Track: New Hampshire International Speedway
Date: Sunday, August 17, 1997
Start time: 2:00 PM EDT
Weather: Warm, Sunny
Serial: #9 of 10 in 1996-1997 season
History: IRL race #2, Indycar race #6 at this track
Config: 1-mile oval, flat track
Wing package: Short track
Robbie Buhl, coming off an injury suffered at Pikes Peak, took the closest victory in IRL history. For Buhl, it was a matter of surviving a race of attrition that saw several drivers suffer mechanical failures while leading. Surprise polesitter Marco Greco was strong and led from the start until a broken engine oil line fitting put him out of contention. Scott Goodyear then led until being passed on lap 63 by another surprise contender, Eliseo Salazar. Meanwhile, 18th starter Eddie Cheever was on a mission; he moved into second place by lap 40 and assumed the lead on lap 96 when Salazar pitted. Cheever held the lead until the next round of pit stops, starting on lap 133. Buhl had remained in the top 10 since early in the race, running third or fourth most of the time. Goodyear's engine failed on lap 153, bringing out another caution and a round of pit stops that shuffled the field and left Vincenzo Sospiri near the front, while a slow pit stop cost Salazar positions that he would not regain. Cheever took over again after the green and it appeared that he would dominate the remainder of the race, with only Buhl able to stay with him. But it was not to be; on the second-to-last lap Cheever's gearbox failed and he slowed abruptly on the backstretch. Buhl, running close behind, had to slow abruptly, and Sospiri rapidly made up a gap of several seconds. With the blue Old Navy car quickly filling his mirrors, Buhl picked his way through traffic on the final lap. The two cars came out of turn 4 side by side and drag-raced to the line, with Buhl winning by a nose. The debut of the new Riley and Scott chassis was postponed when Mark Dismore, after qualifying the only entered R&S in 21st position, decided to switch to a Dallara for the race.
Fin St Qual Car C/E/T Driver Entrant Laps Status Laps Pts
Spd # Led
1 7 156.728 3 G/A/F Robbie Buhl Menard 200 Running 3 35
2 9 155.151 22 D/A/G Vincenzo Sospiri Scandia 200 Running 1 33
3 8 156.618 5 G/A/F Arie Luyendyk Treadway 200 Running 2 32
4 5 159.511 7 D/A/G Eliseo Salazar Scandia 200 Running 39 31
5 3 160.296 4 G/A/G Kenny Brack Galles 200 Running 9 30
6 10 155.062 21 D/A/G Roberto Guerrero Pagan 200 Running 29
7 11 154.496 18 D/A/G John Paul Jr. PDM 199 Running 1 28
8 16 152.559 1 G/A/G Billy Boat Foyt 199 Running 27
9 18 151.884 51 G/A/G Eddie Cheever Cheever 198 Gearbox 80 27
10 19 151.755 30 G/A/G Robbie Groff McCormack 198 Running 25
11 23 149.183 28 D/A/G Mark Dismore Kelly 197 Running 24
12 15 153.723 91 D/A/F Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn 195 Running 23
13 20 151.498 10 G/A/F Johnny Unser Byrd-C'ham 189 Running 22
14 14 153.860 2 G/A/F Tony Stewart Menard 174 Engine 21
15 6 156.947 77 G/A/G Stephan Gregoire Chastain 154 Electrical 20
16 2 160.567 6 G/A/F Scott Goodyear Treadway 152 Engine 31 19
17 12 154.377 14 G/A/G Davey Hamilton Foyt 121 Engine 18
18 17 152.242 17 D/A/G Affonso Giaffone Chitwood 93 Crash T1 17
19 22 No Spd. 40 D/I/F Jack Miller Sinden 81 Handling 16
20 1 160.594 70 G/A/G Marco Greco Galles 59 Oil Leak 34 17
21 13 153.922 12 G/A/G Buzz Calkins Bradley 36 Electrical 14
22 24 No Spd. 99 D/A/F Sam Schmidt LP 30 Crash T2 13
23 4 160.000 33 D/A/G Jimmy Kite Scandia 4 Crash FS 12
24 21 145.518 27 D/A/F Jim Guthrie Blueprint 0 Gearbox 11
The car #28 originally qualified 21st but switched cars
after qualifying. By rule, the car was
moved back to 23rd according to entrant points.
Laps under green: 163 of 200 laps (81.5%)
Caution flags: 7 for 37 laps (18.5%)
#1: lap 1, spin (R. Groff), T4, 5 laps
#2: lap 7, crash (Kite), FS, 4 laps
#3: lap 34, crash (Schmidt), T2, 6 laps
#4: lap 61, spin/oil on track (Greco), FS, 6 laps
#5: lap 69, spin (Lazier), FS 4 laps
#6: lap 95, crash (Giaffone), T1, 8 laps
#7: lap 154, stalled car (Goodyear), BS, 4 laps
Red flags: 0 for 0 minutes
Lead changes: 12
St: Greco 1-34
#1: Goodyear 35-62
#2: Salazar 63-64
#3: Paul 65
#4: Salazar 66-95
#5: Cheever 96-133
#6: Goodyear 134-136
#7: Luyendyk 137-138
#8: Salazar 139-145
#9: Brack 146-154
#10: Sospiri 155
#11: Cheever 156-197
#12: Buhl 198-200
C/E/T finish averages (# started / avg finish):
Dallara: 13 / 11.7
G-Force: 11 / 13.5
Aurora: 23 / 12.2
Infiniti: 1 / 19.0
Firestone: 9 / 13.8
Goodyear: 15 / 11.7