# 1997 Goody's Headache Powder 500 (Martinsville)

The 1997 Goody's Headache Powder 500 was the eighth stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 48th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 20, 1997, in Martinsville, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would dominate the majority of the race, recovering from a mid-race spin to take his 23rd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory, his fourth victory of the season, and his second consecutive victory. To fill out the top three, Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Hamilton and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Martinsville Speedway is a NASCAR-owned stock car racing track located in Henry County, in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At 0.526 miles (0.847 km) in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in NASCAR, being built in 1947 by H. Clay Earles. It is also the only remaining race track that has been on the NASCAR circuit from its beginning in 1948.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 1 | Morgan Shepherd | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | Delco-Remy, 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 |
| 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | Melling Racing |
| 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 |
| 20 | Lance Hooper | Ranier-Walsh Racing | Ford | Hardee's |
| 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 | Robert Pressley | 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 | Robby Gordon (R) | 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 |
| 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 |
| 79 | Randy MacDonald | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | T.R.I.X. Racing |
| 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, April 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, April 19, at 1:00 PM 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.
Kenny Wallace, driving for FILMAR Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 20.153 and an average speed of 93.961 miles per hour (151.216 km/h).

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 20.153 | 93.961 |
| 2 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 20.204 | 93.724 |
| 3 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 20.241 | 93.553 |
| 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.287 | 93.341 |
| 5 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 20.312 | 93.226 |
| 6 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 20.318 | 93.198 |
| 7 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.320 | 93.189 |
| 8 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.329 | 93.148 |
| 9 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 20.331 | 93.139 |
| 10 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 20.345 | 93.074 |
| 11 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 20.346 | 93.070 |
| 12 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.350 | 93.052 |
| 13 | 29 | Robert Pressley | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.351 | 93.047 |
| 14 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 20.356 | 93.024 |
| 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 20.366 | 92.978 |
| 16 | 31 | Mike Skinner (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.377 | 92.928 |
| 17 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.386 | 92.887 |
| 18 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 20.440 | 92.642 |
| 19 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.445 | 92.619 |
| 20 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 20.456 | 92.569 |
| 21 | 1 | Morgan Shepherd | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 20.461 | 92.547 |
| 22 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 20.466 | 92.524 |
| 23 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.467 | 92.520 |
| 24 | 36 | Derrike Cope | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.474 | 92.488 |
| 25 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.491 | 92.411 |
| 26 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 20.330 | 93.143 |
| 27 | 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 20.400 | 92.824 |
| 28 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.493 | 92.402 |
| 29 | 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 20.496 | 92.389 |
| 30 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.496 | 92.389 |
| 31 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 20.498 | 92.380 |
| 32 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 20.500 | 92.371 |
| 33 | 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | 20.511 | 92.321 |
| 34 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 20.512 | 92.317 |
| 35 | 25 | Ricky Craven | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.526 | 92.254 |
| 36 | 91 | Mike Wallace | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 20.533 | 92.222 |
| 37 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 20.537 | 92.204 |
| 38 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.558 | 92.110 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 40 | 40 | Robby Gordon (R) | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 41 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 42 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 43 | 79 | Randy MacDonald | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 44 | 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| 45 | 96 | David Green (R) | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | -* | -* |
| 46 | 20 | Lance Hooper | Ranier-Walsh Racing | Ford | -* | -* |
| 47 | 19 | Gary Bradberry | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | -* | -* |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 431 | running | 185 | $99,225 |
| 2 | 8 | 43 | Bobby Hamilton | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 500 | 48 | running | 175 | $50,575 |
| 3 | 39 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 165 | $42,375 |
| 4 | 7 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 160 | $42,925 |
| 5 | 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 155 | $33,875 |
| 6 | 1 | 81 | Kenny Wallace | FILMAR Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 150 | $35,375 |
| 7 | 29 | 37 | Jeremy Mayfield | Kranefuss-Haas Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 146 | $19,775 |
| 8 | 14 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Pontiac | 500 | 0 | running | 142 | $29,650 |
| 9 | 17 | 17 | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip Motorsports | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 138 | $25,445 |
| 10 | 26 | 33 | Ken Schrader | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 134 | $30,945 |
| 11 | 11 | 23 | Jimmy Spencer | Travis Carter Enterprises | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 130 | $23,685 |
| 12 | 25 | 3 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 500 | 0 | running | 127 | $28,400 |
| 13 | 5 | 10 | Ricky Rudd | Rudd Performance Motorsports | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 124 | $27,065 |
| 14 | 6 | 8 | Hut Stricklin | Stavola Brothers Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 121 | $22,765 |
| 15 | 19 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 500 | 0 | running | 118 | $28,215 |
| 16 | 23 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 499 | 0 | running | 115 | $28,265 |
| 17 | 22 | 30 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Bahari Racing | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 112 | $22,365 |
| 18 | 18 | 22 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 499 | 0 | running | 109 | $14,770 |
| 19 | 2 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 499 | 21 | running | 111 | $15,865 |
| 20 | 28 | 41 | Steve Grissom | Larry Hedrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 103 | $23,115 |
| 21 | 38 | 4 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 100 | $25,965 |
| 22 | 35 | 25 | Ricky Craven | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 97 | $20,415 |
| 23 | 13 | 29 | Robert Pressley | Diamond Ridge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 498 | 0 | running | 94 | $13,265 |
| 24 | 12 | 16 | Ted Musgrave | Roush Racing | Ford | 497 | 0 | running | 91 | $20,115 |
| 25 | 20 | 9 | Lake Speed | Melling Racing | Ford | 497 | 0 | running | 88 | $20,215 |
| 26 | 34 | 21 | Michael Waltrip | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 496 | 0 | running | 85 | $19,815 |
| 27 | 37 | 11 | Brett Bodine | Brett Bodine Racing | Ford | 496 | 0 | running | 82 | $19,665 |
| 28 | 27 | 98 | John Andretti | Cale Yarborough Motorsports | Ford | 496 | 0 | running | 79 | $19,615 |
| 29 | 3 | 7 | Geoff Bodine | Geoff Bodine Racing | Ford | 495 | 0 | crash | 76 | $20,065 |
| 30 | 31 | 90 | Dick Trickle | Donlavey Racing | Ford | 495 | 0 | running | 73 | $9,515 |
| 31 | 30 | 28 | Ernie Irvan | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 494 | 0 | running | 70 | $24,465 |
| 32 | 16 | 31 | Mike Skinner (R) | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 490 | 0 | running | 67 | $10,440 |
| 33 | 42 | 77 | Bobby Hillin Jr. | Jasper Motorsports | Ford | 489 | 0 | running | 64 | $9,415 |
| 34 | 24 | 36 | Derrike Cope | MB2 Motorsports | Pontiac | 481 | 0 | running | 61 | $11,140 |
| 35 | 21 | 1 | Morgan Shepherd | Precision Products Racing | Pontiac | 479 | 0 | running | 58 | $16,365 |
| 36 | 32 | 75 | Rick Mast | Butch Mock Motorsports | Ford | 477 | 0 | running | 55 | $16,340 |
| 37 | 9 | 94 | Bill Elliott | Bill Elliott Racing | Ford | 454 | 0 | running | 52 | $14,075 |
| 38 | 41 | 71 | Dave Marcis | Marcis Auto Racing | Chevrolet | 417 | 0 | running | 49 | $7,075 |
| 39 | 36 | 91 | Mike Wallace | LJ Racing | Chevrolet | 414 | 0 | running | 46 | $7,075 |
| 40 | 10 | 44 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Pontiac | 398 | 0 | handling | 43 | $7,075 |
| 41 | 40 | 40 | Robby Gordon (R) | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 395 | 0 | crash | 40 | $7,075 |
| 42 | 33 | 97 | Chad Little | Mark Rypien Motorsports | Pontiac | 394 | 0 | running | 37 | $7,075 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 43 | | 79 | Randy MacDonald | T.R.I.X. Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 44 | | 78 | Billy Standridge | Triad Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 45 | | 96 | David Green (R) | American Equipment Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 20 | Lance Hooper | Ranier-Walsh Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 19 | Gary Bradberry | TriStar Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||