1997 Miller 500

12th race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series February 2025 NASWINSTON 29th Annual Miller 500 The 1997 Miller 500 program cover, featuring Rusty Wallace and Miles the Monster. Artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass. Motor Racing Network TNN Rudd Performance Motorsports Robert Yates Racing Ricky Rudd Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Bobby Labonte 255 10 804.672 Dover, Delaware, Dover Downs International Speedway 500 114.635 mph km/h June 1 23.562 1.6 1 Miller 500 1997 32 12 500 Eli Gold, Dick Berggren, Buddy Baker 1997 Miller 500.jpeg The 1997 Miller 500 was the 12th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 1, 1997, in Dover, Delaware at Dover Downs International Speedway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Ricky Rudd, driving for his owner-driver team Rudd Performance Motorsports, would manage to take advantage of mishaps from numerous different dominant cars to take his 18th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory.Poole David June 1, 1997 Trouble opens path to victory for Rudd http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0601.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213514/http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0601.htm August 15, 2000 September 26, 2022 That's Racin' The Charlotte ObserverMcCollister Tom June 2, 1997 Martin unable to pass Rudd 25 The Atlanta Constitution https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110226729/martin-unable-to-pass-rudd/ September 26, 2022 Newspapers.com To fill out the top three, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, both drivers for Roush Racing, would finish second and third, respectively. Background thumb|The layout of Dover International Speedway, the venue where the race was held. Dover International Speedway is an oval race track in Dover, Delaware. The track features one layout, a 1-mile (1.6 km) concrete oval, with 24° banking in the turns and 9° banking on the straights. The speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports. The track, nicknamed "The Monster Mile", was built in 1969 by Melvin Joseph of Melvin L. Joseph Construction Company, Inc., with an asphalt surface, but was replaced with concrete in 1995. Six years later in 2001, the track's capacity moved to 135,000 seats, making the track have the largest capacity of sports venue in the mid-Atlantic. In 2002, the name changed to Dover International Speedway from Dover Downs International Speedway after Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment split, making Dover Motorsports. From 2007 to 2009, the speedway worked on an improvement project called "The Monster Makeover", which expanded facilities at the track and beautified the track. After the 2014 season, the track's capacity was reduced to 95,500 seats. 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 RacingFord40Wally Dallenbach Jr.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 RacingFord95Ed BerrierSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet96David 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, May 30, 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, May 31, at 1:00 PM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time.May 30, 1997 Miller 500 30 The Charlotte Observer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110227293/miller-500/ September 26, 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 Labonte, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 23.562 and an average speed of 152.788 mph km/h.May 31, 1997 Bobby Labonte tops qualifying for Miller 500 74 The Orlando Sentinel https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110227446/bobby-labonte-tops-qualifying-for/ September 26, 2022 Newspapers.com Two drivers would fail to qualify: Billy Standridge and Ed Berrier. Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac23.562152.788224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.709151.841344Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac23.732151.694442Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet23.767151.471571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet23.791151.318688Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord23.795151.29276Mark MartinRoush RacingFord23.840151.007896David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet23.844150.981922Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac23.848150.9561028Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord23.865150.8491133Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet23.880150.7541294Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord23.910150.5651310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord23.911150.558148Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord23.946150.3381536Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac23.948150.3261697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac23.957150.2691716Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord23.969150.194182Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord23.982150.1131925Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet24.009149.9442011Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord24.010149.938215Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet24.013149.9192223Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord24.031149.8062398John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord24.040149.7502421Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord24.043149.7322537Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord24.043149.732264Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet23.662152.1432729Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet23.797151.2802841Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet23.835151.0382930Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac23.888150.7033075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord23.923150.4833140Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet23.953150.2943290Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord24.023149.8563391Mike WallaceLJ RacingChevrolet24.032149.8003499Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord24.044149.726357Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord24.046149.713361Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac24.051149.6823717Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet24.070149.5643877Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord24.074149.539Provisionals3943Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac -* -*4031Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet -* -*4181Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord -* -*4219Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFord -* -*433Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet -* -*Failed to qualify4478Billy StandridgeTriad MotorsportsFord -* -*4595Ed BerrierSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet -* -*Official qualifying results *Time unavailable. Race results Fin1997 Miller 500 - The Third Turn https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/1997_Miller_500 September 26, 2022 The Third Turn enSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11310Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord50031running180$95,255276Mark MartinRoush RacingFord5001running175$52,40533499Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord5001running170$53,15542537Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord5000running160$37,0905344Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac5006running160$31,82061133Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet4992running155$34,51572421Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord4990running146$32,26581294Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord4990running142$31,76594031Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet4980running138$24,81510264Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet4980running134$39,615111716Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord4980running130$29,540123075Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord4980running127$28,940131925Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4980running124$28,45014215Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet4970running121$38,94015442Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet4970running118$22,69016433Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4970running115$33,265173943Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac4970running112$31,78018896David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet4960running109$16,66519148Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord4960running106$27,140201536Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac4950running103$22,440212930Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac4951running105$26,840222223Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord4930running97$26,690233391Mike WallaceLJ RacingChevrolet4930running94$16,340242841Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet4920running91$26,49025571Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet4920running88$19,54026224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49018running90$33,470274181Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord4850handling82$26,090283717Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet4821running84$26,040292398John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord4820running76$25,490301028Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord471151crash78$35,940311697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac4680rear end70$15,89032688Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord463255engine77$44,130332011Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord4530ignition64$22,78034922Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac4350running61$15,730354219Gary BradberryTriStar MotorsportsFord3980clutch58$15,530363140Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet3640electrical55$22,515372729Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet3560suspension52$15,48538361Morgan ShepherdPrecision Products RacingPontiac3232crash54$22,48539182Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3160engine46$32,48540118Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac28329running48$36,485413290Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord2380crash40$15,48542357Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord2372crash42$22,485433877Bobby Hillin Jr.Jasper MotorsportsFord2340crash34$15,485Official race results References 1997 Coca-Cola 600 1997 Pocono 500 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:NASCAR races at Dover Motor Speedway Category:June 1997 sports events in the United States Category:1997 in sports in Delaware