1996–97 Indy Racing League

The 1996–97 Indy Racing League was the second season contested by the Indy Racing League. Tony Stewart was the champion, while Arie Luyendyk won the Indianapolis 500. The lengthy season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996–97 season would ultimately consist of the two races that followed the Indy 500 in the calendar year of 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997. It also saw the introduction of a new chassis and engine package effective from January 1.

The 1996–97 season was originally scheduled to begin at New Hampshire in August 1996 and end with the Indianapolis 500 in May 1997. At some point in the summer of 1996, the consensus regarding the unusual split-calendar season was decidedly unfavorable. Omitting the normal winter offseason caused potential difficulty with driver contracts, sponsor contracts, and equipment purchasing, which all traditionally followed a calendar-based schedule. In addition, the months of November, December, and most of January were not expected to be filled with race dates, since few suitable venues (outside of Orlando) were available in warm-weather locations. It was felt the long winter gap between races was disruptive and disjointed, and came at a time of year when auto racing was traditionally on hiatus anyway.

Following the 1996 races at New Hampshire and Las Vegas, on October 9, 1996, the Indy Racing League announced that the league would revert to a calendar-based schedule for 1998. To avoid awarding four championships in less than two and a half years, all events contested in the calendar year of 1997 were added to the two aforementioned races held in 1996. Now combined, a single seventeen-month 1996–1997 championship would be awarded in October 1997.

The two remaining races in 1996 (New Hampshire and Las Vegas) were contested with the same equipment as the 1996 season. All races that took place in the calendar year of 1997, starting with the race at Orlando, were contested with all new purpose-built oval chassis from G-Force and Dallara with a radical stock block naturally aspirated 4.0 liter V8's from Oldsmobile and Infiniti. Only seven drivers competed in all ten races of this seventeen-month-long marathon schedule.

Confirmed entries

Team	Chassis	Engine		Driver(s)	Round(s)
ABF Motorsports	Lola T92/00	Buick	96	nowrap	Joe Gosek	1
ABF Motorsports	Lola T92/00	Buick	96	nowrap	Dave Steele	2
A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola T95/00 Dallara G-Force	Ford-Cosworth Oldsmobile	1	nowrap	Scott Sharp	1–5, 7
				Johnny O'Connell	5
				Paul Durant	5
				Billy Boat	6, 8–10
			11	5
			14	nowrap	Davey Hamilton	All
Arizona Motorsports Sinden Racing Services	Lola T95/00	Ford-Cosworth	40	nowrap	Marco Greco	1–2
	Dallara	Oldsmobile Infiniti	40	nowrap	Dr. Jack Miller	3–10
			44	nowrap	Steve Kinser	5
			44	nowrap	Allen May	6
Beck Motorsports	Lola T94/00	Ford-Cosworth	54	nowrap	Robbie Buhl	1–2
Beck Motorsports	Dallara	Infiniti	54	nowrap	Dennis Vitolo	5
Blueprint Racing	Lola T93/00 Dallara	Menard Buick Oldsmobile	16	nowrap	Johnny Parsons	2
			16	nowrap	Sam Schmidt	4–6
			27	nowrap	Jim Guthrie	All
			72	nowrap	Claude Bourbonnais	5
Bradley Motorsports	Reynard 95I G-Force	Ford-Cosworth Oldsmobile	12	nowrap	Buzz Calkins	1–7, 9–10
Byrd-Cunningham Racing	Reynard 95I G-Force	Ford-Cosworth Infiniti Oldsmobile	10	nowrap	Mike Groff	1–5, 8
				nowrap	Johnny Unser	6–7, 9
				nowrap	Paul Durant	10
Chastain Motorsports	G-Force	Oldsmobile	77	nowrap	Stéphan Grégoire	3–5, 7–10
Chitwood Motorsports	Dallara	Oldsmobile	17	nowrap	Danny Ongais	3
Chitwood Motorsports	Dallara	Oldsmobile	17	nowrap	Affonso Giaffone	4–10
Della Penna Motorsports	Reynard 95I	Ford-Cosworth	4	nowrap	Richie Hearn	1–2
EuroInternational	Dallara	Oldsmobile	50	nowrap	Billy Roe	4–5
Galles Racing	G-Force	Oldsmobile	4	Davy Jones	3
				Jeff Ward	3
				nowrap	Kenny Bräck	4–10
			70	nowrap	Marco Greco	7–10
Hemelgarn Racing	Reynard 95I	Ford-Cosworth Infiniti Oldsmobile	9	nowrap	Brad Murphey	1–2
	Reynard 95I Dallara		9	nowrap	Johnny Unser	5, 10
			90	nowrap	Lyn St. James	5
			91	nowrap	Buddy Lazier	All
ISM Racing	Dallara	Oldsmobile	35	nowrap	Jeff Ward	10
IZ Racing	Dallara	Infiniti	95	nowrap	Tyce Carlson	10
Johansson Motorsports	G-Force	Infiniti	36	nowrap	Scott Harrington	5
Knapp Motorsports	Dallara	Oldsmobile	97	nowrap	Greg Ray	5–8, 10
LP Racing	Dallara	Oldsmobile	99	nowrap	Sam Schmidt	8–10
McCormack Motorsports	Lola T94/00	Ford-Cosworth	30	nowrap	Stan Wattles	1–2
	G-Force	Oldsmobile		nowrap	Jeret Schroeder	3–4
	G-Force	Oldsmobile		nowrap	Robbie Groff	5–10
Metro Racing Systems	Riley & Scott	Oldsmobile	19	nowrap	Stan Wattles	10
Nienhouse Motorsports	Riley & Scott	Oldsmobile	23	nowrap	Mike Shank	10
Pagan Racing	Reynard 95I Reynard 94I Dallara	Ford-Cosworth Infiniti Oldsmobile	21	nowrap	Roberto Guerrero	All
PDM Racing	Lola T93/00 Dallara G-Force	Menard Oldsmobile	18	nowrap	John Paul Jr.	1–5, 8–10
				nowrap	Tyce Carlson	5–6
				nowrap	Billy Boat	7
			28	nowrap	Tyce Carlson	1–2
Kelley Racing – PDM			28	nowrap	Mark Dismore	5–10
Project Indy	Reynard 95I	Ford-Cosworth	64	nowrap	Johnny Unser	1–2
Roe Racing	Dallara	Oldsmobile	24	nowrap	Billy Roe	10
Team Cheever	Lola T95/00 G-Force	Menard Oldsmobile	51	nowrap	Eddie Cheever	All
Team Cheever	Lola T95/00 G-Force	Menard Oldsmobile	52	nowrap	Jeff Ward	5
Team Menard	Lola T95/00 G-Force	Menard Oldsmobile	2	nowrap	Tony Stewart	All
			3	nowrap	Mark Dismore	1–2
			3	nowrap	Robbie Buhl	4–6, 9–10
Team SABCO	G-Force	Oldsmobile	42	nowrap	Robby Gordon	5
Team Scandia	Lola T95/00 Reynard 95I Lola T94/00 Dallara	Ford-Cosworth Oldsmobile	7	nowrap	Eliseo Salazar	1–2, 5–10
			8	nowrap	Stéphan Grégoire	2
			8	nowrap	Vincenzo Sospiri	5–6
			22	nowrap	Stéphan Grégoire	1
				nowrap	Michel Jourdain Jr.	2
				nowrap	Marco Greco	3–6
				nowrap	Vincenzo Sospiri	7–10
			33	nowrap	Michele Alboreto	1–2
				nowrap	Fermín Vélez	3–6
				nowrap	Jimmy Kite	7–10
			34	nowrap	Affonso Giaffone	2
			34	nowrap	Alessandro Zampedri	5–6
Tempero/Giuffre Racing	Lola T93/00	Buick	15	nowrap	David Kudrave	1
Tempero/Giuffre Racing	Lola T93/00	Buick	15	nowrap	Juan Carlos Carbonell	2
Treadway Racing	Reynard 95I Reynard 94I G-Force	Ford-Cosworth Oldsmobile	5	nowrap	Arie Luyendyk	All
			6	nowrap	Johnny O'Connell	1–2
			6	nowrap	Scott Goodyear	3–10
Walker Racing	Reynard 95I	Ford-Cosworth	50	nowrap	Robby Gordon	2

Schedule

Rd	Date	Race Name	Track	Location
1	August 18 1996	True Value 200	New Hampshire International Speedway	Loudon, New Hampshire
2	September 15 1996	1996 Las Vegas 500K	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas, Nevada
3	January 25 1997	Indy 200 at Walt Disney World	Walt Disney World Speedway	Bay Lake, Florida
4	March 23 1997	Phoenix 200	Phoenix International Raceway	Phoenix, Arizona
5	May 26–27 1997	81st Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana
6	June 7 1997	True Value 500	Texas Motor Speedway	Fort Worth, Texas
7	June 29 1997	Samsonite 200	Pikes Peak International Raceway	Fountain, Colorado
8	July 27 1997	VisionAire 500	Charlotte Motor Speedway	Concord, North Carolina
9	August 17 1997	Pennzoil 200	New Hampshire International Speedway	Loudon, New Hampshire
10	October 11 1997	1997 Las Vegas 500K	Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas, Nevada
Sources:

All races were run on oval speedways.

After the 1996 prologue-style, 3-race season that ended at the 80th Indianapolis 500, the 1996–97 season had just two further races in calendar year 1996, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a former CART venue, and a barely inaugurated Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On 9 October 1996, the IRL decided to revert to a calendar-based format for 1998, moving the intended end of the 1996–97 season at Indianapolis in May to Las Vegas in October.

For calendar year 1997, all five races from 1996 were held again, alongside three further races, contested consecutively in the summer months after the Indianapolis 500. Two new venues, Texas Motor Speedway and Pikes Peak International Raceway, was followed by IRL's first incursion in a NASCAR foothold, the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Texas and Charlotte held the first night races in Indy-car history, and became the first 1.5 mile banked oval racetracks in an Indy-car schedule since Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1983.

Results

Round	Race	Pole position	Fastest lap	Most laps led	Race Winner				Report
Round	Race	Pole position	Fastest lap	Most laps led	Driver	Team	Chassis	Engine	Report
1	New Hampshire 1	Richie Hearn	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Scott Sharp	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola	Ford-Cosworth	Report
2	Las Vegas 1	Arie Luyendyk	Richie Hearn	Richie Hearn	Richie Hearn	Della Penna Motorsports	Reynard	Ford-Cosworth	Report
3	Walt Disney World	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Eddie Cheever	Team Cheever	G-Force	Oldsmobile	Report
4	Phoenix	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Jim Guthrie	Blueprint Racing	Dallara	Oldsmobile	Report
5	Indianapolis	Arie Luyendyk	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Arie Luyendyk	Treadway Racing	G-Force	Oldsmobile	Report
6	Texas	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Arie Luyendyk	Treadway Racing	G-Force	Oldsmobile	Report
7	Pikes Peak	Scott Sharp	Jimmy Kite	Tony Stewart	Tony Stewart	Team Menard	G-Force	Oldsmobile	Report
8	Charlotte	Tony Stewart	Billy Boat	Tony Stewart	Buddy Lazier	Hemelgarn Racing	Dallara	Oldsmobile	Report
9	New Hampshire 2	Marco Greco	Vincenzo Sospiri	Eddie Cheever	Robbie Buhl	Team Menard	G-Force	Oldsmobile	Report
10	Las Vegas 2	Billy Boat	Billy Boat	Eliseo Salazar	Eliseo Salazar	Team Scandia	Dallara	Oldsmobile	Report

Race summaries

True Value 200

The True Value 200 was held on August 18, 1996, at New Hampshire International Speedway. Richie Hearn qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 24-Randy Tolsma, 25-Jon Field, 64-Johnny Unser, 75-Johnny O'Connell and 96-Mike Orday

This was Sharp's first IndyCar win.
The win was also the first for A. J. Foyt Enterprises since A. J. Foyt won the 1981 Van Scoy Diamond Mines 500 at Pocono International Raceway.
Tony Stewart was the class of the field leading for 165 of 200 laps, accruing a nearly 3 lap lead over second place. However, he suffered complete electrical failure after 182 laps and finished 12th.

Las Vegas 500K (1996)

The Las Vegas 500K was held on September 15, 1996, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Arie Luyendyk qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 96-Dave Steele

This was the final IRL race contested with the turbocharged machines.
Hearn's only IndyCar win. Because he and his team, Della Penna Motorsports, were switching to CART for 1997, he would not compete in any more IRL races for the remainder of the season.
The slow pace of the race, consisting of nine cautions, caused ABC to leave just past the halfway point.
Johnny O'Connell had a violent crash on lap 185 that resulted in him sliding upside down on the main straightaway resulting in a short red flag period.
Johnny Parsons' final IndyCar race. He had started IndyCar races since 1969. In this race, he crashed on lap nine and finished 28th (last).

Indy 200

The Indy 200 was held on January 25, 1997, at Walt Disney World Speedway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 4-Davy Jones

The race was shortened from 200 laps to 149 laps due to rain.
This was the first IRL race contested with the normally aspirated engines and new chassis.
This was Eddie Cheever's first Indy car win.
Buzz Calkins was leading when his engine failed on lap 145. Stewart took the lead, but crashed on the following lap. Cheever inherited the lead and the race was stopped three laps later when a downpour ensued.
Danny Ongais' final IndyCar race. He finished 13th due to a crash after 94 laps.

Phoenix 200

The Phoenix 200 was held on March 23, 1997, at Phoenix International Raceway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 17-Danny Ongais and 54-Robbie Buhl

Guthrie's only IndyCar win. He stretched his fuel over the final 82 laps and the $170,100 payout allowed him to settle off his debts from getting a second mortgage.
Kenny Bräck and Sam Schmidt made their IndyCar debuts in this race. Bräck led 24 laps, but crashed on lap 146 and finished 11th. Schmidt crashed on lap 176, but finished 10th.

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500 was scheduled for May 25, 1997. Rain postponed the start until the following day: Monday, May 26. After 15 laps were run on Monday, rain fell again, halting the race, and postponing it for another day. It was resumed and run to conclusion Tuesday, May 27. Arie Luyendyk qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 1-Scott Sharp, 1-Johnny O'Connell, 18-John Paul Jr. and 36-Scott Harrington

On lap 199, the caution came when Stewart brushed the wall and it was expected that the race would end under caution. However, the green flag and the white flag came out simultaneously without warning to start the final lap and caution lights were still displayed around the track, causing confusion if the race was really restarted.
Treadway Racing's cars finished 1st and 2nd, making it the first time since 1962 with Leader Card Racing that a team finished 1st and 2nd.
The starting grid was expanded from 33 to 35 cars due to the 25/8 rule (which guaranteed the top 25 cars in the IRL standings a starting position, provided they meet a minimum speed) causing cars outside the fastest 33 to qualify. As a result, Lyn St. James and Johnny Unser were added to the rear of the field.
A crash during the pace lap on Monday caused all of row 5 (Stéphan Grégoire, Affonso Giaffone and Kenny Bräck) to retire.
Sharp was injured in a practice crash and replaced by O'Connell, who then was injured in practice. Paul Durant successfully qualified via the 25/8 rule (see above) and finished 21st.

True Value 500

The inaugural True Value 500 was held June 7, 1997, at Texas Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 10-Mike Groff, 36-Scott Harrington, 50-Billy Roe, 77-Stéphan Grégoire and 90-Lyn St. James

Boat was initially declared the winner due to a scoring error. Luyendyk came into victory lane to protest, but was slapped by A. J. Foyt. The error was eventually realized and Luyendyk was declared the winner. Foyt still has the original trophy.
Stewart appeared to be on his way to his first win when his engine blew, causing him to then crash, on lap 207.
Points leader Groff was injured in practice. Unser drove in his place to a 10th-place finish.
In the aftermath of the scoring error, USAC was removed as sanctioning body and the IRL went in-house.

Samsonite 200

The inaugural Samsonite 200 was held on June 29, 1997, at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Scott Sharp qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 3-Robbie Buhl and 27-Jim Guthrie

This was Stewart's first IndyCar win.
Scott Sharp returned in this race and qualified on the pole position. However, he crashed on the first lap and re-injured himself, missing the rest of the season.
This was the first race for the IRL as the sole sanctioning body and sole operator of race control

VisionAire 500

The inaugural VisionAire 500 was held on July 26, 1997, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

91 – Buddy Lazier
1 – Billy Boat
6 – Scott Goodyear
17 – Affonso Giaffone
4 – Kenny Bräck
51 – Eddie Cheever
2 – Tony Stewart
77 – Stéphan Grégoire
70 – Marco Greco
7 – Eliseo Salazar
Greg Ray's car was run in conjunction with Richard Childress Racing for this race.

Pennzoil 200

The Pennzoil 200 was held August 17, 1997, at New Hampshire International Speedway. Marco Greco qualified on the pole position.

Top 10 results

Failed to qualify: 10-Mike Groff and 97-Greg Ray

This was Buhl's first IndyCar win.
Mike Groff was injured once again in practice and missed the remainder of the season.
Entering the season finale at Las Vegas, Tony Stewart led Davey Hamilton by 10 points.

Las Vegas 500K (1997)

The Las Vegas 500K was held on October 11, 1997, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole.

Top 10 results

7 – Eliseo Salazar
6 – Scott Goodyear
3 – Robbie Buhl
27 – Jim Guthrie
28 – Mark Dismore
33 – Jimmy Kite
14 – Davey Hamilton
19 – Stan Wattles
77 – Stéphan Grégoire
70 – Marco Greco
This was Salazar's first and only IndyCar win.
Tony Stewart won the championship by six points over Hamilton by virtue of finishing 11th to Hamilton's 7th.
On lap 201, Roberto Guerrero lost control on the back straightway and flipped through the grass.
By virtue of Arie Luyendyk finishing 25th due to engine failure and Scott Goodyear finishing 2nd, Goodyear was able to leapfrog from 9th in the season standings to 5th for the final season standings.

Points standings

List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems

Pos	Driver	NHS1	LVS1	WDW	PHX	INDY	TMS	PPR	CHA	NHS2	LVS2	Pts
1	Tony Stewart	12*	21	10*	2*	5*	5*	1*	7*	14	11	278
2	Davey Hamilton	5	11	7	3	6	3	3	16	17	7	272
3	Eddie Cheever	15	25	1	12	23	6	4	6	9*	21	230
3	Marco Greco	7	9	8	4	16	26	13	9	20	10	230
5	Scott Goodyear			3	17	2	4	7	3	16	2	226
6	Arie Luyendyk	13	20	12	22	1	1	15	21	3	25	223
7	Roberto Guerrero	6	4	17	7	27	13	18	17	6	14	221
8	Buddy Lazier	19	24	5	21	4	17	8	1	12	31	209
9	Eliseo Salazar	9	7			24	7	12	10	4	1*	208
10	Buzz Calkins	2	6	11	8	11	19	5		21	28	204
11	Stéphan Grégoire	8	26	19	5	31		2	8	15	9	192
12	Jim Guthrie	23	13	6	1	26	21	Wth	12	24	4	186
13	Robbie Buhl	22	8		18	8	16			1	3	170
14	Mike Groff	4	3	2	6	12	Wth		14	Wth		169
15	John Paul Jr.	10	15	18	9	Wth			11	7	12	163
16	Affonso Giaffone		10		13	32	20	9	4	18	15	159
17	Mark Dismore	20	17			28	11	11	19	11	5	158
18	Billy Boat					7	2	19	2	8	23	151
19	Kenny Bräck				11	33	18	14	5	5	20	139
20	Robbie Groff					9	15	10	13	10	18	135
21	Vincenzo Sospiri					17	9	6	20	2	22	134
22	Scott Sharp	1	16	4	16	Wth		22				119
23	Dr. Jack Miller			15	20	20	24	16	23	19	29	114
24	Johnny Unser	Wth	22			18	10	21		13	19	107
25	Tyce Carlson	11	23			19	14				24	84
26	Fermín Vélez			9	14	10	25					82
27	Jimmy Kite							20	15	23	6	76
27	Sam Schmidt				10	34	23		18	22	27	76
29	Greg Ray					25	8	17	22		30	73
30	Jeff Ward			16		3					17	69
31	Stan Wattles	16	18								8	63
32	Michele Alboreto	3	5									62
33	Richie Hearn	14	1*									59
34	Billy Roe				15	22					13	55
35	Jeret Schroeder			14	19							37
36	Michel Jourdain Jr.		2									33
37	Robby Gordon		14			29						27
38	Brad Murphey	18	27									25
39	Alessandro Zampedri					35	12					24
40	Johnny O'Connell		12			Wth						23
40	Paul Durant					21					26	23
42	Danny Ongais			13								22
42	Lyn St. James					13						22
44	Steve Kinser					14						21
45	Dennis Vitolo					15						20
46	Mike Shank										16	19
47	David Kudrave	17										18
48	Juan Carlos Carbonell		19									16
49	Joe Gosek	21										14
50	Allen May						22					13
51	Johnny Parsons		28									7
52	Claude Bourbonnais					30						5
–	Dave Steele		Wth									0
–	Scott Harrington					DNQ						0
–	Davy Jones			Wth								0
Pos	Driver	NHS1	LVS1	WDW	PHX	INDY	TMS	PPR	CHA	NHS2	LVS2	Pts
{\| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%"

|valign="top"|

{\| style="margin-right:0; font-size:85%; text-align:center;" class="wikitable"	Color	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	4th & 5th place
Light Blue	6th–10th place
Dark Blue	Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown	Withdrawn (Wth)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
Blank	Did not participate (DNP)
Blank	Not competing

|-

|

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position (2 points)
Italics	Ran fastest race lap
*	Led most race laps (1 point)
DNS	Any driver who qualifies but does not start (DNS), earns all the points had they taken part.
	Rookie of the Year
	Rookie

|}

|}

Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.