1997 Michigan 500

August 2023 The 1997 Michigan 500, the seventeenth running of the event, was held at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Sunday, July 27, 1997. The race was branded as the 1997 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota, for sponsorship reasons, and in an attempt to create a link to the 1996 U.S. 500, which had been run on Memorial Day the previous season. The race was won by Alex Zanardi, his first Indy Car victory on an oval. The race was round 12 of 17 in the 1997 CART PPG World Series. 42 03 58.68 N 84 14 29.18 W type:landmark title United States Michigan 500 Michigan International Speedway track map.png July 27 1997 1997 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota 12 17 CART Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan, United States Permanent racing facility 2.000 3.219 250 500.000 804.672 Partly Cloudy with temperatures up to 88 F C; wind speeds reaching up to 10 mph km/hWeather information for the 1997 US 500 at Wunderground USA Scott Pruett Patrick Racing 233.857 mph km/h on ITA Alex Zanardi Chip Ganassi Racing GBR Mark Blundell PacWest Racing BRA Gil de Ferran Walker Racing Background In 1996, CART attempted to compete with the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500 by scheduling the U.S. 500 at Michigan on the same day. While the U.S. 500 had a high amount of spectators and television viewers, CART chose not to compete directly with the Indy 500 again. In October 1996, CART released the 1997 schedule. The Memorial Day U.S. 500 was not retained for 1997, owing to CART's desire to not have two races at the same venue.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1997-cart-schedule/127784646/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press CART Confirms Schedule for 1997 October 8, 1996 54 Instead, the U.S. 500 name was kept and the July race date, which had been the Michigan 500, was rebranded as the U.S. 500. The decision for Michigan 500 to take the U.S. 500 name while losing the prestige drew attention to CART's problem of not having a flagship race.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ Orlando Sentinel Florida Associated Press Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only July 26, 1997 104 "Every series needs a flagship race," team owner John Della Penna said, "I don't think we have one right now."https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ Orlando Sentinel Florida Associated Press Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only July 26, 1997 104 The 1996 U.S. 500 attracted 110,000 spectators and paid over one million dollars to win. Despite sharing a name, the 1997 U.S. 500 was expected to draw between 50,000 and 60,000 spectators and paid only $100,000 to win.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ Orlando Sentinel Florida Associated Press Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only July 26, 1997 104https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-1997-us-500-differ/127784384/ LA Times California Associated Press Michigan Race Gets Steered Away From A Collision Course July 26, 1997 156 Bobby Rahal said, "My feeling is that you can't just name marquee events. They're created over time." Jimmy Vasser was quoted as saying, "I don't think you can say it is of the same magnitude that it was last year. There is no doubt about it: The U.S. 500 is one of our showcase or premier events, but I don't think you can say that one race stands out as a crown jewel."https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ Orlando Sentinel Florida Associated Press Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only July 26, 1997 104 Motorsports writer for the Los Angeles Times, Shav Glick, noted that the 1996 U.S. 500 was promoted "as if it were the Super Bowl. This year, it is the track's race is being conducted with no more vigor than any other race at say, Milwaukee, Mid-Ohio or Vancouver."https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-1997-us-500-differ/127784384/ LA Times California Associated Press Michigan Race Gets Steered Away From A Collision Course July 26, 1997 156 The difference between the U.S. 500 in 1996 and 1997 highlighted CART's strategy that no race should stand above all others as the flagship race, as President Andrew Craig explained, "While the Indy 500 was a part of the series, it was always a little unclear in peoples' minds as to what was important, winning the Indy 500 or winning the championship. We, as an organization, never really developed a championship to the level of prestige that it should enjoy. So very, very high on my list of priorities is to create the mood and atmosphere of the national championship."https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ Orlando Sentinel Florida Associated Press Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only July 26, 1997 104 Entering the U.S. 500, CART officials added tunnel blocks to take away downforce and in theory reduce the speeds that had climbed over 235 mph in recent years.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1997-us-500-friday/127785009/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press Speeds Top 230 MPH At Practice for Sunday Race July 26, 1997 18 Practice and Time Trials In Friday's opening practice session, Maurício Gugelmin posted the fastest speed with a lap at 234.283 mph. Raul Boesel was second at 233.971 mph, his teammate Scott Pruett at 233.584 mph. 14 cars went faster than 230 mph.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1997-us-500-friday/127785009/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press Speeds Top 230 MPH At Practice for Sunday Race July 26, 1997 18 Scott Pruett won the pole with a speed of 233.857 mph. Despite CART's efforts to slow the cars, Pruett's pole speed was only a tenth of a second slower the track record set by Jimmy Vasser in the 1996 Michigan 500. Mauricio Gugelmin was second at 233.493 mph.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-qualif/127785054/ Indianapolis Star Indiana Associated Press Pruett Buzzes Record in Taking Pole at US 500 July 27, 1997 42 On Sunday morning, the International Race of Champions competed at Michigan. Randy Lajoie won the 100 mile race while Mark Martin won the series championship. Al Unser Jr., Jimmy Vasser, and Alex Zanardi competed in both IROC and CART.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press Martin Becomes IROC's First Three Time Series Champion July 28, 1997 16 Race An estimated 85,000 spectators attended the U.S. 500.https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-1997-us-500/127784719/ Battle Creek Enquirer Michigan Associated Press Zanardi Zooms to Win July 28, 1997 7 Hot temperatures raised the track temperature to 135 degrees. CART returned to a two abreast start for the first time since 1993. Pruett and Gugelmin raced side by side for much of the first lap, with Pruett leading the opening lap by a narrow margin. Gugelmin took the lead with an inside pass into turn one and held the lead for the next 34 laps. Defending winner at Michigan, Andre Ribeiro took the lead at lap 36 and held it for the next 20 laps. On lap 54, Parker Johnstone cut a tire and crashed in turn two, hitting the wall with the right side of his car. A piece of suspension entered the cockpit and hit Johnstone in the helmet. Aside from a laceration on his forehead, he was uninjured.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press CART Notebook July 28, 1997 16 Under caution, race leader Ribeiro suffered a transmission failure and retired from the race. At the same time, Jimmy Vasser suffered a similar transmission problem and retired. Bobby Rahal led 25 laps and was seeking his first win since October 1992. Alex Zanardi, recovering from a penalty for running over pit equipment on lap 33, took the lead from Rahal on lap 119. Trying to passed the lapped car of Dennis Vitolo on lap 127, Rahal drifted high in turn two and hit the wall with the right side of his car. Rahal suffered a bruised right hip in the incident.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press CART Notebook July 28, 1997 16 Scott Pruett had led 32 laps but drifted high in turn two on lap 175 and crashed out of the race. Mechanical problems sidelined Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr., and Dario Franchitti among others.https://www.champcarstats.com/races/199712.htm 1997 US 500 Results Zanardi led 93 of the final 98 laps and won the U.S. 500 by 31.737 seconds over Mark Blundell.https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ Indianapolis News Indiana Associated Press Zanardi Continued July 28, 1997 16https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-1997-us-500/127784760/ Detroit Free Press Michigan Associated Press Oval-Whelming July 28, 1997 23 Only 11 of the 28 starters finished the race.https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-1997-us-500/127784719/ Battle Creek Enquirer Michigan Associated Press Zanardi Zooms to Win July 28, 1997 7 Box score FinishGridNo Car numberNameTeamChassisEngineTireLapsTime/StatusLed Laps ledPoints Points include one bonus point for leading the most laps and one bonus point for qualifying on pole position 1 7 4 ITA Alex Zanardi Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard 97I Honda Firestone 250 2:59:35.579 104 21 2 11 18 GBR Mark Blundell PacWest Racing Reynard 97I Mercedes-Benz Firestone 250 +31.737 0 16 3 10 5 BRA Gil de Ferran Walker Racing Reynard 97I Honda Goodyear 249 +1 Lap 5 14 4 18 3 CAN Paul Tracy Marlboro Team Penske Penske PC-26 Mercedes-Benz Goodyear 249 +1 Lap 0 12 5 8 8 USA Bryan Herta Team Rahal Reynard 97I Ford Goodyear 248 +2 Laps 0 10 6 2 17 BRA Maurício Gugelmin PacWest Racing Reynard 97I Mercedes-Benz Firestone 244 +6 Laps 34 8 7 27 34 USA Dennis Vitolo Payton-Coyne Racing Lola T97/00 Ford Firestone 242 +8 Laps 0 6 8 23 25 ITA Max Papis Arciero-Wells Racing Reynard 97I Toyota Firestone 241 +9 Laps 0 5 9 26 24 JPN Hiro Matsushita Arciero-Wells Racing Reynard 97I Toyota Firestone 241 +9 Laps 0 4 10 20 77 BRA Gualter Salles Davis Racing Reynard 97I Ford Goodyear 240 +10 Laps 0 3 11 25 36 ARG Juan Manuel Fangio II All American Racers Reynard 97I Toyota Goodyear 226 Transmission 0 2 12 28 64 DEU Arnd Meier Project Indy Lola T97/00 Ford Goodyear 224 +26 Laps 0 1 13 17 19 MEX Michel Jourdain Jr. Payton-Coyne Racing Lola T97/00 Ford Firestone 182 Transmission 0 0 14 1 20 USA Scott Pruett Patrick Racing Reynard 97I Ford Firestone 174 Crash 32 1 15 12 16 CAN Patrick Carpentier Bettenhausen Motorsports Reynard 97I Mercedes-Benz Goodyear 144 Electrical 14 0 16 14 11 BRA Christian Fittipaldi Newman/Haas Racing Swift 007.i Ford Goodyear 128 Lost wheel 0 0 17 6 7 USA Bobby Rahal Team Rahal Reynard 97I Ford Goodyear 126 Crash 25 0 18 3 40 BRA Raul Boesel Patrick Racing Reynard 97I Ford Firestone 120 Transmission 0 0 19 13 9 GBR Dario Franchitti Hogan Racing Reynard 97I Mercedes-Benz Firestone 101 Transmission 12 0 20 16 2 USA Al Unser Jr. Marlboro Team Penske Penske PC-26 Mercedes-Benz Goodyear 97 Engine 0 0 21 19 6 USA Michael Andretti Newman/Haas Racing Swift 007.i Ford Goodyear 79 Transmission 3 0 22 22 21 USA Richie Hearn Della Penna Motorsports Lola T97/00 Ford Goodyear 60 Turbo control 0 0 23 9 31 BRA André Ribeiro Tasman Motorsports Reynard 97I Honda Firestone 57 Transmission 21 0 24 4 1 USA Jimmy Vasser Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard 97I Honda Firestone 57 Transmission 0 0 25 5 27 USA Parker Johnstone Team Green Reynard 97I Honda Firestone 53 Crash 0 0 26 15 32 MEX Adrián Fernández Tasman Motorsports Lola T97/00 Honda Firestone 46 Electrical 0 0 27 21 99 CAN Greg Moore Forsythe Racing Reynard 97I Mercedes-Benz Firestone 19 Turbo control 0 0 28 24 98 USA P. J. Jones All American Racers Reynard 97I Toyota Goodyear 11 Engine 0 0 Source:1997 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota1997 US 500 - Round 12 Tires: Firestone - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Goodyear - Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company Race statistics Lap Leaders Laps Leader 1 Scott Pruett 2–35 Maurício Gugelmin 36–56 André Ribeiro 57–75 Scott Pruett 76–78 Michael Andretti 79–81 Scott Pruett 82–93 Dario Franchitti 94–118 Bobby Rahal 119–129 Alex Zanardi 130–143 Patrick Carpentier 144–152 Scott Pruett 153–214 Alex Zanardi 215–219 Gil de Ferran 220–250 Alex Zanardi Broadcasting The Michigan 500 was broadcast live on television by ABC. Bob Varsha was the lead announcer and was joined by Danny Sullivan as color commentator.1997 Michigan 500 Telecast: ABC-TV, July 27, 1997 References 2 Michigan 500 Michigan 500 Category:Michigan Indy 400