1997 Indy 200 At Walt Disney World
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The 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World was the third round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League. The race was held on January 25, 1997, at the
Walt Disney World Speedway Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
in
Bay Lake, Florida Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of the Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney W ...
, being the first IRL race of the calendar year 1997. It was the first race with the new chassis from
Dallara Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created "D ...
and
G-Force The gravitational force equivalent, or, more commonly, g-force, is a measurement of the type of force per unit mass – typically acceleration – that causes a perception of weight, with a g-force of 1 g (not gram in mass measure ...
, as well as for the 4000 cc naturally aspirated engines supplied by
Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
and
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
, and it marked the first time that a major open-wheel series contested a race with brand-new cars and engines. The race was won by
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
after being called off on lap 149 of the scheduled 200 due to heavy rain.


Report


Pre-Race

The Indy Racing League was faced with a four-month break between the second and third round, due to the nature of the 1996-97 calendar. This, combined with the addition of rounds at Texas and Pikes Peak that nullified a summer break, the criticism about the Indianapolis 500 overshadowing the co-championship of
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
and
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
, and the majority of motorsport series and potential sponsors following a calendar-based approach, led the teams to complain about the split season. On October 9, it was confirmed that the season would go beyond the Indianapolis 500, ending at the 1997 Las Vegas 500K, and that the series would switch to a calendar-based format for the 1998 season. Thus, the season schedule went from five to nine races. Following a successful test by
Team Menard Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
on September 25, with John Paul Jr. subbing for the injured
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
and
Mark Dismore Mark Dismore (born October 12, 1956 in Greenfield, Indiana) is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyot ...
with a fastest lap of 207.61 mph, the IRL confirmed on December 17 a tenth round at
Charlotte Motor Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway (previously known as Lowe's Motor Speedway from 1999 to 2009) is a motorsport complex located in Concord, North Carolina, outside Charlotte. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including th ...
, to be held on July 26. The future of
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
, who had his sights on a
NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and hi ...
ride and missed his
Winston Cup The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...
debut at Atlanta as a result of the injuries sustained at Las Vegas, was one of the big stories of the winter gap. Being only contracted with
Team Menard Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
through the original end of the season at Indianapolis, it was announced on September 17 that he would race full-time in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series with his
Busch Series The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to a ...
owner,
Harry Ranier Ranier Racing with MDM, formerly known as Ranier-Lundy, was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the K&N Pro Series East, and the ARCA Racing Series. The team formerly compe ...
. However, the deal fell through a month later, as a clause that estipulated that enough sponsorship for the full season had to be found by mid-October was not fulfilled. During that month, it was reported that Team Green tried to lure Stewart to its
KOOL Kool may refer to: People * Kool (surname), surname of Dutch origin * Robert "Kool" Bell (born 1950), American bassist and founder of Kool and the Gang * Roger Kool (1954–2005), Singaporean DJ (Roger Kiew) * Kool DJ Herc (born 1955), Jamaican†...
-backed CART operation for 1997, and that
General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
wanted to get Stewart back from
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
by establishing an IRL full-time operation centered around him with
Hendrick Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 1984 as All Star Racing by Rick Hendrick. Hendrick Motorsports has won a NASCAR-record 291 Cup Seri ...
, combined with a partial Busch Series schedule. However, Hendrick denied this information, and both negotiations were reported to have collapsed weeks later. From September 30 to October 4, USAC organized a five-day test exclusively aimed at driver's tests, conducted with the
PDM Racing PDM may stand for: Computing * .pdm (disambiguation), several file formats * Personal data manager - portable hardware tool enabling secure storage and easy access to user data * Phase dispersion minimization, a data analysis technique for fin ...
'mule' car. A total of 7 drivers passed their test, although only three of them would take part in an IRL race:
Robbie Groff Robbie Groff (born January 31, 1966 in Mission Hills, California), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and CART Championship Car series and is brother of Mike Groff. He raced in the 1994 CART season and 1997-1998 IRL seasons with 9 comb ...
, who had two IndyCar races under his belt, USAC Silver Crown champion
Jack Hewitt Jack Hewitt (born July 8, 1951, Troy, Ohio), is a former racecar driver who was prolific in various open wheel and sprint car series. He was a two-time champion in the USAC Silver Crown Series in 1986 and 1987 and is second all-time in Silver C ...
and ARCA champion and
World of Outlaws The World of Outlaws (often abbreviated WoO) is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late ...
race-winner
Andy Hillenburg Andrew Hillenburg (born April 30, 1963) is an American former professional stock car racing driver and current team owner and track owner. His race team, Fast Track Racing, fields multiple cars in the ARCA Menards Series and formerly fielded entr ...
. The other four were
Formula Atlantic Formula Atlantic is a specification of open-wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club o ...
champion Chris Smith, supermodified driver
Mike Muldoon Michael D. Muldoon (April 9, 1858 in Westmeath, Ireland, to January 30, 1917) was a Major League Baseball player. Muldoon played for the Cleveland Blues and the Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball ...
and Silver Crown veterans Cary Faas and Jim Keeker.
IMSA The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive direc ...
regular
Tom Hessert Thomas Hessert III (born May 22, 1986) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He most recently competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 55 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports and the No. 22 Ford Fusion for ...
also passed his test on a conditional basis, and
Butch Brickell William "Butch" Brickell (April 18, 1957 – October 13, 2003) was an American racing driver and stuntman from Miami, Florida. He was the great-grandson of Miami co-founder William Brickell. Racing career As a racer, Brickell participated in the 2 ...
, recovered from the injuries sustained at
Walt Disney World Speedway Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
, only passed two phases. On October 6, John Paul Jr. got the overall win at the 3 Hours of Daytona, the last round of the IMSA GT season, with a handful of other IRL regulars in competition. Despite reports that the introduction of the new chassis and engine formula could be postponed, testing went ahead as scheduled. With the
Riley & Scott Riley & Scott Cars Inc. was an American racing constructor and racing team that primarily provided chassis for various forms of motorsport, but worked primarily in sports car racing. It was founded in 1990 by Bob Riley and Mark Scott. History Sp ...
chassis being projected to debut at the Texas 500 after having been commissioned by Kelley Automotive Group, whose initial plans were to resell the cars at a later date, the
G-Force The gravitational force equivalent, or, more commonly, g-force, is a measurement of the type of force per unit mass – typically acceleration – that causes a perception of weight, with a g-force of 1 g (not gram in mass measure ...
chassis and the
Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
engine made their debut at
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
on November 13–15 with
Treadway Racing Treadway Racing is a former auto racing team that competed in the early seasons of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The team was owned by Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway. Prior to the IRL's inaugural season in 1996, Treadway was able ...
and
Arie Luyendyk Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
running 175 laps, and a best lap in the 162 mph range.
Dallara Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created "D ...
did so on November 25–26 at
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
with
Team Scandia Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
and
Eliseo Salazar Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela (born 14 November 1954) is a Chilean former racing driver. , he is the only Chilean to have participated in a Formula One World Championship. He made his Formula One debut on 15 March 1981, and ultimately contested 37 r ...
, who did 203 laps and a best lap of 157 mph. However, by the time of the open test at Walt Disney World on December 10–13,
Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...
's engine production had been scarce, and
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
was not ready to supply theirs.
Arie Luyendyk Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
,
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
and
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
were the only drivers to take part, with Luyendyk setting a fastest lap of 166.898 mph. Those tests were the first overseen by the new IRL executive director and vice president Leo Mehl, the former general manager for Goodyear. On December 17, the litigation between the IRL and CART regarding the use of the "IndyCar" trademark, and the one filled by
A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. H ...
for anti-competitive practices, ended in an out-of-court settlement "without any acknowledgment of fault or liability by any party". CART agreed to end its licensing agreement with the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
and cease use of the term "IndyCar" for their series, but its use by the IRL would be prohibited until 2003, as part of the settlement. That same day, Joie Chitwood Jr. confirmed the formation of a new team, Chitwood Motorsports, with veteran
Danny Ongais Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver. Ongais was the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and drag r ...
as a driver, and
Treadway Racing Treadway Racing is a former auto racing team that competed in the early seasons of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The team was owned by Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway. Prior to the IRL's inaugural season in 1996, Treadway was able ...
followed suit by announcing
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
as a driver for their second car, the two-time Indy 500 runner-up having only run partially in IndyCar for the last two years. At the resuming of open tests at
Walt Disney World Speedway Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
from December 16–22, Goodyear led the proceedings with a 168.145 mph lap. Stewart, Salazar,
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
, John Paul Jr. and
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
also tested, while
Galles Racing Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and the Indy Racing League. The team won the 1990 CART championship as well as the 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser Jr. The team ...
and Davy Jones elected to do so at
Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race since 2020. P ...
. Testing at Orlando continued throughout the first weeks of January, with 10 drivers taking part, among them
Fermín Vélez Fermín Vélez (April 3, 1959 – March 31, 2003) was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion. Vélez was a driver in the Indy Racing League, raci ...
with
Team Scandia Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
.
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
put a best lap just south of the 170 mph mark (169.795 mph), and
Mike Groff Michael Dennis Groff (born November 16, 1961 in Van Nuys, California) is a former race car driver who competed in CART and the IRL IndyCar Series and was the 1989 Indy Lights champion. His younger brother Robbie was also a CART and IRL driver ...
debuted the
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
engine, getting close to 160 mph in his best effort. They were joined by
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
, who got to do some system-check laps with the
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
, and Dr.
Jack Miller Jack Miller may refer to: Military * Jack Miller (USMC officer) (1920–1942), American marine soldier * Jack Duppa-Miller (1903–1994), British recipient of the George Cross in World War II, originally called Jack Miller * USS ''Jack Miller'', ...
, a veteran
Indy Lights Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as Firestone Indy NXT Series for sponsorship reasons. Indy Lights is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program ...
competitor who passed his rookie test in the
PDM Racing PDM may stand for: Computing * .pdm (disambiguation), several file formats * Personal data manager - portable hardware tool enabling secure storage and easy access to user data * Phase dispersion minimization, a data analysis technique for fin ...
'mule' car. Miller, known as 'The Racing Dentist' for his full-time job, had arranged a deal with the Arizona Motorsports rental crew to race in 1997. On January 11,
Eliseo Salazar Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela (born 14 November 1954) is a Chilean former racing driver. , he is the only Chilean to have participated in a Formula One World Championship. He made his Formula One debut on 15 March 1981, and ultimately contested 37 r ...
lost control of his car after having an engine failure and crashed in Turn 1, suffering a compression fracture in his lower back. Salazar, injured at Orlando for the second year in a row, was ruled out of action "at least until the beginning of May". On January 16, both
Jeret Schroeder Jeret Schroeder (born November 13, 1969, Vineland, New Jersey, United States), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997 and 1999-2002 seasons with 20 career starts, including the 1999-2001 Indianapolis 500. His best caree ...
, a U.S. F2000 champion and top-5 contender in the
Atlantic Championship The Atlantic Championship is a formula race car series with races throughout North America. It has been called Champ Car Atlantics (after its former name), Toyota Atlantics (due to the series' previous history of using Toyota-powered engines) ...
, and Jim Guthrie were confirmed to drive for
McCormack Motorsports McCormack Motorsports is a former Indy Racing League team owned by Dennis McCormack that operated from 1996 to 2001. Based in Avon, Indiana, the team debuted at the 1996 Indianapolis 500 with a car for Randy Tolsma, however, it failed to make the f ...
and Blueprint Racing, respectively.


Practice and qualifying

Further testing was conducted on the week of the race with 11 drivers, among them
Roberto Guerrero Roberto José Guerrero Isaza (born 16 November 1958) is a Colombian Americans, Colombian-American former race driver. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982, becoming the first Colombian to start a Formula ...
and
Marco Greco Marco Greco (Born December 1, 1963 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and auto racing driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was third in 1996†...
, designated by
Team Scandia Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
as Salazar's replacement.
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
logged the fastest lap at 165.975 mph, with
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
in close pursuit in his
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
-powered car. The entry list was unveiled on January 21 with 22 car/driver combinations, but
Mark Dismore Mark Dismore (born October 12, 1956 in Greenfield, Indiana) is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyot ...
,
Robbie Buhl Robbie Buhl (born September 2, 1963) is an American former race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League. He was a color commentator for the IndyCar races on Versus. In 2016, Robbie, along with his brother Tom Buhl, starteBuhl Sport Det ...
and
Sam Schmidt Samuel Schmidt (born August 15, 1964) is a former Indy Racing League driver and current NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights series team owner. Schmidt's brief IndyCar career included a win in 1999, but an accident before the 2000 season left him ...
were later withdrawn due to the widespread parts shortage that left them out of any winter testing.
Davey Hamilton David Jay "Davey" Hamilton (born June 13, 1962 in Nampa, Idaho) is a race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and Stadium Super Trucks. He has made 56 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second thr ...
also had to skip winter testing for the same reason, but he remained entered nonetheless. The drivers already confirmed were joined by
Stéphan Grégoire Stéphan Grégoire (born May 14, 1969 in Neufchâteau, Vosges) is a French race car driver currently living in Zionsville, Indiana. Gregoire is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex Sports Car Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Ra ...
driving for a new team,
Chastain Motorsports Chastain Motorsports is a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Indianapolis businessman Tom Chastain. The team was founded in 1997 and raced until 1998 with driver Stephan Gregoire. Gregoire finished 11th in driver points in '97 and 12th in '9 ...
. On Thursday, Stan Wattles announced his plans to become a driver-owner under the Metro Racing System banner he had driven with in Formula Atlantics. The deadline was set for a late 1997 start at the earliest, in anticipation of a full-season effort in 1998. Thursday practice was dominated by
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
, who led with a 167.715 mph lap in the morning session and a 165.738 mph lap in the afternoon, with
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
and
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
trailing him. One hour into the morning session, Davy Jones was second fastest in front of
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
when he lost control going into Turn 3 at 11.45 a.m. His car crashed rear first into the concrete wall, skidded across the track and pounded the inside wall. Jones was extricated and airlifted to
Orlando Regional Medical Center Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) is an 808-bed tertiary hospital in downtown Orlando, Florida designed by HKS, Inc. (architect) and Walter P Moore (structural engineer). It is the flagship of the Orlando Health system. Background ORMC is als ...
in critical condition, although he was upgraded to serious a few hours later. He suffered a closed head injury, as well as injuries in his neck's ligaments. Jones underwent a lengthy and successful recovery, and would not race again until the 1999 12 Hours of Sebring. On Friday morning,
Galles Racing Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and the Indy Racing League. The team won the 1990 CART championship as well as the 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser Jr. The team ...
confirmed that their replacement driver would be Jeff Ward, a former motocross champion and
Indy Lights Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as Firestone Indy NXT Series for sponsorship reasons. Indy Lights is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program ...
regular who had not driven an Indy car since failing to qualify for the
1995 Indianapolis 500 The 79th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1995. Sanctioned by USAC, it was part of the 1995 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season. Jacques Villeneuve won in his second start. Af ...
, and had not started an Indy car race.
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
completed his practice sweep by leading the morning session with a 167.046 mph over
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
and
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
, and confirmed his dominance on qualifying, where he scored the first pole of his IRL career with a best lap of 166.013 mph. As expected, lap times were significantly slower than in the previous year, with a 15 mph drop between
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
's pole from 1996 (181.388 mph) and Stewart's, who was 1.8s slower in sheer lap time. Stewart didn't have as much margin as in practice, where he averaged an advantage of more than 3 mph: three other drivers later went below the 22 second mark, with
Arie Luyendyk Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
being the closest of them all at 164.964 mph, and
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
, who got out on track at the 11th hour after having fuel pressure issues, ended up 3rd, on what would be the best qualifying effort of his IRL career, in front of
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
,
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
and early favourite
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
. Jeff Ward put his new ride in a solid 8th place, while the
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
drivers lagged behind: Lazier, who suffered a gearbox failure in the morning, managed to qualify 11th and points leader
Mike Groff Michael Dennis Groff (born November 16, 1961 in Van Nuys, California) is a former race car driver who competed in CART and the IRL IndyCar Series and was the 1989 Indy Lights champion. His younger brother Robbie was also a CART and IRL driver ...
only ran faster than
Jeret Schroeder Jeret Schroeder (born November 13, 1969, Vineland, New Jersey, United States), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997 and 1999-2002 seasons with 20 career starts, including the 1999-2001 Indianapolis 500. His best caree ...
and
Danny Ongais Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver. Ongais was the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and drag r ...
, who had no testing mileage whatsoever. There were only 16 qualifiers, as three drivers had not had enough running to make an attempt:
Roberto Guerrero Roberto José Guerrero Isaza (born 16 November 1958) is a Colombian Americans, Colombian-American former race driver. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982, becoming the first Colombian to start a Formula ...
had not run since suffering an oil system problem in his only test with the
Infiniti is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Nissan. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in ...
engine on Wednesday, as a spare engine was not ready in time, while
Jack Miller Jack Miller may refer to: Military * Jack Miller (USMC officer) (1920–1942), American marine soldier * Jack Duppa-Miller (1903–1994), British recipient of the George Cross in World War II, originally called Jack Miller * USS ''Jack Miller'', ...
(11 laps, best lap at 84 mph) and
Stéphan Grégoire Stéphan Grégoire (born May 14, 1969 in Neufchâteau, Vosges) is a French race car driver currently living in Zionsville, Indiana. Gregoire is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex Sports Car Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Ra ...
(7 laps, 125 mph) had not run a single lap at speed in their cars Guerrero and Miller were allowed to start the race at the back of the field, but Grégoire was required to take part in the systems-check practice scheduled for Guerrero on raceday. Despite picking up a fuel problem, he got permission from USAC to start the race, where he parked the car after just two laps.
Fermín Vélez Fermín Vélez (April 3, 1959 – March 31, 2003) was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion. Vélez was a driver in the Indy Racing League, raci ...
, who qualified in a career-best 10th place, also participated in the systems check after losing an engine on Friday afternoon practice, changing it for an "Oldsmobile development engine". # His engine had an oil system problem, and a spare was not ready on time. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field. # Elected not to qualify. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field.


Failed to qualify or withdrew

* Davy Jones for
Galles Racing Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and the Indy Racing League. The team won the 1990 CART championship as well as the 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser Jr. The team ...
- Replaced by Jeff Ward R.


Race

Rain fell in the early hours of the day, although the track was dried up 90 minutes before the start of the race. In a cool and cloudy Saturday morning, polesitter
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
ran away from the start, his pace not being matched by any of his competitors. Jeff Ward had a great start climbing to 5th place, while
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
went the opposite way losing two additional spots to
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
and a fast-starting
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
.
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
pressured
Arie Luyendyk Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
for second place and eventually passed him on Lap 15, pulling away shortly after. In fourth place,
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
lacked some pace, and started developing a loose condition around Lap 30. One of his corrections on Lap 32 made Ward lose the three spots he had gained, as he veered out to avoid an incident, and Stewart got to lap that group of cars by Lap 37, his lead having increased to 15 seconds. Sharp eventually started losing places, and had to do his first pit stop on Lap 45, much earlier than intended. From around Lap 40, smoking was consistently reported out of Calkins' car while braking for Turn 1. Vapor chemtrails coming from the rear wings as a result of the high humidity also caused some confusing reports of smoking for other drivers, among them Stewart. His first pit stop on Lap 65 was a slow one, depriving him of putting a lap on Calkins and Luyendyk. Jeff Ward had problems with his gearbox on his pit stop and slowed on track shortly after, having to retire from the race. After the first round of stops, Cheever was up to fourth place, having passed
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
on track on Lap 50 and
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
in the pit stop window. Running a race of his own, Stewart got around Luyendyk on Lap 79. Three laps later,
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
, who was bound to have the same fate, slowed on track after mistakenly turning off a switch in his car, trying to nurse his engine problems. He got back up to speed shortly after, in third place. Leading a pack of lapped cars in 13th place, six laps down, rookie
Jeret Schroeder Jeret Schroeder (born November 13, 1969, Vineland, New Jersey, United States), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997 and 1999-2002 seasons with 20 career starts, including the 1999-2001 Indianapolis 500. His best caree ...
spun on his own on the exit of Turn 1 and crashed into the wall. The trail of cars that followed him slowed suddenly, and
Arie Luyendyk Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Spe ...
lost control of his car trying to avoid them, crashing into the inside wall. Both incidents happened at reduced speeds, but the damage took both drivers out of the race, and caused a race-changing caution. With rain looming in the background as a strong possibility, and the race being past the halfway point, most of the drivers elected to do an earlier second pit stop, hoping that rain appeared before Lap 170, with the exception of race leader
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
,
Marco Greco Marco Greco (Born December 1, 1963 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and auto racing driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was third in 1996†...
and Jim Guthrie, who stuck to their two-stop strategy. Also, having stopped just before the caution,
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
restarted the race in front of
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
and
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
, who passed the Canadian a few laps later, although Sharp would eventually lose position with both drivers within 30 laps. After his second green-flag pit stop on Lap 130, Stewart rejoined the track some 20 seconds behind
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
, and cautiously let
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
take second place while running on cold tires, getting by him again on Lap 143. Stewart was trying to make up a 10-second gap with the leader when, two laps later, Calkins slowed on track with a blown engine. That gave the lead back to Stewart, only for him to spun a few seconds later in Turn 3, damaging his rear wing and puncturing his right rear tire against the outside wall. It was thought that the spin had been caused by Stewart running into some debris from Calkins' blown engine, but he later stated that it had been caused by an oil leak in his car. Both drivers retired from the race while the caution was out, and heavy rain started falling on the track less than five minutes after their incidents. IRL officials brought out the red flag on Lap 149.
Eddie Cheever Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
had inherited the lead during the caution, and would be later proclaimed as the winner after the race was called with 51 laps to go. This gave Cheever, who had not led a lap under green flag conditions, his first Indy car win after seven years, and the first for a driver-owner since
A. J. Foyt Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. H ...
at the
1981 Pocono 500 The 1981 Pocono 500, the 11th running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, June 21, 1981. Branded as the 1981 Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race is notable as the final w ...
. It also ended a long winless drought in Cheever's career: it was his first win on any series since the 1988 1000 km of Fuji, his first win in an open-wheel car since the 1979 Formula 2 race at
Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...
, and the first major open-wheel victory of his career, having scored 9 podiums without a win in his ten-year F1 tenure, and another four in CART. During the caution,
Buddy Lazier Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship. Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
,
Scott Goodyear Scott Goodyear (born December 20, 1959) is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994. Goodyear qualified for eleven runnings of th ...
and
Scott Sharp Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League. E ...
made a pit stop, but
Mike Groff Michael Dennis Groff (born November 16, 1961 in Van Nuys, California) is a former race car driver who competed in CART and the IRL IndyCar Series and was the 1989 Indy Lights champion. His younger brother Robbie was also a CART and IRL driver ...
, who had run ninth for most of the race, didn't follow suit, gaining three places on all of them for what would be the best finish of his career in second place, extending his championship lead to 10 points over
Buzz Calkins Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
. Also, Lazier's pit stop was significantly slower, which made him drop down to fifth place behind Goodyear and Sharp.
Marco Greco Marco Greco (Born December 1, 1963 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and auto racing driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was third in 1996†...
got his third top 10 finish in a row with his two stop strategy, the same that propelled Jim Guthrie into his best result at that moment in sixth position in front of the unsung
Davey Hamilton David Jay "Davey" Hamilton (born June 13, 1962 in Nampa, Idaho) is a race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and Stadium Super Trucks. He has made 56 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second thr ...
. Spaniard
Fermín Vélez Fermín Vélez (April 3, 1959 – March 31, 2003) was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion. Vélez was a driver in the Indy Racing League, raci ...
was the last running car in ninth place, in another career-best showing. Despite being credited with a 10th-place finish,
Tony Stewart Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
failed to see the checkered flag for the fifth IRL race in a row, having only finished a race in his first start at Orlando the previous year.


Race Statistics

*Lead changes: 3 among 3 drivers


Standings after the race

;Drivers' Championship standings * Note: Only the top five positions are included for the standings.


References


External links


IndyCar official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indy 200 At Walt Disney World, 1997 1996–97 in IndyCar Indy 200 At Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
Events at Walt Disney World