{{Use mdy dates|date=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. {{coord|42|03|58.68|N|84|14|29.18|W|type:landmark|display=title}} {{Infobox American championship car race report |Country = United States| Race = Michigan 500| Image = Michigan International Speedway track map.png| Caption = | Date = July 27| Year = 1997| Official name = 1997 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota| Race_No = 12| Season_No = 17| Series = CART| Location = Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan, United States| Course = Permanent racing facility| Course_mi = 2.000| Course_km = 3.219| Distance_laps = 250| Distance_mi = 500.000| Distance_km = 804.672| Weather = Partly Cloudy with temperatures up to {{convert|88|F|C}}; wind speeds reaching up to {{convert|10|mph|km/h}}<ref name="weather-information">[https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/oh/swanton/KTOL/date/1997-7-27 Weather information for the ''1997 US 500''] at Wunderground</ref>| Pole_Driver = {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Pruett| Pole_Team = Patrick Racing| Pole_Time = {{convert|233.857|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}| Pole_Country = | First_Driver = {{flagicon|ITA}} Alex Zanardi| First_Team = Chip Ganassi Racing| First_Country = | Second_Driver = {{flagicon|GBR}} Mark Blundell| Second_Team = PacWest Racing| Second_Country= | Third_Driver = {{flagicon|BRA}} Gil de Ferran| Third_Team = Walker Racing| Third_Country = | }}
==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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1997-cart-schedule/127784646/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=CART Confirms Schedule for 1997 |date=October 8, 1996 |page=54}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ |work=Orlando Sentinel |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only |date=July 26, 1997 |page=104}}</ref> "Every series needs a flagship race," team owner John Della Penna said, "I don't think we have one right now."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ |work=Orlando Sentinel |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only |date=July 26, 1997 |page=104}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ |work=Orlando Sentinel |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only |date=July 26, 1997 |page=104}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-1997-us-500-differ/127784384/ |newspaper=LA Times |location=California |agency=Associated Press |title=Michigan Race Gets Steered Away From A Collision Course |date=July 26, 1997 |page=156}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ |work=Orlando Sentinel |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only |date=July 26, 1997 |page=104}}</ref>
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."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-1997-us-500-differ/127784384/ |newspaper=LA Times |location=California |agency=Associated Press |title=Michigan Race Gets Steered Away From A Collision Course |date=July 26, 1997 |page=156}}</ref>
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."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-orlando-sentinel-1997-us-500-not-big/127784344/ |work=Orlando Sentinel |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=Sorry, CART: U.S. 500 is big in name only |date=July 26, 1997 |page=104}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1997-us-500-friday/127785009/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=Speeds Top 230 MPH At Practice for Sunday Race |date=July 26, 1997 |page=18}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-news-1997-us-500-friday/127785009/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=Speeds Top 230 MPH At Practice for Sunday Race |date=July 26, 1997 |page=18}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-qualif/127785054/ |work=Indianapolis Star |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=Pruett Buzzes Record in Taking Pole at US 500 |date=July 27, 1997 |page=42}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=Martin Becomes IROC's First Three Time Series Champion |date=July 28, 1997 |page=16}}</ref>
==Race== An estimated 85,000 spectators attended the U.S. 500.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-1997-us-500/127784719/ |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |location=Michigan |agency=Associated Press |title=Zanardi Zooms to Win |date=July 28, 1997 |page=7}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=CART Notebook |date=July 28, 1997 |page=16}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=CART Notebook |date=July 28, 1997 |page=16}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.champcarstats.com/races/199712.htm |title = 1997 US 500 Results}}</ref>
Zanardi led 93 of the final 98 laps and won the U.S. 500 by 31.737 seconds over Mark Blundell.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-1997-us-500-pt-2/127785214/ |work=Indianapolis News |location=Indiana |agency=Associated Press |title=Zanardi Continued |date=July 28, 1997 |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/detroit-free-press-1997-us-500/127784760/ |work=Detroit Free Press |location=Michigan |agency=Associated Press |title=Oval-Whelming |date=July 28, 1997 |page=23}}</ref> Only 11 of the 28 starters finished the race.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/battle-creek-enquirer-1997-us-500/127784719/ |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |location=Michigan |agency=Associated Press |title=Zanardi Zooms to Win |date=July 28, 1997 |page=7}}</ref>
==Box score== {|class="wikitable" !Finish !Grid !{{Tooltip|No|Car number}} !Name !Team !Chassis !Engine !Tire !Laps !Time/Status !{{Tooltip|Led|Laps led}} !{{Tooltip|Points|Points include one bonus point for leading the most laps and one bonus point for qualifying on pole position}} |- ! 1 | 7 | 4 | {{flagicon|ITA}} Alex Zanardi | Chip Ganassi Racing | Reynard 97I | Honda | {{Firestone}} | 250 | 2:59:35.579 | 104 | 21 |- ! 2 | 11 | 18 | {{flagicon|GBR}} Mark Blundell | PacWest Racing | Reynard 97I | Mercedes-Benz | {{Firestone}} | 250 | +31.737 | 0 | 16 |- ! 3 | 10 | 5 | {{flagicon|BRA}} Gil de Ferran | Walker Racing | Reynard 97I | Honda | {{Goodyear}} | 249 | +1 Lap | 5 | 14 |- ! 4 | 18 | 3 | {{flagicon|CAN}} Paul Tracy | Marlboro Team Penske | Penske PC-26 | Mercedes-Benz | {{Goodyear}} | 249 | +1 Lap | 0 | 12 |- ! 5 | 8 | 8 | {{flagicon|USA}} Bryan Herta | Team Rahal | Reynard 97I | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 248 | +2 Laps | 0 | 10 |- ! 6 | 2 | 17 | {{flagicon|BRA}} Maurício Gugelmin | PacWest Racing | Reynard 97I | Mercedes-Benz | {{Firestone}} | 244 | +6 Laps | 34 | 8 |- ! 7 | 27 | 34 | {{flagicon|USA}} Dennis Vitolo | Payton-Coyne Racing | Lola T97/00 | Ford | {{Firestone}} | 242 | +8 Laps | 0 | 6 |- ! 8 | 23 | 25 | {{flagicon|ITA}} Max Papis | Arciero-Wells Racing | Reynard 97I | Toyota | {{Firestone}} | 241 | +9 Laps | 0 | 5 |- ! 9 | 26 | 24 | {{flagicon|JPN}} Hiro Matsushita | Arciero-Wells Racing | Reynard 97I | Toyota | {{Firestone}} | 241 | +9 Laps | 0 | 4 |- ! 10 | 20 | 77 | {{flagicon|BRA}} Gualter Salles | Davis Racing | Reynard 97I | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 240 | +10 Laps | 0 | 3 |- ! 11 | 25 | 36 | {{flagicon|ARG}} Juan Manuel Fangio II | All American Racers | Reynard 97I | Toyota | {{Goodyear}} | 226 | Transmission | 0 | 2 |- ! 12 | 28 | 64 | {{flagicon|DEU}} Arnd Meier | Project Indy | Lola T97/00 | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 224 | +26 Laps | 0 | 1 |- ! 13 | 17 | 19 | {{flagicon|MEX}} Michel Jourdain Jr. | Payton-Coyne Racing | Lola T97/00 | Ford | {{Firestone}} | 182 | Transmission | 0 | 0 |- ! 14 | 1 | 20 | {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Pruett | Patrick Racing | Reynard 97I | Ford | {{Firestone}} | 174 | Crash | 32 | 1 |- ! 15 | 12 | 16 | {{flagicon|CAN}} Patrick Carpentier | Bettenhausen Motorsports | Reynard 97I | Mercedes-Benz | {{Goodyear}} | 144 | Electrical | 14 | 0 |- ! 16 | 14 | 11 | {{flagicon|BRA}} Christian Fittipaldi | Newman/Haas Racing | Swift 007.i | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 128 | Lost wheel | 0 | 0 |- ! 17 | 6 | 7 | {{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Rahal | Team Rahal | Reynard 97I | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 126 | Crash | 25 | 0 |- ! 18 | 3 | 40 | {{flagicon|BRA}} Raul Boesel | Patrick Racing | Reynard 97I | Ford | {{Firestone}} | 120 | Transmission | 0 | 0 |- ! 19 | 13 | 9 | {{flagicon|GBR}} Dario Franchitti | Hogan Racing | Reynard 97I | Mercedes-Benz | {{Firestone}} | 101 | Transmission | 12 | 0 |- ! 20 | 16 | 2 | {{flagicon|USA}} Al Unser Jr. | Marlboro Team Penske | Penske PC-26 | Mercedes-Benz | {{Goodyear}} | 97 | Engine | 0 | 0 |- ! 21 | 19 | 6 | {{flagicon|USA}} Michael Andretti | Newman/Haas Racing | Swift 007.i | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 79 | Transmission | 3 | 0 |- ! 22 | 22 | 21 | {{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn | Della Penna Motorsports | Lola T97/00 | Ford | {{Goodyear}} | 60 | Turbo control | 0 | 0 |- ! 23 | 9 | 31 | {{flagicon|BRA}} André Ribeiro | Tasman Motorsports | Reynard 97I | Honda | {{Firestone}} | 57 | Transmission | 21 | 0 |- ! 24 | 4 | 1 | {{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Vasser | Chip Ganassi Racing | Reynard 97I | Honda | {{Firestone}} | 57 | Transmission | 0 | 0 |- ! 25 | 5 | 27 | {{flagicon|USA}} Parker Johnstone | Team Green | Reynard 97I | Honda | {{Firestone}} | 53 | Crash | 0 | 0 |- ! 26 | 15 | 32 | {{flagicon|MEX}} Adrián Fernández | Tasman Motorsports | Lola T97/00 | Honda | {{Firestone}} | 46 | Electrical | 0 | 0 |- ! 27 | 21 | 99 | {{flagicon|CAN}} Greg Moore | Forsythe Racing | Reynard 97I | Mercedes-Benz | {{Firestone}} | 19 | Turbo control | 0 | 0 |- ! 28 | 24 | 98 | {{flagicon|USA}} P. J. Jones | All American Racers | Reynard 97I | Toyota | {{Goodyear}} | 11 | Engine | 0 | 0 |- ! colspan=12| Source:<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1997_U.S._500_Presented_by_Toyota/R 1997 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota]</ref><ref>[https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1997-us-500/ 1997 US 500 - Round 12]</ref> |}
Tires: *{{Firestone}} - Firestone Tire and Rubber Company *{{Goodyear}} - Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
===Race statistics=== {| class="wikitable" !colspan=2|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.<ref name="1997 TV">1997 Michigan 500 Telecast: ABC-TV, July 27, 1997</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
Michigan 500 Michigan 500 Category:Michigan Indy 400