1997 Pocono 500

13th race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series February 2025 NASWINSTON June 8 TNN Ward Burton 60 Jeff Gordon Bill Davis Racing Hendrick Motorsports 24 Petty Enterprises Bobby Hamilton 53.543 139.828 mph km/h Motor Racing Network Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway 200 Pocono 500 1997 32 13 4.0 2.5 804.672 500 Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren 1997_Pocono_500.jpeg The 1997 Pocono 500 program cover. The 1997 Pocono 500 was the 13th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 16th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 8, 1997, in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to dominate the late stages of the race, taking advantage of a mechanical failure from leader Ward Burton to take his 25th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his sixth victory of the season.Poole David June 8, 1997 Daytona experience pays Gordon at Pocono http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0608.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213508/http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0608.htm August 15, 2000 September 27, 2022 That's Racin' The Charlotte ObserverJune 9, 1997 Cut tire slows, not stops, Gordon 21 Ledger-Enquirer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110294216/cut-tire-slows-not-stops-gordon/ September 27, 2022 Newspapers.com To fill out the top three, Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton and Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would finish second and third, respectively. Background thumb|The layout of Pocono Raceway, the venue where the race was held. The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports or NASCAR. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli. Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two. 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 RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac19Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFord21Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord22Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23Jimmy SpencerHaas-Carter MotorsportsFord24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet28Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord29Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet30Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac31Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet33Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet36Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac37Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord40Greg SacksTeam SABCOChevrolet41Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac44Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac46Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet71Dave 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 split into two rounds. The first round was held on Friday, June 6, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Saturday, June 7, at 11:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time.June 6, 1997 Pocono 500 30 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110296828/pocono-500/ September 27, 2022 Newspapers.com Positions 26-38 would be decided on time, and depending on who needed it, the 39th thru either the 42nd, 43rd, or 44th position would be based on provisionals. Four spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The fifth is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the field would be limited to 42 cars. If a champion needed it, the field would expand to 43 cars. If the race was a companion race with the NASCAR Winston West Series, four spots would be determined by NASCAR Winston Cup Series provisionals, while the final two spots would be given to teams in the Winston West Series, leaving the field at 44 cars. Bobby Hamilton, driving for Petty Enterprises, would win the pole, setting a time of 53.543 and an average speed of 168.089 mph km/h.McCollister Tom June 7, 1997 Hamilton, Pontiac on Pocono pole 36 The Atlanta Constitution https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110296977/hamilton-pontiac-on-pocono-pole/ September 27, 2022 Newspapers.com Three drivers would fail to qualify: Chad Little, Billy Standridge, and Dave Marcis. Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed143Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac53.543168.089288Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord53.563168.026322Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac53.729167.507440Greg SacksTeam SABCOChevrolet53.741167.470594Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord53.769167.383610Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord53.775167.36475Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet53.807167.264817Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet53.808167.261998John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord53.813167.2461075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord53.844167.1501124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet53.895166.991123Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet53.983166.7191346Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet53.997166.676146Mark MartinRoush RacingFord54.027166.583158Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord54.039166.546162Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord54.049166.5161791Mike WallaceLJ RacingChevrolet54.064166.4691899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord54.072166.4451928Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord54.093166.380201Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac54.116166.3092130Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac54.149166.2082225Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.160166.1742318Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac54.163166.165247Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord54.165166.1592596David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet54.169166.1472642Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet53.685167.6452737Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord53.795167.302284Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet53.982166.7222929Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet53.989166.7013081Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord53.999166.6703116Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord54.019166.6083221Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord54.022166.5993377Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord54.024166.5933423Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord54.039166.5463541Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.067166.4603619Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFord54.099166.3623711Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord54.131166.2633836Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac54.170166.144Provisionals3933Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet -* -*4044Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac -* -*4131Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet -* -*4290Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord -* -*Failed to qualify4397Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac -* -*4478Billy StandridgeTriad MotorsportsFord -* -*4571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet -* -*Official qualifying results Race results Fin1997 Pocono 500 - The Third Turn https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/1997_Pocono_500 September 26, 2022 The Third Turn enSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20059running180$166,08021899Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord2000running170$52,5503288Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord2005running170$53,2454146Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2000running160$39,62052737Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord2002running160$33,07063116Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord20011running155$28,8757817Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet2009running151$30,7758247Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord2002running147$25,975975Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2003running143$35,67510123Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running134$34,025113836Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2000running130$19,52512201Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac2000running127$24,175133221Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord2000running124$23,875144044Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac2000running121$16,57515284Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet2000running118$30,225162225Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2001running120$23,075171346Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet2000running112$12,175183541Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet2000running109$22,775193423Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord2000running106$22,525201075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord2000running103$24,75021610Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord1990running100$26,50522162Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord1990running97$28,405233933Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet1990running94$21,68024158Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord1990running91$21,530253711Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord1992running93$21,605264290Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord1990running85$14,205272130Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac1980running82$21,055282596David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet1980running79$12,005291928Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord1970running76$25,930301791Mike WallaceLJ RacingChevrolet1970running73$10,880312318Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac1970running70$25,83032594Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord1966running72$20,780333619Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFord1960running64$10,730343081Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord1960running61$20,105352929Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet18915engine63$20,530362642Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet1660engine55$10,955373377Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord1460running52$10,39038322Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac14160engine59$18,76539143Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac12922crash51$27,99040998John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord1211engine48$17,265414131Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet792engine45$10,26542440Greg SacksTeam SABCOChevrolet80crash37$17,265Official race results References 1997 Miller 500 1997 Miller 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series 1997 Category:1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway Category:June 1997 sports events in the United States Category:1997 in sports in Pennsylvania