Cheever earning his first career win. The result meant that Groff widened his advantage over second-place Calkins in the Drivers' Championship, while Scott Sharp, Davey Hamilton, and Marco Greco were promoted by three positions to round out the top-five in the standings with seven races left in the season. Background left|thumb|Walt Disney World Speedway (pictured in 2008), where the race was held. The second annual edition of the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World was the third of 10 rounds in the Indy Racing League (IRL)'s 1996–97 season and was held on Saturday, January 25, 1997, making it the first race of the season to be held in the calendar year of 1997.1996-97 Schedule & Ticket Information http://brickyard.com/irl/97sched.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216150124/http://brickyard.com/irl/97sched.htm February 16, 1997 July 18, 2026 Indy Racing LeagueJanuary 23, 1997 Walt Disney Indy 200 Preview http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4976%inputraceId=66 dead https://web.archive.org/web/19971013104029/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4976%inputraceId=66 October 13, 1997 July 14, 2026 Indy Car Racing Magazine It was the only time in the event's history that it did not act as the IRL's season opener.Nguyen Kevin December 21, 2017 When Disney was a part of IndyCar https://readmotorsport.com/2017/12/21/disney-part-indycar/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20171223004323/https://readmotorsport.com/2017/12/21/disney-part-indycar/ December 23, 2017 July 19, 2026 Read Motorsport As it had the previous year, the event took place at Walt Disney World Speedway, a 1 mi km on tri-oval track with varied amounts of banking in each of its three turns (10 degrees in turn one, 8.5 in turn two, and seven in turn three), in Bay Lake, Florida, United States.Walt Disney World Speedway https://www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/walt-disney-world-speedway.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20260708195606/https://www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/walt-disney-world-speedway.html July 8, 2026 July 19, 2026 Racing Circuits Buzz Calkins was the defending race winner. Heading into the race, Mike Groff led the Drivers' Championship with 63 points. Calkins and Michele Alboreto shared the second position, as they were tied on 62 points each. Roberto Guerrero and Richie Hearn rounded out the top-five in the standings, with 60 and 59 points, respectively.1997 Las Vegas 500K (September) https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1997_Las_Vegas_500K_(September_96)/O live https://web.archive.org/web/20251208013451/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1997_Las_Vegas_500K_(September_96)/O December 8, 2025 July 19, 2026 Racing Reference NASCAR Digital Media The biggest uncertainty entering the race were the introduction of the IRL's car specifications. Their new engine formula replaced 2.65 L U.S.gal on turbocharged engines used in 1996 with 4.0 L U.S.gal on normally aspirated V8 engines – the Oldsmobile Aurora and the Nissan Infiniti Indyhttps://archive.org/details/indyreview1997vo0000unse Indy Review 1997: Complete Coverage of the IRL Racing Season MBI Publishing Company 1998 9780760305317 en A Magical Moment July 19, 2026 registration 7–9 – in order to reduce costs and speeds.Glick Shav January 22, 1997 CHANGING GEARS : Indy Racing League Has Its Own Cars, Tracks and Schedule and Has Even Taken the Name IndyCar From Rivals at CART https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-22-sp-21030-story.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20240526144320/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-01-22-sp-21030-story.html May 26, 2024 July 19, 2026 Los Angeles TimesDemere Mac June 1, 1996 Indy 500 - Motor Sport https://www.motortrend.com/news/motor-sport-indy-500 live https://web.archive.org/web/20251206045905/https://www.motortrend.com/news/motor-sport-indy-500 December 6, 2025 July 19, 2026 Motortrend Hearst Autos To accommodate the engines, the series' two chassis suppliers (Dallara and G-Force) constructed new cars that featured an airbox above and behind the drivers' cockpits to force air into the engine compartment.April 2, 1996 IRL Announces New Chassis Rules, Car Constructors http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-016.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216164234/http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-016.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League IndianapolisApril 3, 1996 IRL Announces New Chassis http://icr.com/news/apr_1996/news0356.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/19961106102947/http://icr.com/news/apr_1996/news0356.html November 6, 1996 July 19, 2026 Indy Car Racing Magazine Riley & Scott also announced their intentions to field an IRL chassis, though their commitment to Oldsmobile in IMSA prevented them from doing so until the True Value 500 in June 1997.October 23, 1996 Riley & Scott takes first IRL chassis order, plan competition debut in Longhorn 500 https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-riley-scott-takes-first-irl-chassis-order/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20180403051414/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-riley-scott-takes-first-irl-chassis-order/ April 3, 2018 April 2, 2018 Motorsport.com The G-Force chassis and Aurora engine debuted at Phoenix International Raceway in November 1996, with Arie Luyendyk setting speeds at around 162 mph km/h on in a two-day test.http://www.icr.com:80/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=47 https://web.archive.org/web/19970625090012/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=47 dead June 25, 1997 Luyendyk tests G-Force/Aurora IRL car April 2, 2018 November 21, 1996 Indy Car Racing Magazinehttps://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-aurora-g-force-test/ Aurora V8 completes first track test Motorsport.com April 2, 2018 November 15, 1996 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163455/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-aurora-g-force-test/ dead Later that month, Eliseo Salazar completed a test for the new Dallara chassis at Walt Disney World Speedway, recording top lap speeds of 157 mph km/h on.http://www.icr.com:80/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=48 https://web.archive.org/web/19970625085951/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=48 dead June 25, 1997 Dallara runs at Disney World IndyCar Magazine April 2, 2018 November 29, 1996http://brickyard.com:80/irl/1996/96pr-051.htm https://web.archive.org/web/19970216163610/http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-051.htm dead February 16, 1997 Salazar, Team Scandia complete first Dallara test Indy Racing League April 2, 2018 November 26, 1996 thumb|282x282px|Eliseo Salazar (pictured in 2011) suffered injuries to his back during preseason testing. The first open test at Walt Disney World Speedway was conducted on December 10–13, but Oldsmobile's engine production had been scarce, and Infiniti was not ready yet to supply theirs.http://www.icr.com:80/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=49 https://web.archive.org/web/19970625085929/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=49 dead June 25, 1997 Weekly News Update: Infiniti Delayed April 2, 2018 December 4, 1996 Indy Car Racing Magazine Due to this, Luyendyk, Tony Stewart, and Scott Sharp were the only three participants of the test.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-testing-96-12-13/ Luyendyk sets top testing speed at 166.898 mph at Walt Disney World Motorsport.com April 2, 2018 December 13, 1996 September 11, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140911223814/http://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-testing-96-12-13/ dead Following several additional tests at the track with Salazar,Phillips David December 16, 1996 Salazar Returns For Second Walt Disney Speedway Test http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-058.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216163506/http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-058.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Orlando, Florida John Paul Jr.,December 20, 1996 Goodyear, Paul Jr., Test At Orlando; Jones In 3rd Day At Phoenix http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-064.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216163333/http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-064.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Scott Goodyear, Calkins, and Eddie Cheever,December 20, 1996 Goodyear, Paul Jr., Test At Orlando; Jones In 3rd Day At Phoenix http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-065.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216163325/http://brickyard.com/irl/1996/96pr-065.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League the pre-holiday testing period concluded with Goodyear lapping the fastest overall speed of 168.145 mph km/h on on December 23.December 24, 1996 CART and IRL News by D Phillips http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=53 dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970625085834/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=53 June 25, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Car Racing Magazine During the second series of tests at Walt Disney World Speedway on January 6–22, 1997, the Infiniti engine made its belated first appearance in Groff's car,https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-test-97-01-15/ Groff, Byrd/Cunningham finish Nissan test; Hemelgarn, Lazier arrive at Walt Disney World Speedway April 2, 2018 January 15, 1997 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163501/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-test-97-01-15/ dead Motorsport.com and Stewart logged the quickest speed among the 10 participating drivers at 169.795 mph km/h on.http://www.icr.com:80/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=54 https://web.archive.org/web/19970625085823/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=54 dead June 25, 1997 Salazar Hurt at Disney World IndyCar Magazine April 2, 2018 January 17, 1997 However, the tests were marred by a crash on January 11 involving Salazar, who suffered a compression fracture in his lower back after slipping on oil that leaked from his engine and slamming the wall in turn one.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-test-97-1-11/ Salazar hospitalized after testing accident Motorsport.com April 2, 2018 January 11, 1997 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163514/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-test-97-1-11/ dead According to IRL medical director Dr. Henry Bock, he would not be able to return to racing "at least until the beginning of May". The tentative entry list was revealed on January 21 with 23 cars,http://brickyard.com:80/wdw/97entry.htm https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154516/http://brickyard.com/wdw/97entry.htm dead February 16, 1997 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World, Tentative Entry List Indy Racing League April 2, 2018 January 21, 1997 but only 19 of the entries materialized after Mark Dismore, Robbie Buhl, Sam Schmidt, and Johnny Unser withdrew because of the engine shortage.http://www.racelink.com/rl_news/archive/01_97/drn_wk3.html https://web.archive.org/web/19970617070115/http://www.racelink.com/rl_news/archive/01_97/drn_wk3.html dead June 17, 1997 RaceLink Daily Racing News - January 1997, Week 3 February 7, 2019 January 16, 1997 RaceLinkBackground & Career http://www.unser-racing.com/career/career.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970626145242/http://www.unser-racing.com/career/career.html June 26, 1997 July 19, 2026 Johnny Unser Racing The 19 drivers represented 16 different teams and drove a Dallara IR-7, G-Force GF01, or Reynard 95I car that were powered by an Oldsmobile, Infiniti, or Ford engine and used Firestone or Goodyear tires.Race result: Indy Racing League, Race 3 of season 1997 in Bay Lake (Walt Disney World) (oval) https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/motorsport/formula-level1/indycar/1997/bay-lake-walt-disney-world-oval-_race3_results.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20260420025132/https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/motorsport/formula-level1/indycar/1997/bay-lake-walt-disney-world-oval-_race3_results.html April 20, 2026 July 19, 2026 Speedsport Magazine Scott Goodyear, a regular in the rivaling PPG CART World Series, diverted to the IRL and teamed with Luyendyk at Treadway Racing. Veteran racer Danny Ongais partnered with the newly-formed Chitwood Motorsports team in what wound up being the final start of his Indy car racing career.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-test-96-12-17/ Salazar Continues at Walt Disney World; Galles, Jones on Track at Phoenix Motorsport.com April 2, 2018 December 17, 1996 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163509/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-test-96-12-17/ deadDanny Ongais https://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/OngaisDanny.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20250702045650/https://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/OngaisDanny.htm July 2, 2025 July 19, 2026 Champ Car Stats Other new driver–team combinations include Davy Jones and Galles Racing, Jeret Schroeder and McCormack Motorsports, and Stéphan Grégoire and Chastain Motorsports.Indy Racing League - Season 1997: Results https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/motorsport/formula-level1/indycar/1997-results.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20260307083724/https://www.speedsport-magazine.com/motorsport/formula-level1/indycar/1997-results.html March 7, 2026 July 19, 2026 Speedsport Magazine A notable absentee was Hearn, winner of the preceding Las Vegas 500K in October 1996, who switched to the CART World Series with Della Penna Motorsports. Practice and qualifying Four practice sessions preceded the race on Saturday, two on Thursday and two on Friday. The first session lasted 120 minutes, the second session 45 minutes, the third session 90 minutes, and the fourth session 30 minutes.December 12, 1996 Schedule Of Events http://brickyard.com/wdw/97sched.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154531/http://brickyard.com/wdw/97sched.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Stewart set the fastest two lap times of the first practice session on Thursday morning in his primary car (21.465 seconds) and his backup car (21.610 seconds), outpacing Jones, Goodyear, Luyendyk, and Calkins.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-thursday-am-practice/ WDW: Thursday AM Practice April 2, 2018 January 23, 1997 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163504/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-thursday-am-practice/ dead Motorsport.com One hour and eight minutes into the session,January 23, 1997 Trackside Notes: Thursday 1/23/97 http://brickyard.com/wdw/970123c.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154557/http://brickyard.com/wdw/970123c.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Jones spun into the outside wall in turn three with the rear end of his car before backing into the inside wall on the front stretch and stopping in the infield grass. An unconscious Jones was transported by helicopter to the Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition before being upgraded to serious condition upon regaining consciousness.http://brickyard.com:80/wdw/970124j.htm https://web.archive.org/web/19970216150302/http://brickyard.com/wdw/970124j.htm dead February 16, 1997 Condition of Driver Davy Jones Indy Racing League April 2, 2018 February 7, 1997https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/24/sports/davy-jones-seriously-hurt-in-wreck-during-practice.html?scp=3&sq=1997%20Indy%20200&st=cse Davy Jones Seriously Hurt In Wreck During Practice New York Times July 2, 2009 Joseph Siano January 24, 1997 https://web.archive.org/web/20241228024044/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/24/sports/davy-jones-seriously-hurt-in-wreck-during-practice.html?scp=3&sq=1997%20Indy%20200&st=cse December 28, 2024 live Later that afternoon, Stewart topped the time charts of the second practice session at 21.721 seconds, with Calkins in second, Buddy Lazier in third, Goodyear in fourth, and Luyendyk in fifth.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-thursday-pm-practice/ WDW: Thursday PM Practice April 2, 2018 January 23, 1997 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163437/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-thursday-pm-practice/ dead Motorsport.com Stewart continued showcasing his speed the next morning by posting the fastest lap time of the third practice session at 21.551 seconds, besting Sharp, Cheever, Goodyear, and Luyendyk.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-friday-am-practice-2008-03-27/ WDW: Friday AM Practice Motorsport.com April 2, 2018 January 24, 1997 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163511/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-friday-am-practice-2008-03-27/ dead Prior to the session, Galles Racing named Jeff Ward as their replacement driver for Jones, who was diagnosed with head and neck injuries and experienced weakness in his left arm.http://brickyard.com:80/wdw/970124c.htm https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154636/http://brickyard.com/wdw/970124c.htm dead February 16, 1997 WDW Trackside Notes: Friday 1/24/97 Indy Racing League April 2, 2018 January 24, 1997 thumb|256x256px|Tony Stewart (pictured in 2016) earned his second career pole position. The qualifying session began 75 minutes after the third practice session ended. Each driver was required to complete two timed laps, with the fastest of the two determining their starting position.January 24, 1997 Chronological Qualification Summary http://brickyard.com/wdw/970124b.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154614/http://brickyard.com/wdw/970124b.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Stewart took the pole position, the second of his career, with a time of 21.685 seconds, beating second-place qualifier Luyendyk by 0.138 seconds.https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-starting-grid-2008-03-27/?y=1997&s=1 WDW Starting Grid April 2, 2018 January 23, 1997 April 2, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180402163450/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-starting-grid-2008-03-27/?y=1997&s=1 dead Motorsport.com After qualifying, Stewart considered it his first pole because he had only inherited the pole position in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 after his teammate, Scott Brayton, was killed in a practice crash. He also described the new cars as "a little more forgiving than last year's". Calkins started in third despite fuel pressure issues earlier in the day, Sharp was fourth, and Cheever fifth, followed by Goodyear, Davey Hamilton, Ward, Jim Guthrie, and Fermín Vélez. Lazier only took 11th after suffering a gearbox failure in morning practice; the five drivers behind him were Marco Greco, Paul, Groff, Schroeder, and Ongais.January 24, 1997 IRL - 1997 Indy 200 At WDW - Starting Lineup http://brickyard.com/wdw/97lineup.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154438/http://brickyard.com/wdw/97lineup.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Three drivers did not take part in qualifying: Roberto Guerrero had been waiting for a new Infiniti engine since his old engine failed during a test on Wednesday, while Jack Miller and Grégoire were off the pace in the morning practice session. Guerrero and Miller were permitted to start the race in 17th and 18th, respectively, but they and Grégoire were required to complete laps in a 30-minute systems check practice session beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00) on Saturday in order to demonstrate enough speed to qualify for the race. By recorded a lap time of 21.638 seconds on Friday afternoon, Stewart led all practice sessions of the weekend, with Lazier, Sharp, Paul, and Ward rounding out the top-five.January 24, 1997 Final Performance History - 01/24/97 http://brickyard.com/wdw/970124d.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154625/http://brickyard.com/wdw/970124d.htm February 16, 1997 July 19, 2026 Indy Racing League Vélez suffered an engine failure during the final practice session and replaced it with an Oldsmobile development engine, thus forcing him to partake in the systems check session the next morning.http://brickyard.com:80/wdw/970125a.htm https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154652/http://brickyard.com/wdw/970125a.htm dead February 16, 1997 WDW Raceday Notes: Saturday 1/25/97 Indy Racing League April 2, 2018 January 25, 1997 Qualifying classification + Final qualifying results Pos Position No. Car number Driver Team Time Fastest lap time in seconds Speed Fastest lap speed in miles per hour (mph) Grid Final starting grid position 1 2 USA Tony Stewart Team Menard 21.685 166.013 1 2 5 NED Arie Luyendyk Treadway Racing 21.823 164.964 2 3 12 USA Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports 21.945 164.046 3 4 1 USA Scott Sharp A. J. Foyt Enterprises 21.980 163.785 4 5 51 USA Eddie Cheever Team Cheever 22.012 163.547 5 6 6 CAN Scott Goodyear Treadway Racing 22.041 163.332 6 7 14 USA Davey Hamilton A. J. Foyt Enterprises 22.048 163.280 7 8 4 USA Jeff Ward Galles Racing 22.132 162.660 8 9 27 USA Jim Guthrie Blueprint Racing 22.185 162.272 9 10 33 ESP Fermín Vélez Team Scandia 22.272 161.638 10 11 91 USA Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn Racing 22.313 161.341 11 12 22 BRA Marco Greco Team Scandia 22.470 160.214 12 13 18 USA John Paul Jr. PDM Racing 22.563 159.553 13 14 10 USA Mike Groff Byrd-Cunningham Racing 22.591 159.355 14 15 30 USA Jeret Schroeder McCormack Motorsports 23.247 154.859 15 16 17 USA Danny Ongais Chitwood Motorsports 23.765 151.483 16 17 21 COL Roberto Guerrero Pagan Racing No time No speed 17 18 40 USA Jack Miller Arizona Motorsports No time No speed 18 19 77 FRA Stéphan Grégoire Chastain Motorsports No time No speed 19 Source: Race Prior to the race, which had a scheduled distance of 200 laps and 200 mi km out, rain showers forced United States Auto Club (USAC) officials to delay the start of the systems-check session to 11:09 a.m. All four participants were allowed to start the race, with Grégoire inheriting the 19th and final position on the starting grid. Goodyear tire engineers measured the track surface's temperature at 85 F C on. An estimated 54,000 spectators attended the race. Following an invocation from IRL chaplain Mark Wingler, the command to fire the cars' engines was given by Judson Green, president of Walt Disney Attractions. The race began at 12:40 p.m. and Stewart immediately pulled clear of Luyendyk to lead the first lap. By the end of the second lap, Ward improved to fifth place and Cheever fell to the seventh position.January 25, 1997 1997 Indy 200 At Walt Disney World Presented By Aurora - UNOFFICIAL Standings at the End of Lap: 2 (Green) http://brickyard.com/wdw/1997/laps/lap002.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970217004050/http://brickyard.com/wdw/1997/laps/lap002.htm February 17, 1997 July 21, 2026 Indy Racing League The following lap, Grégoire pulled into pit road and retired from the race with a fuel pump issue. As Stewart began to amass a 6.9-second lead, Luyendyk was being pressured for second place by Calkins, who eventually got around Luyendyk on the 15th lap. Two laps later, Miller made a pit stop for fresh tires and fuel after slowing his pace. On the 32nd lap, Sharp – battling an ill-handling car – nearly lost control at the first turn, forcing Ward to veer left to avoid a collision and demoting him by three positions.Indy 200 January 25, 1997 Television production en Lake Buena Vista, Florida ABC Sports Page, Paul, Sneva, Tom (commentators) This allowed Stewart to lap everyone up to third-placed Luyendyk by the 35th lap. After Sharp fell to eighth place behind Lazier and Ward, he pitted on lap 45, earlier than his team had expected. Meanwhile, smoke began expelling from the rear of Calkins' car on the 41st lap, and 18 laps later, he was issued a black flag to come into pit road. Stewart made his first pit stop on the 62nd lap, but was so far ahead of his competitors that he continued holding the lead.left|thumb|334x334px|Eddie Cheever (pictured in 1986) earned his maiden Indy car racing win.After the first cycle of green-flag pit stops concluded, more drivers were taken out of the race with mechanical issues: on lap 65, Ward lost power on the front stretch and his team removed his cowling once he drove to his pit stall, signaling the end of his race, while Calkins' engine issues were exacerbated as his car slowed dramatically on the back stretch before picking up speed again on the 82nd lap. Luyendyk resultantly assumed the second position a lap later, but Stewart now had a full lap advantage over the rest of the field. On lap 93, Miller slid sideways on the front stretch but corrected his car to continue without necessitating a caution flag. He entered pit road four laps later, out with an oil pressure issue. On the 99th lap, Schroeder oversteered and spun at the exit of turn one. In an attempt to dodge the incident, Luyendyk slid into the inside armco barrier, ending both drivers' races.Ashburn Len January 25, 1997 IRL: WDW report https://motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-report/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20180525204619/https://motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-wdw-report/ May 25, 2018 July 21, 2026 Motorsport.com The accident prompted the first caution flag of the race. With rain seemingly looming near the track, most drivers elected to pit earlier than intended, with the exception of Stewart, Greco, and Guthrie, all of whom stuck to a two-stop strategy. Stewart led the field back up to speed at the restart on lap 106, followed by Calkins, Cheever, Lazier, and Greco. Stewart made his second stop on the 130th lap, but rejoined the race 12.4 seconds behind Calkins. He then lost second place to Cheever on lap 133 before reclaiming the position in the first turn 10 laps later. On the 145th lap, race leader Calkins blew his engine and limped to pit road with smoke billowing from his car, forcing him to retire. Stewart thus regained the lead, but as he approached turn three, his oil line broke, which caused the rear of his car to contact the outside wall before spinning down the front stretch. The second caution flag was thrown as a result of the spin on lap 146. Due to Calkins and Stewart's misfortunes, Cheever inherited a full-lap lead over Groff.https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/26/sports/lucky-victory-is-sweet-to-star-crossed-cheever.html?scp=4&sq=1997%20Indy%20200&st=cse Lucky Victory Is Sweet To Star-Crossed Cheever New York Times July 2, 2009 Joseph Siano January 26, 1997 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305020619/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/26/sports/lucky-victory-is-sweet-to-star-crossed-cheever.html?scp=4&sq=1997%20Indy%20200&st=cse March 5, 2016 live He made a pit stop on the 148th lap before a sudden downpour fell over the track, forcing USAC officials to issue the red flag to stop the race on lap 149. Several minutes later, the rain persisted, and the race was deemed official 51 laps short of its scheduled distance.January 25, 1997 Walt Disney Indy 200 Race Results http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4976%inputraceId=69 dead https://web.archive.org/web/19971013104001/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4976%inputraceId=69 October 13, 1997 July 21, 2026 Indy Car Racing Magazine Cheever was declared the winner, securing his first Indy car racing victory in his 87th start and his first motor racing win since the 1988 1000 km of Fuji.Odds & Ends http://www.champcarstats.com/odds.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20251228142436/http://www.champcarstats.com/odds.htm December 28, 2025 July 21, 2026 Champ Car StatsEddie Cheever http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=2126 live https://web.archive.org/web/20231008014019/http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist2.php?uniqid=2126 October 8, 2023 July 21, 2026 Ultimate Racing History He completed the race's 149 laps in 1 hour, six minutes, and 43.145 seconds, with an average speed of 133.995 mph km/h on. It was the first win for an owner–driver in Indy car racing since A. J. Foyt in the 1981 Pocono 500.January 26, 1997 Downpour helps Cheever earn victory in Indy 200 live The Star-Ledger 110 Lake Buena Vista, Florida Associated Press https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-star-ledger/173863101/ Newspapers.com Groff finished in second, Goodyear third, Sharp fourth, and Lazier fifth. The remaining classified finishers were Guthrie, Hamilton, Greco, and Vélez. The attrition rate was high, as 10 of the 19 drivers failed to finish the race. The race set several IRL records for the fewest drivers to lead at least one lap (3), fewest caution flags (2), and the most cars to finish on the lead lap (5).RaceLink Daily Racing News - January 1997, Week 4 http://www.racelink.com/rl_news/archive/01_97/drn_wk4.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970617070121fw_/http://www.racelink.com/rl_news/archive/01_97/drn_wk4.html June 17, 1997 July 21, 2026 RaceLink Post-race "I don't know what the hell it is going to take for us to ever get a break." Larry Curry, manager of Team Menard, speaking of Stewart's crash after the race. right 33% Cheever, who earned $170,000 from his victory, celebrated in victory lane after taking shelter from the downpour in a skybox. He expressed pride in his team for helping him throughout the race, which he said was "one of the most enjoyable races I've ever had. Not worrying about the turbo was great." In addition, he explained how he avoided hitting the spinning Stewart: "I saw Tony come out of the pits and he was in the wrong sequence. Then I saw him out of Turn 2 and there was smoke coming off his tires. Then I saw him sideways and went on by." Second-place finisher Groff, who earned his third (and final) podium finish,Driver Mike Groff's NTT IndyCar Series podiums https://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=groffmi01&trk=t3&series=O live https://web.archive.org/web/20210428011818/https://www.racing-reference.info/rquery?id=groffmi01&trk=t3&series=O April 28, 2021 July 21, 2026 Racing Reference NASCAR Digital Media was pleased with the performance of his Nissan Infiniti engine: "This engine is really just 17 days old today, in terms of being on the race track. And we've run on the track on very few of those days. We've run very few miles, but the engine was very reliable." Goodyear, who came in third, believed that his finish was not "on our terms" because of his team's lack of testing compared to Team Menard. Despite having led at least one lap in five of the IRL's six races to that point, Stewart had not won any of them. He bluntly stated: "We crashed. We had an oil leak and dumped out oil on the right rear tire." However, he still held a positive outlook for his team, which he felt was "one of the best teams in the IRL, if not the best team. The preparation they go through on these cars before the race and before practice and testing is unmatched right now." A despondent John Menard Jr., owner of Team Menard, was not as positive, stating: "Standing here in the pouring rain is adding insult to injury. That is how it goes. It's racing and it is raining on everybody. We will get them in Phoenix." Calkins said of his mechanical issues during the race: "About 60 laps into it, the oil pressure started fluctuating. It finally put a baseball-sized hole through the (engine) block." Tony George, founder of the IRL, was "ecstatic" about the durability of the IRL's new cars: "The cars held together very well and the field was able to put on a good race. We had some problems with oil lines breaking and other non-engine related parts, but the engines seemed to hold together, especially when the first part of the race went green for so long." The race and the new car regulations brought about mixed reactions from the media. Ned Wicker of the Indy Car Racing Magazine felt that the race was not great, but admitted that he liked the new cars because "with its own equipment, the IRL takes on its own identity and it's time to dig in and work on developing a competitive series." Motorsport.com writer Len Ashburn opined that the race was "full of action and suspense" and "well managed by the IRL and USAC". Conversely, Joseph Siano of The New York Times wrote of a race that was "relatively free of excitement until the last five laps", and Norris McDonald of The Globe and Mail said that the race was "good entertainment", but argued that the IRL was for "washed-up or never-good-enough CART drivers; for ride-buyers no longer welcome in CART; and for guys who would never make it to CART in a million years."McDonald Norris January 29, 1997 IRL's rhetoric is minor league https://books.google.com/books?id=00lPAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11&dq=eddie+cheever+walt+disney&article_id=6097,4655029&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvopDY1eKVAxUZKFkFHb9CNUYQ6AF6BAgLEAM#v=onepage&q&f=false live July 21, 2026 Toledo Blade 11 Orlando, Florida Toronto Globe and Mail Google News Concerns were also raised over the weight of the IRL cars' rear ends, as Salazar and Jones were both injured after hitting the wall rear-first. In response, Emco – the manufacturer of the cars' gearboxes – agreed to lighten their weight by 10 lb kg out, and the IRL mandated that all teams place an attenuator behind their cars' gearboxes to dissipate the force of a rear-first crash.January 31, 1997 News From CART and the IRL http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=56 dead https://web.archive.org/web/19971113144954/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=56 November 13, 1997 July 22, 2026 Indy Car Racing Magazine Salazar eventually recovered in time to compete in the 1997 Indianapolis 500,April 21, 1997 IRL: IMS: 81st Indy 500 Entry List https://motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-ims-81st-indy-500-entry-list/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20171228054249/https://motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-ims-81st-indy-500-entry-list/ December 28, 2017 July 22, 2026 Motorsport.com Indianapolis while Jones, diagnosed with head and neck injuries, was listed in fair condition on January 30 and transferred to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana for further treatment eight days later. He briefly retired from motor racing before making a return in the 1999 12 Hours of Sebring American Le Mans Series race. The following year, he attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 for the last time in his career but failed to do so, bringing an end to his IRL career.Davy Jones https://www.snaplap.net/driver/davy-jones/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20171229044656/https://www.snaplap.net/driver/davy-jones/ December 29, 2017 July 22, 2026 SnapLap The final result allowed Groff, with 96 points, to extend his Drivers' Championship lead to 10 points over Calkins. Sharp, on 85 points, was promoted to third place, while Hamilton (82 points) and Greco (81 points) improved to fourth and fifth place, respectively, with seven races remaining in the season.1996-97 Driver Points Standings (after race 3: 1997 Indy 200 At WDW) http://brickyard.com/wdw/97points.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970216154421/http://brickyard.com/wdw/97points.htm February 16, 1997 July 21, 2026 Indy Racing League Race classification + Final race results Pos Position No. Car number Driver Team Laps Laps completed Time/Retired Grid Final starting grid position Points 1 51 USA Eddie Cheever Team Cheever 149 1:06:43.145 5 35 2 10 USA Mike Groff Byrd-Cunningham Racing 149 +51.278 14 33 3 6 CAN Scott Goodyear Treadway Racing 149 +54.803 6 32 4 1 USA Scott Sharp A. J. Foyt Enterprises 149 +55.506 4 31 5 91 USA Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn Racing 149 +56.162 11 30 6 27 USA Jim Guthrie Blueprint Racing 148 +1 Lap 9 29 7 14 USA Davey Hamilton A. J. Foyt Enterprises 148 +1 Lap 7 28 8 22 BRA Marco Greco Team Scandia 147 +2 Laps 12 27 9 33 ESP Fermín Vélez Team Scandia 147 +2 Laps 10 26 10 2 USA Tony Stewart Team Menard 146 Accident 1 281 12 2 11 12 USA Buzz Calkins Bradley Motorsports 144 Engine 3 24 12 5 NED Arie Luyendyk Treadway Racing 97 Accident 2 23 13 17 USA Danny Ongais Chitwood Motorsports 94 Suspension 16 22 14 30 USA Jeret Schroeder McCormack Motorsports 93 Accident 15 21 15 40 USA Jack Miller Arizona Motorsports 85 Suspension 18 20 16 4 USA Jeff Ward Galles Racing 63 Gearbox 8 19 17 21 COL Roberto Guerrero Pagan Racing 56 Fuel pump 17 18 18 18 USA John Paul Jr. PDM Racing 46 Oil pump 13 17 19 77 FRA Stéphan Grégoire Chastain Motorsports 2 Fuel pump 19 16 Source:1997 Indy 200 https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1997_Indy_200/O live https://web.archive.org/web/20251019142402/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1997_Indy_200/O October 19, 2025 July 20, 2026 Racing Reference NASCAR Digital Media1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World - UNOFFICIAL Standings at the End of Lap: 149 (Yellow) http://brickyard.com/wdw/1997/laps/lap149.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/19970217004354/http://brickyard.com/wdw/1997/laps/lap149.htm February 17, 1997 July 20, 2026 Indy Racing League Notes 1 1 – Includes two bonus points for earning the pole position.Points Systems https://www.champcarstats.com/points.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20260714192443/https://www.champcarstats.com/points.htm July 14, 2026 July 20, 2026 Champ Car Stats 2 2 – Includes one bonus point for leading the most laps. Championship standings after the race + Drivers' Championship standings +/– Pos Position Driver Points 10px|alt=Unchanged 1 USA Mike Groff 96 10px|alt=Unchanged 2 USA Buzz Calkins 86 (–10) 10px|alt=Unchanged 3 3 USA Scott Sharp 85 (–11) 10px|alt=Unchanged 3 4 USA Davey Hamilton 82 (–14) 10px|alt=Unchanged 3 5 BRA Marco Greco 81 (–15) Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included. References Indy Racing League Indy 200 at Walt Disney World 1996–97 1996 Las Vegas 500K 1997 Phoenix 200 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World 1998 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Category:1996–97 in IndyCar Category:1997 in sports in Florida Walt Disney World Category:January 1997 sports events in the United States Category:1997 in American motorsport Category:1997 in Florida Category:January 1997 in the United States