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Sports season
The 1997 CART PPG World Series season was the nineteenth in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) era of American open-wheel car racing . It consisted of 17 races, beginning in Homestead, Florida on March 2 and concluding in Fontana, California on September 28. The PPG CART World Series Drivers' Champion was Alex Zanardi . Rookie of the Year was Patrick Carpentier . Mercedes-Benz won their first and only CART engine-manufacturer's title.
After a settlement with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , CART relinquished its license of the "IndyCar" trademark for 1997 and beyond. As a result, the series was renamed for the first time since 1980. The CART term, which had been mostly eschewed since 1992, was brought back and embraced, a new logo was unveiled, and participants were encouraged to refer to the machines of the CART series as "Champ Cars ". The revival of the historic term (and curtailing the use of the mostly generic term "Indy cars") helped to differentiate the machines from those of the rival Indy Racing League , and was part of a concerted and necessary effort to distance the series from the Indianapolis 500 , to which it no longer had any link.[ 1] This was also the last year of title sponsorship by PPG Industries, although the Driver's Championship continued to be known as the PPG Cup until 1999. This was the first season since 1983 not to feature Emerson Fittipaldi .
Drivers and constructors
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1997 CART World Series season.
Team
Chassis
Engine
Tires
No
Drivers
Rounds
Primary Sponsors
Target Chip Ganassi
Reynard 97i
Honda HRR
F
1
Jimmy Vasser
All
Target
4
Alex Zanardi
1–16
Arie Luyendyk
17
Marlboro Team Penske
Penske PC-26 -97
Ilmor -Mercedes IC108D
G
2
Al Unser Jr.
All
Marlboro
3
Paul Tracy
All
Walker Racing
Reynard 97i
Honda HRR
G
5
Gil de Ferran
All
Valvoline
Newman-Haas Racing
Swift 007.i
Ford XD
G
6
Michael Andretti
All
Texaco -Havoline
11
Christian Fittipaldi
1–2, 9–17
Budweiser
Roberto Moreno
3–8
Team Rahal
Reynard 97i
Ford XD
G
7
Bobby Rahal
All
Miller Lite
8
Bryan Herta
All
Shell
Hogan Racing
Reynard 97i
Mercedes IC108D
F
9
Dario Franchitti (R)
1–16
Hogan Racing
Robby Gordon
17
Bettenhausen Racing
Reynard 97i
Mercedes IC108D
G
16
Patrick Carpentier (R)
1–14, 17
Alumax
Roberto Moreno
15–16
PacWest
Reynard 97i
Mercedes IC108D
F
17
Maurício Gugelmin
All
Hollywood Cigarettes
18
Mark Blundell
All
Motorola
Payton/Coyne Racing
Reynard 97i
Ford XD
G
19
Michel Jourdain Jr.
11, 14, 16
Herdez
Lola T97/00
1–10, 12–13, 15, 17
34
Roberto Moreno
1
Data Control
Paul Jasper (R)
2–7
Hype
Christian Danner
8–9
Payton/Coyne Racing
Charlie Nearburg (R)
10, 13
Nearburg Exploration
Dennis Vitolo
11–12
Payton/Coyne Racing
Reynard 97i
Charlie Nearburg (R)
14, 16
Nearburg Exploration
Christian Danner
15
Payton/Coyne Racing
Dennis Vitolo
17
SmithKline Beecham
Patrick Racing
Reynard 97i
Ford XD
F
20
Scott Pruett
All
Brahma
40
Raul Boesel
All
Della Penna Motorsports
Lola T97/00
Ford XD
G
21
Richie Hearn
All
Ralphs
Arciero-Wells Racing
Reynard 97i
Toyota RV8B
F
24
Hiro Matsushita
All
Panasonic
25
Max Papis
All
MCI
Team KOOL Green
Reynard 97i
Honda HRR
F
27
Parker Johnstone
All
KOOL
Tasman Motorsports
Reynard 97i
Honda HRR
F
31
André Ribeiro
10–17
LCI
Lola T97/00
1–9
32
Adrian Fernández
All
Tecate
All American Racing
Reynard 96i Reynard 97i
Toyota RV8B
G
36
Juan Manuel Fangio II
All
Castrol
98
P. J. Jones
All
Project Indy
Lola T97/00
Ford XD
G
64
Dennis Vitolo
1, 3–4, 15–16
SmithKline Beecham
Arnd Meier (R)
2, 5–6, 8–14, 17
Hasseröder
Davis Racing
Reynard 97i
Ford XD
G
77
Gualter Salles (R)
All
Davis Racing Indusval
Forsythe Racing
Reynard 96i Reynard 97i
Mercedes IC108D
F
99
Greg Moore
All
Player's
Season summary
Schedule
Rnd
Date
Race Name
Circuit
Location
TV Broadcaster
1
March 2
Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami Presented by Toyota
O Homestead Motorsports Complex
Homestead, Florida
ABC
2
April 6
Sunbelt Indy Carnival
R Surfers Paradise Street Circuit
Surfers Paradise , Australia
ABC
3
April 13
Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
R Streets of Long Beach
Long Beach, California
ABC
4
April 27
Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Presented by Toyota
O Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
ABC
5
May 11
Hollywood Rio 400K
O Autódromo de Jacarepaguá
Rio de Janeiro , Brazil
ABC
6
May 24
Motorola 300
O Gateway International Raceway
Madison, Illinois
ABC
7
June 1
Miller 200
O Milwaukee Mile
West Allis, Wisconsin
ESPN
8
June 8
ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix
R The Raceway on Belle Isle Park
Detroit , Michigan
ABC
9
June 22
Budweiser/G. I. Joe's 200 Presented by Texaco/Havoline
R Portland International Raceway
Portland, Oregon
ESPN
10
July 13
Medic Drug Grand Prix of Cleveland
R Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport
Cleveland, Ohio
ABC
11
July 20
Molson Indy Toronto
R Exhibition Place
Toronto, Ontario
ABC
12
July 27
U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota
O Michigan Speedway
Brooklyn, Michigan
ABC
13
August 10
Miller 200
R Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
Lexington, Ohio
ABC
14
August 17
The Chicago Tribune Presents the Texaco/Havoline 200
R Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
ESPN
15
August 31
Molson Indy Vancouver
R Streets of Vancouver
Vancouver, British Columbia
ESPN
16
September 7
Toyota Grand Prix of Monterey Featuring the Texaco/Havoline 300
R Laguna Seca Raceway
Monterey, California
ESPN
17
September 28
Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota
O California Speedway
Fontana, California
ESPN
– The Australian Indy Grand Prix was supposed to run 182 miles, but was shortened due to time constraints.
– Portland was supposed to be 193 miles, but was shortened due to rain.
O Oval/Speedway
R Road/Street course
Race results
(R) Dedicated road course, (O) Oval/Speedway, (S) Temporary street circuit
Final driver standings
Color
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
2nd place
Bronze
3rd place
Green
4th–6th place
Light Blue
7th–12th place
Dark Blue
Finished (Outside Top 12)
Purple
Did not finish
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown
Withdrawn (Wth)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Blank
Did not participate (DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold
Pole position
Italics
Ran fastest race lap
*
Led most race laps
RY
Rookie of the Year
R
Rookie
Nations' Cup
Top result per race counts towards Nations' Cup.
See also
References
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