1997 Pennsylvania 500

18th race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series February 2025 NASWINSTON Robert Yates Racing 32 18 Ken Squier, Buddy Baker, Greg Sacks 108 TBS Motor Racing Network 142.068 mph km/h Joe Nemechek Dale Jarrett Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Team SABCO 88 Long Pond, Pennsylvania, Pocono Raceway 804.672 200 4.0 2.5 Pennsylvania 500 53.292 1997 500 July 20 1997 Pennsylvania 500.jpeg The 1997 Pennsylvania 500 program cover. The 1997 Pennsylvania 500 was the 18th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 25th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 20, 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, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would manage to dominate the majority of the race to take his 11th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third victory of the season.Poole David July 20, 1997 Jarrett's 'best engine' changes luck http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0720.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20000815213445/http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0720.htm August 15, 2000 September 30, 2022 That's Racin' The Charlotte ObserverBrinster Dick July 21, 1997 Jarrett wins latest battle with Gordon, claims Pennsylvania 500 14 Messenger-Inquirer https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110438920/jarrett-wins-latest-battle-with-gordon/ September 30, 2022 Newspapers.com To fill out the top three, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon and Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton 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. #DriverTeamMake1Jerry NadeauPrecision Products RacingPontiac2Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord3Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet4Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord7Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord8Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord10Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord11Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord14Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet16Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord17Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac21Michael 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 RacingFord40Robby Gordon (R)Team SABCOChevrolet41Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet42Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet43Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac44Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac46Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet71Dave MarcisMarcis Auto RacingChevrolet75Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord77Morgan ShepherdJasper MotorsportsFord78Bobby Hillin Jr.Triad MotorsportsFord81Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord90Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord91Greg SacksLJ 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, July 18, 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, July 19, at 11:30 AM EST. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time.July 18, 1997 Pennsylvania 500 Schedule 25 The Times Leader https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110439071/pennsylvania-500-schedule/ September 30, 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. Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would win the pole, setting a time of 53.292 and an average speed of 168.881 mph km/h.Shontz Lori July 19, 1997 Nemechek gets pole at Pocono 22 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110439195/nemechek-gets-pole-at-pocono/ September 30, 2022 Newspapers.com Three drivers would fail to qualify: Bobby Hillin Jr., Steve Park, and Greg Sacks. Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed142Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet53.292168.881228Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord53.424168.464346Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet53.537168.108488Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord53.647167.76353Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet53.651167.751624Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet53.688167.635733Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet53.726167.517829Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet53.738167.47996Mark MartinRoush RacingFord53.747167.4511018Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac53.778167.3551131Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet53.805167.2711241Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet53.807167.2641398John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord53.808167.2611423Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord53.838167.1681594Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord53.878167.0441617Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet53.957166.7991737Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord54.047166.5221881Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord54.077166.4291910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord54.111166.3252099Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord54.138166.242215Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.140166.2362216Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord54.140166.236234Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet54.157166.184248Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord54.181166.1102521Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord54.191166.0792675Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord53.924166.9022790Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord53.933166.8742843Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac53.944166.8402936Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac53.948166.8273040Robby GordonTeam SABCOChevrolet53.978166.7353111Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord54.010166.6363222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac54.032166.5683377Morgan ShepherdJasper MotorsportsFord54.069166.4543444Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac54.101166.356351Jerry NadeauPrecision Products RacingPontiac54.202166.0463697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac54.229165.9633725Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet54.233165.951387Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord54.273165.828Provisionals392Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord -* -*4030Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac -* -*4171Dave Marcis (R)Marcis Auto RacingChevrolet -* -*4296David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet -* -*Failed to qualify4378Bobby Hillin Jr.Triad MotorsportsFord -* -*4414Steve ParkDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet -* -*4591Greg SacksLJ RacingChevrolet -* -*Official qualifying results Race results Fin1997 Pennsylvania 500 - The Third Turn https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/1997_Pennsylvania_500 September 29, 2022 The Third Turn enSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings1488Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord200108running185$104,5702624Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet20053running175$56,74532099Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord2002running170$44,19542216Ted MusgraveRoush RacingFord2008running165$39,070596Mark MartinRoush RacingFord2001running160$36,04061131Mike Skinner (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet2000running150$21,69071423Jimmy SpencerTravis Carter EnterprisesFord2001running151$30,89083444Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesPontiac2004running147$19,09091737Jeremy MayfieldKranefuss-Haas RacingFord2000running138$18,490101594Bill ElliottBill Elliott RacingFord2002running139$28,240111018Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiac2000running130$28,3401253Dale EarnhardtRichard Childress RacingChevrolet2002running132$29,490134030Johnny Benson Jr.Bahari RacingPontiac2001running129$25,99014733Ken SchraderAndy Petree RacingChevrolet2000running121$23,690153222Ward BurtonBill Davis RacingPontiac2000running118$24,490162936Derrike CopeMB2 MotorsportsPontiac2002running120$16,09017387Geoff BodineGeoff Bodine RacingFord2002running117$22,890183725Ricky CravenHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet2000running109$22,690192790Dick TrickleDonlavey RacingFord1990running106$15,44020234Sterling MarlinMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet1990running103$29,76521142Joe NemechekTeam SABCOChevrolet19911running105$22,715222521Michael WaltripWood Brothers RacingFord1990running97$21,79023248Hut StricklinStavola Brothers RacingFord1990running94$21,565241398John AndrettiCale Yarborough MotorsportsFord1990running91$21,415252675Rick MastButch Mock MotorsportsFord1990running88$21,840261617Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip MotorsportsChevrolet1990running85$20,790273377Morgan ShepherdJasper MotorsportsFord1990running82$11,240283697Chad LittleMark Rypien MotorsportsPontiac1990running79$11,190293111Brett BodineBrett Bodine RacingFord1980running76$18,115301241Steve GrissomLarry Hedrick MotorsportsChevrolet1980running73$18,06531829Jeff Green (R)Diamond Ridge MotorsportsChevrolet1970running70$11,015322843Bobby HamiltonPetty EnterprisesPontiac1970running67$25,96533351Jerry NadeauPrecision Products RacingPontiac1970running64$17,865341881Kenny WallaceFILMAR RacingFord1950running61$17,79035215Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1930running58$33,815361910Ricky RuddRudd Performance MotorsportsFord1920engine55$25,64037392Rusty WallacePenske Racing SouthFord1740engine52$27,57538346Wally Dallenbach Jr.Team SABCOChevrolet1580engine49$10,450394296David Green (R)American Equipment RacingChevrolet1570engine46$10,45040228Ernie IrvanRobert Yates RacingFord1363crash48$25,450414171Dave Marcis (R)Marcis Auto RacingChevrolet350engine40$10,450423040Robby GordonTeam SABCOChevrolet00engine37$17,450Official race results References 1997 Jiffy Lube 300 1997 Brickyard 400 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Category:NASCAR races at Pocono Raceway Category:July 1997 sports events in the United States Category:1997 in sports in Pennsylvania