1997 UAW-GM Quality 500

1997 UAW-GM Quality 500
Race details
Race 28 of 32 in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 1997 UAW-GM Quality 500 program cover, with artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
The 1997 UAW-GM Quality 500 program cover, with artwork by NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Date October 5, 1997
Official name 38th Annual UAW-GM Quality 500
Location Concord, North Carolina, Charlotte Motor Speedway
Course Permanent racing facility
1.5 mi (2.41 km)
Distance 334 laps, 501 mi (806.281 km)
Scheduled Distance 334 laps, 501 mi (806.281 km)
Average speed 144.323 miles per hour (232.265 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Geoff Bodine Racing
Time 29.307
Most laps led
Driver Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 141
Winner
No. 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing
Television in the United States
Network TBS
Announcers Ken Squier, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren
Radio in the United States
Radio Performance Racing Network

The 1997 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 28th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 38th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 5, 1997, in Concord, North Carolina, at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. In the late stages of the race, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett, owing to a fallen part from his car according to Jarrett, would help propel Jarrett to the front to capture his 14th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his sixth victory of the season.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte and Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

[edit]
The layout of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the venue where the race was held.

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.

Entry list

[edit]
  • (R) denotes rookie driver.
# Driver Team Make Sponsor
1 Morgan Shepherd Precision Products Racing Pontiac R+L Carriers
2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford Miller Lite
3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet GM Goodwrench Service Plus
4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet Kodak
5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Spooky Froot Loops, Frankenstein
6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford Valvoline
7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford QVC
8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford Circuit City
9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford Melling Racing
10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford Tide
11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford Brett Bodine Racing
12 Jeff Purvis LAR Motorsports Chevrolet Opryland USA, Coors Light
14 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet Burger King
15 Greg Sacks Bud Moore Engineering Ford Daytona USA
16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford PrimeStar, The Family Channel
17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet Parts America
18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac Interstate Batteries
21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford Citgo
22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac MBNA
23 Jimmy Spencer Haas-Carter Motorsports Ford Camel Cigarettes
24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet DuPont
25 Ricky Craven Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Budweiser
27 Rick Wilson David Blair Motorsports Ford David Blair Motorsports
28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford Texaco, Havoline
29 Jeff Green (R) Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet Cartoon Network, Tom and Jerry, Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken
30 Johnny Benson Jr. Bahari Racing Pontiac Pennzoil
31 Mike Skinner (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Lowe's
33 Ken Schrader Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet Skoal
35 Todd Bodine ISM Racing Pontiac Tabasco
36 Derrike Cope MB2 Motorsports Pontiac Skittles
37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford Kmart, RC Cola
40 Elliott Sadler Team SABCO Chevrolet Coors Light
41 Steve Grissom Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet Kodiak
42 Joe Nemechek Team SABCO Chevrolet BellSouth
43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac STP
44 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac Hot Wheels
46 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Team SABCO Chevrolet First Union
71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet Realtree
75 Rick Mast Butch Mock Motorsports Ford Remington Arms
77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Federal-Mogul
78 Gary Bradberry Triad Motorsports Ford Hanes
81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford Square D
88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford Quality Care Service, Ford Credit
90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford Heilig-Meyers
91 Kevin Lepage LJ Racing Chevrolet Pionite
94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford McDonald's
96 David Green (R) American Equipment Racing Chevrolet Caterpillar
97 Chad Little Roush Racing Pontiac John Deere
98 John Andretti Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford RCA
99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford Exide

Qualifying

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Qualifying was split into two rounds. The first round was held on Wednesday, October 1. Each driver would have one lap to set a time. During the first round, the top 25 drivers in the round would be guaranteed a starting spot in the race. If a driver was not able to guarantee a spot in the first round, they had the option to scrub their time from the first round and try and run a faster lap time in a second round qualifying run, held on Thursday, October 2. As with the first round, each driver would have one lap to set a time. Positions 26-38 would be decided on time, and depending on who needed it, the 39th thru either the 42nd, 43rd, or 44th position would be based on provisionals. Four spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The fifth is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the field would be limited to 42 cars. If a champion needed it, the field would expand to 43 cars. If the race was a companion race with the NASCAR Winston West Series, four spots would be determined by NASCAR Winston Cup Series provisionals, while the final two spots would be given to teams in the Winston West Series, leaving the field at 44 cars.

Geoff Bodine, driving for Geoff Bodine Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.307 and an average speed of 184.256 miles per hour (296.531 km/h).[3]

Seven drivers failed to qualify: Rick Mast, Greg Sacks, Mike Skinner, Steve Park, Darrell Waltrip, Elliott Sadler, and Dave Marcis.

Full qualifying results

[edit]
Pos. # Driver Team Make Time Speed
1 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 29.307 184.256
2 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 29.389 183.742
3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 29.400 183.673
4 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.447 183.380
5 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 29.490 183.113
6 90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford 29.525 182.896
7 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 29.530 182.865
8 12 Jeff Purvis LAR Motorsports Chevrolet 29.604 182.408
9 23 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 29.679 181.947
10 1 Morgan Shepherd Precision Products Racing Pontiac 29.680 181.941
11 33 Ken Schrader Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 29.705 181.788
12 91 Kevin Lepage LJ Racing Chevrolet 29.709 181.763
13 36 Derrike Cope MB2 Motorsports Pontiac 29.721 181.690
14 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 29.728 181.647
15 30 Johnny Benson Jr. Bahari Racing Pontiac 29.756 181.476
16 46 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Team SABCO Chevrolet 29.765 181.421
17 41 Steve Grissom Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 29.770 181.391
18 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 29.771 181.385
19 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 29.781 181.324
20 29 Jeff Green (R) Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 29.800 181.208
21 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 29.807 181.165
22 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 29.816 181.111
23 98 John Andretti Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 29.822 181.074
24 42 Joe Nemechek Team SABCO Chevrolet 29.833 181.008
25 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 29.845 180.935
26 81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford 29.739 181.580
27 96 David Green (R) American Equipment Racing Chevrolet 29.904 180.578
28 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford 29.912 180.530
29 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 29.914 180.517
30 21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford 29.924 180.457
31 97 Chad Little Roush Racing Pontiac 29.933 180.403
32 9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 29.954 180.276
33 94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford 29.955 180.270
34 27 Rick Wilson David Blair Motorsports Ford 29.955 180.270
35 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 29.960 180.240
36 35 Todd Bodine ISM Racing Pontiac 29.982 180.108
37 8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 29.992 180.048
38 78 Gary Bradberry Triad Motorsports Ford 29.996 180.024
Provisionals
39 37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford -* -*
40 44 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac -* -*
41 43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac -* -*
42 25 Ricky Craven Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
Champion's Provisional
43 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
Failed to qualify
44 75 Rick Mast Butch Mock Motorsports Ford -* -*
45 15 Greg Sacks Bud Moore Engineering Ford -* -*
46 31 Mike Skinner (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet -* -*
47 14 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet -* -*
48 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet -* -*
49 40 Elliott Sadler Team SABCO Chevrolet -* -*
50 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet -* -*
Official qualifying results

Race results

[edit]
Fin St # Driver Team Make Laps Led Status Pts Winnings
1 5 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 334 85 running 180 $130,000
2 2 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac 334 141 running 180 $110,900
3 19 3 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 334 31 running 170 $85,650
4 3 6 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 334 54 running 165 $66,050
5 4 24 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 334 0 running 155 $62,200
6 29 99 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Ford 334 14 running 155 $51,700
7 33 94 Bill Elliott Bill Elliott Racing Ford 333 0 running 146 $43,700
8 7 22 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Pontiac 333 0 running 142 $40,600
9 40 44 Kyle Petty Petty Enterprises Pontiac 333 0 running 138 $30,700
10 15 30 Johnny Benson Jr. Bahari Racing Pontiac 333 2 running 139 $38,025
11 43 5 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 333 0 running 130 $44,900
12 25 2 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing South Ford 332 0 running 127 $39,000
13 17 41 Steve Grissom Larry Hedrick Motorsports Chevrolet 332 2 running 129 $32,100
14 6 90 Dick Trickle Donlavey Racing Ford 332 0 running 121 $24,500
15 11 33 Ken Schrader Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 332 0 running 118 $31,050
16 24 42 Joe Nemechek Team SABCO Chevrolet 331 0 running 115 $21,200
17 14 16 Ted Musgrave Roush Racing Ford 331 0 running 112 $26,800
18 35 28 Ernie Irvan Robert Yates Racing Ford 331 0 running 109 $29,800
19 34 27 Rick Wilson David Blair Motorsports Ford 331 0 running 106 $14,435
20 21 4 Sterling Marlin Morgan–McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 331 0 running 103 $32,040
21 41 43 Bobby Hamilton Petty Enterprises Pontiac 331 0 running 100 $28,960
22 10 1 Morgan Shepherd Precision Products Racing Pontiac 331 0 running 97 $24,775
23 31 97 Chad Little Roush Racing Pontiac 331 0 running 94 $17,190
24 30 21 Michael Waltrip Wood Brothers Racing Ford 330 0 running 91 $23,915
25 42 25 Ricky Craven Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 330 0 running 88 $23,930
26 36 35 Todd Bodine ISM Racing Pontiac 330 0 running 85 $13,160
27 39 37 Jeremy Mayfield Kranefuss-Haas Racing Ford 330 0 running 82 $16,355
28 26 81 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing Ford 330 0 running 79 $23,150
29 20 29 Jeff Green (R) Diamond Ridge Motorsports Chevrolet 328 0 running 76 $13,850
30 18 11 Brett Bodine Brett Bodine Racing Ford 328 0 running 73 $22,850
31 27 96 David Green (R) American Equipment Racing Chevrolet 313 0 running 70 $15,655
32 23 98 John Andretti Cale Yarborough Motorsports Ford 300 0 running 67 $22,565
33 13 36 Derrike Cope MB2 Motorsports Pontiac 291 0 engine 64 $14,995
34 38 78 Gary Bradberry Triad Motorsports Ford 263 0 running 61 $12,470
35 37 8 Hut Stricklin Stavola Brothers Racing Ford 247 0 overheating 58 $19,445
36 28 77 Robert Pressley Jasper Motorsports Ford 247 0 running 55 $12,425
37 16 46 Wally Dallenbach Jr. Team SABCO Chevrolet 244 0 running 52 $12,410
38 32 9 Lake Speed Melling Racing Ford 165 0 engine 49 $12,380
39 8 12 Jeff Purvis LAR Motorsports Chevrolet 150 1 crash 51 $12,380
40 12 91 Kevin Lepage LJ Racing Chevrolet 119 0 crash 43 $12,380
41 22 10 Ricky Rudd Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford 102 0 crash 40 $28,880
42 9 23 Jimmy Spencer Travis Carter Enterprises Ford 101 0 crash 37 $19,780
43 1 7 Geoff Bodine Geoff Bodine Racing Ford 100 4 crash 39 $42,880
Failed to qualify
44 75 Rick Mast Butch Mock Motorsports Ford
45 15 Greg Sacks Bud Moore Engineering Ford
46 31 Mike Skinner (R) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
47 14 Steve Park Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet
48 17 Darrell Waltrip Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Chevrolet
49 40 Elliott Sadler Team SABCO Chevrolet
50 71 Dave Marcis Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet
Official race results

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Poole, David (October 5, 1997). "Jarrett gets help in 500 victory when forgotten part hits the road". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on November 18, 2000. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Harris, Mike (October 6, 1997). "Jarrett's win gains little ground". The Tribune. p. 14. Retrieved October 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ Poole, David (October 2, 1997). "Geoff Bodine bears down to win pole at Charlotte". Centre Daily Times. p. 15. Retrieved October 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
Previous race:
1997 Hanes 500
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
1997 season
Next race:
1997 DieHard 500