1996–1997 Indy Racing League season

The 1996–97 Indy Racing League season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996–97 season would ultimately comprise the events following the Indy 500 in 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997.

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 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 the remainder of January were not expected to be filled with race dates, since few suitable venues, outside of Orlando, were available for the IRL in warm-weather locations.

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 prevent from awarding four championships in less than two and a half years, all events contested in the calendar year of 1997 were added to the last two races 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 1997, starting with the race at Orlando, were contested with all new purpose-built oval chassis from G-Force and Dallara with 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.

Calendar
All races running on Oval/Speedway.

* - reduced from 200 laps, 200 mi due to rain.

True Value 200

 * Report: 1996 True Value 200

This race took place August 18, 1996 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Richie Hearn won the pole. Tony Stewart had led 165 laps and had a nearly three-lap lead over second place, but coasted into the pits with 18 laps to go. Scott Sharp took over the lead, and stretched his fuel to the finish. The win was Sharp's first in an Indycar, and the first win for A. J. Foyt Enterprises since Pocono in 1981.

Top ten results
 * 1) 1- Scott Sharp
 * 2) 12- Buzz Calkins
 * 3) 33- Michele Alboreto
 * 4) 10- Mike Groff
 * 5) 14- Davey Hamilton
 * 6) 21- Roberto Guerrero
 * 7) 40- Marco Greco
 * 8) 22- Stephan Gregoire
 * 9) 7- Eliseo Salazar
 * 10) 18- John Paul, Jr.

1996 Las Vegas 500K

 * Report: 1996 Las Vegas 500K

This race took place September 15, 1996 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Arie Luyendyk won the pole. This race was carried live on ABC, but a slow pace caused by several cautions saw the broadcast run late, and was ultimately cut off before the conclusion of the race.

Top ten results
 * 1) 4- Richie Hearn
 * 2) 22- Michel Jourdain, Jr.
 * 3) 10- Mike Groff
 * 4) 21- Roberto Guerrero
 * 5) 33- Michele Alboreto
 * 6) 12- Buzz Calkins
 * 7) 7- Eliseo Salazar
 * 8) 54- Robbie Buhl
 * 9) 40- Marco Greco
 * 10) 34- Affonso Giaffone

Indy 200

 * Report: 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World

This race took place January 25, 1997 at Walt Disney World Speedway. It was the first race with the new chassis and 4000 cc naturally aspirated engines. Race shortened due to rain, originally scheduled for 200 laps. Tony Stewart won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 2) 10- Mike Groff
 * 3) 6- Scott Goodyear
 * 4) 1- Scott Sharp
 * 5) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 6) 27- Jim Guthrie
 * 7) 14- Davey Hamilton
 * 8) 22- Marco Greco
 * 9) 33- Fermín Velez
 * 10) 2- Tony Stewart

Phoenix 200

 * Report: 1997 Phoenix 200

This race took place March 23, 1997 at Phoenix International Raceway. Tony Stewart won the pole.

After leading 85 laps, Tony Stewart along with Davey Hamilton, trailed Jim Guthrie on lap 154. On lap 180, a crash involving Sam Schmidt and Kenny Brack brought out a long yellow flag. Guthrie stayed out, looking to stretch his fuel over the final 82 laps. Going into the race, Guthire, the fledgling owner/driver of tiny Blueprint Racing, was forced to take out a second mortgage on his home to purchase his chassis.

During the final yellow, only 9 cars were still running, with only 3 on the lead lap. Tony Stewart pitted twice under the caution, once for tires and once for a wing adjustment, in an effort to run down Guthrie after the restart. With ten laps to go, the green came out, and Stewart closed the gap. Guthrie held him off, and won by 0.854 seconds. The $170,100 payoff for the victorious Guthrie helped settle his debts, and he later secured the sponsorship of Jacuzzi for Indianapolis.

Top ten results
 * 1) 27- Jim Guthrie
 * 2) 2- Tony Stewart
 * 3) 14- Davey Hamilton
 * 4) 22- Marco Greco
 * 5) 77- Stephan Gregoire
 * 6) 10- Mike Groff
 * 7) 21- Roberto Guerrero
 * 8) 12- Buzz Calkins
 * 9) 18- John Paul, Jr.
 * 10) 16- Sam Schmidt

81st 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 sat on pole.

With just over two laps to go, Arie Luyendyk led teammate Scott Goodyear. Tony Stewart brushed the outside wall in turn 4, which brought out the yellow light. The pace car did not enter the track, however, to pick up the leader. Under caution pace, the field came down to complete the 199th lap. Without warning, the green and white flag were displayed at the starter's stand, signifying the field was back to racing conditions. None of the cars in the field were prepared for the restart, and yellow lights remained illuminated for many seconds afterwards. Luyendyk held on to win, but controversy about the officials' poor handling of the situation erupted afterwards.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Arie Luyendyk
 * 2) 6- Scott Goodyear
 * 3) 52- Jeff Ward
 * 4) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 5) 2- Tony Stewart
 * 6) 14- Davey Hamilton
 * 7) 11- Billy Boat
 * 8) 3- Robbie Buhl
 * 9) 30- Robbie Groff
 * 10) 33- Fermín Velez

True Value 500

 * Report: 1997 True Value 500

This race took place June 7, 1997 at Texas Motor Speedway. It marked the first American open-wheel superspeedway night race. Tony Stewart won the pole. Tony Stewart was scored as the leader in the waning laps, and appeared to have nearly a one-lap lead over second place Billy Boat. Stewart was looking for his first career Indycar win, and the first win for Team Menard in Indy car racing. However, as Stewart crossed the line for two laps to go, he blew his engine. The car spun in turn 1, and he crashed into the outside wall. Billy Boat caught up, and appeared to take the lead. Race officials presented the checkered flag to Billy Boat as winner of the race, but Arie Luyendyk stormed to victory lane claiming he had won the race. Boat's owner A.J. Foyt slapped Luyendyk and told him to leave. The race tape was reviewed and it was determined that laps where Luyendyk, and in fact some other drivers, passed through pit road were not properly counted by the scoring system. Officially Luyendyk was declared the winner the following day. The entire top ten was shuffled about when the final official results were posted. Foyt, however refused to return the trophy and retains the original to this day. A duplicate was awarded to Luyendyk.

In the wake of the Texas scoring scandal, and the restart problems two weeks earlier at Indianapolis, USAC was immediately removed from sanctioning the series. The league switched to in-house sanctioning starting with the next event.

Top ten results (Unofficial)
 * 1) 1- Billy Boat
 * 2) 14- Davey Hamilton (-5.487 seconds)
 * 3) 5- Arie Luyendyk (-15.448 seconds)
 * 4) 2- Tony Stewart (-2 laps)
 * 5) 7- Eliseo Salazar (-2 laps)
 * 6) 51- Eddie Cheever (-3 laps)
 * 7) 8- Vincenzo Sospiri (-3 laps)
 * 8) 10- Johnny Unser (-4 laps)
 * 9) 6- Scott Goodyear (-4 laps)
 * 10) 97- Greg Ray (-4 laps)

Top ten results (Revised - Official)
 * 1) 5- Arie Luyendyk
 * 2) 1- Billy Boat (-1 lap)
 * 3) 14- Davey Hamilton (-1 lap)
 * 4) 6- Scott Goodyear (-1 lap)
 * 5) 2- Tony Stewart (-2 laps)
 * 6) 51- Eddie Cheever (-2 laps)
 * 7) 7- Eliseo Salazar (-4 laps)
 * 8) 97- Greg Ray (-4 laps)
 * 9) 8- Vincenzo Sospiri (-4 laps)
 * 10) 10- Johnny Unser (-5 laps)

Samsonite 200
This race took place June 29, 1997 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Scott Sharp won the pole.

The win represented Tony Stewart's first Indycar victory.

Top ten results
 * 1) 2- Tony Stewart
 * 2) 77- Stephan Gregoire
 * 3) 14- Davey Hamilton
 * 4) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 5) 12- Buzz Calkins
 * 6) 22- Vincenzo Sospiri
 * 7) 6- Scott Goodyear
 * 8) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 9) 17- Affonso Giaffone
 * 10) 30- Robbie Groff

VisionAire 500
This race took place July 26, 1997 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 91- Buddy Lazier
 * 2) 1- Billy Boat
 * 3) 6- Scott Goodyear
 * 4) 17- Affonso Giaffone
 * 5) 4- Kenny Bräck
 * 6) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 7) 2- Tony Stewart
 * 8) 77- Stephan Gregoire
 * 9) 70- Marco Greco
 * 10) 7- Eliseo Salazar

Pennzoil 200
This race took place August 17, 1997 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Marco Greco won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 3- Robbie Buhl
 * 2) 22- Vincenzo Sospiri
 * 3) 5- Arie Luyendyk
 * 4) 7- Eliseo Salazar
 * 5) 4- Kenny Bräck
 * 6) 21- Roberto Guerrero
 * 7) 18- John Paul, Jr.
 * 8) 1- Billy Boat
 * 9) 51- Eddie Cheever
 * 10) 30- Robbie Groff

1997 Las Vegas 500K
This race took place October 11, 1997 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 7- Eliseo Salazar
 * 2) 6- Scott Goodyear
 * 3) 3- Robbie Buhl
 * 4) 27- Jim Guthrie
 * 5) 28- Mark Dismore
 * 6) 33- Jimmy Kite
 * 7) 14- Davey Hamilton
 * 8) 19- Stan Wattles
 * 9) 77- Stephan Gregoire
 * 10) 70- Marco Greco

Final points standings
In every race, points are awarded to drivers on the following basis:
 * 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.