1997 True Value 500

Qualifying

Qualifying used a three-lap format, with the average speed determining grid positions. On the third lap, each driver had to enter pit lane at a 120 mph speed limit, stop at a designated spot 30 feet short of the start/finish line, and make a pit stop. A maximum of three crew members were allowed: one jacking the car and two changing only the front and rear right tires. The driver then crossed the finish line to complete the attempt.

One driver missed his pit box and could not complete his run; another entered the pits at the end of the second lap by mistake. Despite failing to qualify, both were allowed to start at the back of the field. A driver from Team Scandia could not qualify due to an engine shortage but also started at the rear. Another driver crashed in practice and could not qualify, but started at the back using a backup chassis loaned by Blueprint Racing.

Mike Groff fractured his lower left tibia in practice and was replaced by Johnny Unser. Scott Harrington, Billy Roe, Stéphan Grégoire, and Lyn St. James all withdrew before practice began.

Race report

The race got off to a messy start when Marco Greco’s engine blew up, scattering oil and metal debris across the track and forcing a long cleanup. The green flag finally waved on lap 20, at which point the Menard cars dropped back, leaving only Buddy Lazier and Greg Ray to keep up. But those four drivers stayed out too long after everyone else had pitted, and their worn tires cost them time. Tony Stewart ran dry on fuel at lap 69 and went a lap down.

By lap 70, four drivers were fighting for the lead. Jim Guthrie grabbed it on lap 76, only to lose it five laps later when a tire blew as he came out of turn 4. Lazier took over the top spot while Arie Luyendyk charged forward, with rookie Billy Boat close behind and Stewart quickly catching up. Around lap 140, a caution period exposed scoring problems.

After a fierce side-by-side battle between Lazier and Stewart, Luyendyk mysteriously fell out of the top 10 on the electronic scoring board, which wasn’t counting his laps correctly—nor those of several others, including Scott Goodyear. On a restart at lap 143, Tyce Carlson and Goodyear got tangled up, made contact, and spun into the quad-oval infield. Lazier’s engine gave out on lap 157, ending his day, and Stewart and Boat seemed to be the only ones left on the lead lap.

Stewart then set about lapping the field, which he appeared to have done by lap 180. On lap 190, while working through traffic, Stewart waved Luyendyk by, thinking the Dutch driver was a lap down, and handed him the lead. Stewart was still scored as the leader during the final laps and seemed to hold nearly a full lap advantage over Boat. But with two laps to go, Stewart’s engine blew.

He spun in turn 1 and hit the outside wall. Boat caught up, appeared to take the lead, and because of the scoring error, race officials gave him the checkered flag as the winner. While Boat and his car owner A. J. Foyt celebrated in victory lane, Luyendyk stormed in, insisting he had won and demanding answers. Foyt slapped Luyendyk, told him to get out, and shoved him to the ground before security stepped in and led Luyendyk away.

The altercation wasn’t shown live on the broadcast but was captured by the TV crew. Foyt was fined $20,000 and Luyendyk $14,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct.