# 1997 Pocono 500

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. 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

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. 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.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Morgan Shepherd | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | R+L Carriers, Cruisin' America Phone Card |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | Miller Lite |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench Service Plus |
| 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodak |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's Frosted Flakes |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Valvoline |
| 7 | Geoff Bodine | Mattei Motorsports | Ford | QVC |
| 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | Circuit City |
| 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | Tide |
| 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | Close Call Phone Card |
| 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | PrimeStar, The Family Channel |
| 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | Parts America |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Gary Bradberry | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | Child Support Recovery |
| 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Citgo |
| 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | MBNA |
| 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Haas-Carter Motorsports | Ford | Camel Cigarettes |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Ricky Craven | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Texaco, Havoline |
| 29 | Jeff Green (R) | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | Cartoon Network, Scooby-Doo |
| 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | Pennzoil |
| 31 | Mike Skinner (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Lowe's |
| 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | Skoal |
| 36 | Derrike Cope | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | Skittles |
| 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | Kmart, RC Cola |
| 40 | Greg Sacks | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | Coors Light |
| 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kodiak |
| 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | BellSouth |
| 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | STP |
| 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | Hot Wheels |
| 46 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | First Union |
| 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | Realtree |
| 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | Remington Arms |
| 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Federal-Mogul |
| 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | Diamond Rio, Hanes |
| 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | Square D |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Quality Care Service, Ford Credit |
| 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | Heilig-Meyers |
| 91 | Mike Wallace | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | Spam |
| 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | McDonald's |
| 96 | David Green (R) | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | Caterpillar |
| 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | John Deere |
| 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | RCA |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Exide |

## 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. 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 miles per hour (270.513 km/h).
Three drivers would fail to qualify: Chad Little, Billy Standridge, and Dave Marcis.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 53.543 | 168.089 |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 53.563 | 168.026 |
| 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 53.729 | 167.507 |
| 4 | 40 | Greg Sacks | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 53.741 | 167.470 |
| 5 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 53.769 | 167.383 |
| 6 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 53.775 | 167.364 |
| 7 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.807 | 167.264 |
| 8 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.808 | 167.261 |
| 9 | 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 53.813 | 167.246 |
| 10 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 53.844 | 167.150 |
| 11 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.895 | 166.991 |
| 12 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53.983 | 166.719 |
| 13 | 46 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 53.997 | 166.676 |
| 14 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.027 | 166.583 |
| 15 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 54.039 | 166.546 |
| 16 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 54.049 | 166.516 |
| 17 | 91 | Mike Wallace | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 54.064 | 166.469 |
| 18 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.072 | 166.445 |
| 19 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 54.093 | 166.380 |
| 20 | 1 | Morgan Shepherd | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 54.116 | 166.309 |
| 21 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 54.149 | 166.208 |
| 22 | 25 | Ricky Craven | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54.160 | 166.174 |
| 23 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 54.163 | 166.165 |
| 24 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 54.165 | 166.159 |
| 25 | 96 | David Green (R) | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 54.169 | 166.147 |
| 26 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 53.685 | 167.645 |
| 27 | 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 53.795 | 167.302 |
| 28 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.982 | 166.722 |
| 29 | 29 | Jeff Green (R) | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.989 | 166.701 |
| 30 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 53.999 | 166.670 |
| 31 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 54.019 | 166.608 |
| 32 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 54.022 | 166.599 |
| 33 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 54.024 | 166.593 |
| 34 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 54.039 | 166.546 |
| 35 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54.067 | 166.460 |
| 36 | 19 | Gary Bradberry | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 54.099 | 166.362 |
| 37 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 54.131 | 166.263 |
| 38 | 36 | Derrike Cope | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 54.170 | 166.144 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 40 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 41 | 31 | Mike Skinner (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 42 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 43 | 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | -* | -* |
| 44 | 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 45 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 11 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 59 | running | 180 | $166,080 |
| 2 | 18 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 170 | $52,550 |
| 3 | 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 5 | running | 170 | $53,245 |
| 4 | 14 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 160 | $39,620 |
| 5 | 27 | 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 200 | 2 | running | 160 | $33,070 |
| 6 | 31 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 11 | running | 155 | $28,875 |
| 7 | 8 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 9 | running | 151 | $30,775 |
| 8 | 24 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 200 | 2 | running | 147 | $25,975 |
| 9 | 7 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 3 | running | 143 | $35,675 |
| 10 | 12 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 134 | $34,025 |
| 11 | 38 | 36 | Derrike Cope | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 130 | $19,525 |
| 12 | 20 | 1 | Morgan Shepherd | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 127 | $24,175 |
| 13 | 32 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 124 | $23,875 |
| 14 | 40 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 200 | 0 | running | 121 | $16,575 |
| 15 | 28 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 118 | $30,225 |
| 16 | 22 | 25 | Ricky Craven | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 1 | running | 120 | $23,075 |
| 17 | 13 | 46 | Wally Dallenbach Jr. | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 112 | $12,175 |
| 18 | 35 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 109 | $22,775 |
| 19 | 34 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 106 | $22,525 |
| 20 | 10 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 103 | $24,750 |
| 21 | 6 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 199 | 0 | running | 100 | $26,505 |
| 22 | 16 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 199 | 0 | running | 97 | $28,405 |
| 23 | 39 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | running | 94 | $21,680 |
| 24 | 15 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 199 | 0 | running | 91 | $21,530 |
| 25 | 37 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 199 | 2 | running | 93 | $21,605 |
| 26 | 42 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 199 | 0 | running | 85 | $14,205 |
| 27 | 21 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 198 | 0 | running | 82 | $21,055 |
| 28 | 25 | 96 | David Green (R) | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 79 | $12,005 |
| 29 | 19 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 197 | 0 | running | 76 | $25,930 |
| 30 | 17 | 91 | Mike Wallace | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 197 | 0 | running | 73 | $10,880 |
| 31 | 23 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 197 | 0 | running | 70 | $25,830 |
| 32 | 5 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 196 | 6 | running | 72 | $20,780 |
| 33 | 36 | 19 | Gary Bradberry | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | 196 | 0 | running | 64 | $10,730 |
| 34 | 30 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 196 | 0 | running | 61 | $20,105 |
| 35 | 29 | 29 | Jeff Green (R) | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 189 | 15 | engine | 63 | $20,530 |
| 36 | 26 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 166 | 0 | engine | 55 | $10,955 |
| 37 | 33 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 146 | 0 | running | 52 | $10,390 |
| 38 | 3 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 141 | 60 | engine | 59 | $18,765 |
| 39 | 1 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 129 | 22 | crash | 51 | $27,990 |
| 40 | 9 | 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 121 | 1 | engine | 48 | $17,265 |
| 41 | 41 | 31 | Mike Skinner (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 79 | 2 | engine | 45 | $10,265 |
| 42 | 4 | 40 | Greg Sacks | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 8 | 0 | crash | 37 | $17,265 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 43 | | 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| 44 | | 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||