NASCAR Winston Cup Exide Select Batteries 400: Fact Sheet
2 September 1997
1997 NASCAR WINSTON CUP SERIES FACT SHEET WHAT: Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Race #24 of 32 WHERE: Richmond International Raceway Richmond, VA 0.750-Mile Paved Speedway WHEN: Saturday, September 6, 1997 7:40 pm EDT DISTANCE: 400 Laps/300 Miles POSTED AWARDS: $1,689,618 FIELD: 43 cars possible. Fastest 38 cars through time trials. Four provisional starting positions based on 1997 NWC owner points and one past champion provisional. SANCTION: National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. PROMOTER: Richmond International Raceway, Inc. TV: ESPN (Live) Airtime: 7:40 pm (EDT) Announcers: Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons and Ned Jarrett Pit Reporters: Dr. Jerry Punch, John Kernan and Bill Weber RADIO: MRN (Live) Airtime: 7:15 pm (EDT) Announcers: Allen Bestwick and Barney Hall SCHEDULE: Friday, September 5 6:00 am : Team Haulers Enter 8:00 am : NASCAR Garage Opens 10:30 am : Rookie Drivers' Meeting 11:00 am : Qualifying Draw 11:30 am - 2:30 pm : Practice 3:00 - 4:00 pm : Practice 5:30 pm : Qualifying (Positions 1-25) Saturday, September 6 11:00 am : NASCAR Garage Opens 12:00 - 1:30 pm : Practice 2:00 pm : Qualifying (Positions 26-38) TBD : Final Practice following time trials until 3:00 pm PARTICIPATING AWARDS SPONSORS: Winston, AE Clevite Engine Parts, Aeroquip, Auto Meter Products, Bowman Distribution, Busch Beer, Champion Spark Plugs, Competition Cams, Craftsman Tools, Crane Cams, DuPont Automotive Finishes, Edelbrock Manifolds, Fram Fuel Filters, Gatorade Sports Beverage, Goodyear Tires, Goody's Headache Powders, Holley Carburetors, Hurst Shifters, JE Pistons, Jesel Rocker Arms, Longacre Computerscales, MCI, Mac Tools, Mechanix Wear, Moog Chassis Parts, Motorcraft Batteries, Opryland, Plasti-Kote Spray Paint, RCA, Raybestos Brakes, Simpson Helmets, Spicer Drive Shafts, Stant Radiator Caps, STP Oil Treatment & Oil Filters, 3M Automotive Products, True Value Hardware, Unocal Gasoline, 76/NASCAR High Performance Motor Oil, Western Auto Stores, Wiseco Pistons, Wix Air Filters RECORDS: Qualifying: Jeff Gordon; Chevrolet; 124.757 mph; 21.642 seconds; 3/3/95 Race (300 Miles): Rusty Wallace; Ford; 108.499 mph 2 hours, 45 minutes, 54 seconds; 3/2/97 THE TRACK: D-Shaped Oval Degree of Banking in Corners - 14 degrees Degree of Banking on Front Straight - 8 degrees Degree of Banking on Back Straight - 2 degrees Length of Frontstretch - 1290 feet Length of Backstretch - 860 feet 1996 REVIEW: Ernie Irvan led the final 19 laps to pick up his second win of the season, beating Jeff Gordon to the line by 0.10-second. Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett and Terry Labonte rounded out the top five. Gordon trimmed Labonte's point lead to just four (3542-3538) with seven races left in the season.