View source for 1997 Phoenix 200

{{Short description|Car race}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{American Championship Car race report infobox
|Country       = USA
|Race          = Phoenix
|Image         = Phoenix-international-raceway.svg
|Date          = March 23
|Year          = 1997
|1996-1997     = yes
|Official name = [[Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix|Phoenix 200]]
|Round_No      = 4th
|Series        = Indy Racing League
|Location      = [[Phoenix International Raceway]]
|Course        = Permanent racing facility
|Course_mi     = 1.000
|Course_km     = 1.609
|Distance_laps = 200
|Distance_mi   = 200.000
|Distance_km   = 321.869
|Weather       = Dry with temperatures reaching up to {{convert|89.6|F|C}}; wind speeds reaching up to {{convert|15.9|mph|km/h}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/AZ/Avondale/1997-03-23 |title=''1997 Phoenix 200'' weather information |publisher=Old Farmers' Almanac|access-date=2013-10-27}}</ref>
|Pole_Driver   = [[Tony Stewart]]
|Pole_Team     = [[Team Menard]]
|Pole_Time     = 21.175
|Pole_Country  = USA
|Fast_Driver   = [[Tony Stewart]]
|Fast_Team     = [[Team Menard]]
|Fast_Time     = 22.135
|Fast_Lap      = 11
|Fast_Country  = USA
|First_Driver  = [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]]
|First_Team    = [[Blueprint Racing]]
|First_Country = USA
|Second_Driver = [[Tony Stewart]]
|Second_Team   = [[Team Menard]]
|Second_Country = USA
|Third_Driver  = [[Davey Hamilton]]
|Third_Team    = [[A. J. Foyt Enterprises]]
|Third_Country = USA
}}

The '''1997 Phoenix 200''' was the fourth round of the [[1996–1997 in IRL|1996–1997 Indy Racing League]]. The race was held on March 23, 1997, at the {{convert|1.000|mi|km|abbr=on}} [[Phoenix International Raceway]] in [[Avondale, Arizona]], and was won by the unheralded [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]], who raced unsponsored, owing a big sum of money and having taken a second mortgage on his house. His win, beating IRL stalwart [[Tony Stewart]] after leading 74 laps, went down as one of the biggest upsets in the history of Indy car racing.<ref name="Miracle">{{cite news |url=https://www.sopwithmotorsports.com/the-miracle-in-phoenix-an-interview-with-jim-guthrie/|title=THE MIRACLE IN PHOENIX: An Interview with Jim Guthrie|publisher=Sopwith Motorsports|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=October 21, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Cinderella">{{cite news |url=http://abq-live.com/jim-guthrie-the-cinderella-man/|title=Jim Guthrie the Cinderella Man|publisher=ABQ-Live|access-date=January 8, 2019|date=January 23, 2015}}</ref>

== Pre-Race News ==
Shortly after the race at [[Walt Disney World Speedway]], the significant injuries sustained by both [[Davy Jones (racing driver)|Davy Jones]] and [[Eliseo Salazar]] in rear-first crashes raised some safety concerns. The Indy Racing League addressed them by mandating a seven-pound attenuator fixed behind the gearbox, to act as a 'crash-box' and better dissipate the energy in that area.<ref name="CrashBox">{{cite news|url=http://www.icr.com:80/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=56|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970625085758/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=56|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 25, 1997|title=News From CART and the IRL|publisher=IndyCar Magazine|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=January 30, 1997}}</ref>

On February 4–7, the week after the Copper World Classic, [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]] ran a tire test at Phoenix with 5 drivers.<ref name="Goodyear">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-test-96-02-04/7561/|title=Sharp 1st To Run Dallara At Phoenix; Brack Tests For Galles As Part Of Goodyear Sessions|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=February 4, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004858/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-test-96-02-04/7561/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After fielding newcomer [[Jeff Ward (motorsports)|Jeff Ward]] at Orlando, [[Galles Racing]] sought a replacement for the injured Jones, and gave a chance to [[1996 International Formula 3000 Championship|1996 Formula 3000]] runner-up [[Kenny Bräck]], who had only run an oval in 1993 during his [[Barber Pro Series|Barber Saab Pro Series]] title run at [[New Hampshire Motor Speedway|New Hampshire]]. After posting the fastest time of the week at 165.975&nbsp;mph, the 30-year old Swede was signed for the rest of the season a few days later.<ref name="Brack">{{cite news|url=http://www.icr.com:80/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=58|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970625085732/http://www.icr.com/cgi-win/webster2i.exe?4977%inputnewsId=58|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 25, 1997|title=News from CART and IRL – Galles Signs Bräck|publisher=IndyCar Magazine|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=February 20, 1997}}</ref>

On February 18, [[Texas Motor Speedway]] held its first ever IRL test with [[Tony Stewart]] and [[Buddy Lazier]], although the three-day program devised by [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Firestone]] was cut in half because of windy conditions and the threat of rain.<ref name="Texas">{{cite news|url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/irl/97pr-022.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713220329/http://www.brickyard.com/irl/97pr-022.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 1997|title=Testing Ends Early At Texas Motor Speedway|publisher=Indy Racing League|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=February 18, 1997}}</ref>

From February 24–28, 24 drivers took part in the 'Test in the West' at Phoenix, which was missed by [[Beck Motorsports]], still without engines, and Chitwood Motorsports.<ref name="CrashBox" /> Two drivers stood out over the rest, as [[Scott Sharp]] and [[Tony Stewart]] shared the lead over the five days, being the only drivers to break the 170&nbsp;mph mark.<ref name="Test3">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-testing-97-02-26/7807/|title=Stewart, Sharp Top 170 Miles Per Hour At The "Test In The West"|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=February 26, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004957/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-testing-97-02-26/7807/|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[A. J. Foyt Enterprises]] had bought a [[Panoz|G-Force]] chassis to evaluate its performance against the [[Dallara]],<ref name="Test2">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-testing-97-02-25/7788/|title=Sharp Hits 169.731 In IRL's "Test In The West"|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=February 25, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004900/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-testing-97-02-25/7788/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Sharp drove it to a fastest lap of 170.777&nbsp;mph.<ref name="Test5">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-testing-97-02-28/7824/|title=Record Speeds End IRL "Test In The West"|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=February 28, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004856/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-testing-97-02-28/7824/|url-status=dead}}</ref> His teammate [[Davey Hamilton]] finished third overall, a distant 3.5&nbsp;mph behind, but just in front of the surprising [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]], while early favourite [[Arie Luyendyk]] and championship leader [[Mike Groff]] lagged behind.

[[Infiniti]] also had problems with its scarce contingent, as [[Buddy Lazier]], Groff and [[Jack Miller (driver)|Jack Miller]] had engine issues throughout the week because of a faulty bearing application. [[Sam Schmidt]], who had finished fourth in the [[U.S. F2000 National Championship|U.S. F2000]] in 1996, passed his rookie test in order to race in the second Blueprint Racing car. Schmidt had planned to debut at Orlando, but it had been pushed to Phoenix due to the lack of testing brought by engine shortages.<ref name="Test3" /> [[Team Menard]], on the other hand, had unofficially parted ways with [[Mark Dismore]], and evaluated [[Billy Boat]] and [[Dave Blaney]] as contenders for their second seat. Both finished in the overall top 10, Boat being slightly faster, but neither would get the drive in the end. Also, [[Darrin Miller]] and [[Pat Abold]] both passed their rookie tests in the [[PDM Racing]] mule car.<ref name="Test5" />

The entry list for the Phoenix 200 was unveiled on March 5 with 23 entries, including [[Danny Ongais]], [[Robbie Buhl]] and the second Menard car, still unassigned. [[EuroInternational]], with the legendary [[George Bignotti]] as chief mechanic, also filled an entry for Phoenix resident [[Billy Roe]], who had attempted to race the previous year.<ref name="EntryList">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-entry-list-2008-03-27/7883/|title=Luyendyk, '96 IRL co-champions Lead March 23 Phoenix 200 Entries|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 5, 1997}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The day after, [[Team Menard]] confirmed [[Robbie Buhl]] as their second driver, leaving [[Beck Motorsports]] without a driver.

Further tire testing was conducted on the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] the following week, as [[Fermín Vélez]] drove for [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]],<ref name="VelezTest">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-goodyear-ims-test-97-03-07/7904/|title=Velez, Goodyear End First Speedway Tire Test For New IRL Cars|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 7, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004938/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-goodyear-ims-test-97-03-07/7904/|url-status=dead}}</ref> while [[Tony Stewart]], who topped out at 216.080&nbsp;mph, and [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] did it for [[Firestone Tire and Rubber Company|Firestone]].<ref name="IMSTest">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-ims-testing-97-03-12/7996/|title=Stewart Reaches 216.080 On Final Day Of Speedway Test|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 12, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103055652/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-ims-testing-97-03-12/7996/|url-status=dead}}</ref> During this period, [[Stan Wattles]] confirmed that Metro Racing Systems would become the second team to take on the [[Riley & Scott]] chassis, with a delivery date expected for July.<ref name="VelezTest" /> On March 19, [[Felix Sabates|Team SABCO]] had a 300-mile test at Indianapolis with [[Robby Gordon]], who was due to attempt the [[Double Duty]] in May.<ref name="Gordon">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-gordon-sabco-test-97-03-19/8100/|title=Team Sabco Concludes "Coming Out" Party At Speedway|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 19, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004833/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-gordon-sabco-test-97-03-19/8100/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Practice & Qualifying Report ==
On race week, Chitwood Motorsports replaced [[Danny Ongais]] with [[Affonso Giaffone]], originally in a one-race deal with the support of [[General Motors do Brasil]].<ref name="Giaffone">{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/1997/04/14/tidbits.html|title=Cha, Cha, Cha|publisher=The Business Journals|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=April 14, 1997}}</ref> As in Orlando, [[Tony Stewart]] swept both practice sessions during the first day with a 165.983&nbsp;mph lap in the morning,<ref name="Times1">{{cite news|url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/pir/970321a.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713213138/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970321a.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 1997|title=Practice Summary – Friday 03/21/97 – AM|publisher=Indy Racing League|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 21, 1997}}</ref> and a 164.865&nbsp;mph lap in the afternoon.<ref name="Times2">{{cite news|url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/pir/970321b.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713213147/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970321b.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 1997|title=Practice Summary – Friday 03/21/97 – PM|publisher=Indy Racing League|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 21, 1997}}</ref> [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]] doubled down on his testing results and emerged as Stewart's main contender, being second in the morning and third in the afternoon behind [[Arie Luyendyk]].

Spaniard [[Fermín Vélez]] also surprised in the morning by posting the third fastest time, just before blowing an engine. [[Marco Greco]] and [[Scott Sharp]] had engine problems in the morning too, while [[Roberto Guerrero]] and Giaffone crashed in the afternoon.<ref name="Friday">{{cite news|url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/pir/970321c.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713213158/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970321c.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 1997|title=1997 Phoenix 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, Friday March 21, 1997 – Trackside Notes|publisher=Indy Racing League|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 21, 1997}}</ref> Guerrero's crash was triggered by another engine failure, which brought concerns on the [[Oldsmobile]] camp regarding a potential oil link issue in their engines. Despite also entering a couple of [[Dallara]]s, Foyt decided to run the [[Panoz|G-Force]] chassis for both of his drivers.

On Saturday, Stewart led the last practice session with a 167.973&nbsp;mph lap, over Guthrie by just 0.021 seconds and Luyendyk.<ref name="SaturdayFree">{{cite news|url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/pir/970322a.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713213212/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970322a.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 1997|title=Practice Summary – Saturday 03/22/97 – AM|publisher=Indy Racing League|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 22, 1997}}</ref> He later asserted his dominance in qualifying, putting his car on pole with a 170.012&nbsp;mph lap.<ref name="QualsReport">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-qualifying-report/8159/|title=IRL: Phoenix qualifying report|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 22, 1997|archive-date=January 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004917/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-qualifying-report/8159/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Guthrie was the last driver scheduled to qualify and, despite running the fastest first lap, he came up short at 169.484&nbsp;mph, comfortably qualifying in a career-best second place as the only driver within 4&nbsp;mph of Stewart's mark. [[Treadway Racing]] swept the second row with [[Scott Goodyear]] and Luyendyk, in front of [[Buzz Calkins]] and [[Robbie Buhl]], the early leaders before Stewart's run.<ref name="SaturdayReport">{{cite news |date=March 22, 1997 |title=1997 Phoenix 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, Saturday March 22, 1997 – Trackside Notes |publisher=Indy Racing League |url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/pir/970322c.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713213249/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970322c.htm |archive-date=July 13, 1997}}</ref>

Guthrie was competing unsponsored and had bought his chassis by taking out a loan against his house for a second time, owing $185,000 to his creditors. Blueprint Racing, co-owned by Guthrie, arrived at the track with a rental flatbed trailer and a race crew composed of volunteers. The engine on their car had run 640 miles and had been rebuilt three times, as they could not afford a new one. Because of this, Guthrie likened their efforts with "the [[Goliath#Modern usage of "David and Goliath"|David and Goliath]] story". Although the IRL cars were 15&nbsp;mph off 1996's speeds, Guthrie qualified 6&nbsp;mph faster than his own time in 1996, which was only good enough for an 18th place in that grid.<ref name="Cinderella" /><ref name="QualsReport" />

In his first IRL qualifying, [[Sam Schmidt]] put his car in a solid seventh place, while [[Kenny Bräck]] and [[Billy Roe]] qualified in 10th and 18th place, respectively. [[Roberto Guerrero]] was the fastest [[Infiniti]] qualifier in 11th place after getting his car fixed in time, unlike [[Affonso Giaffone]], who was not able to qualify. In a similar note, [[Scott Sharp]] was in second place during the morning practice when his engine caught fire, and a spare was not ready in time for qualifying. Both were allowed to start the race at the back of the field. Coincidentally, [[Marco Greco]] was able to qualify thanks to an engine previously loaned by [[A. J. Foyt Enterprises]], achieving his first top-10 qualifying result.

Sharp's teammate, [[Davey Hamilton]], did not come to grips with his new chassis and could only qualify in 15th place behind [[Buddy Lazier]], while championship leader [[Mike Groff]] was mired in 17th place. [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] qualified 12th despite waving off his first lap for a suspected timing chain failure, and [[Stéphan Grégoire]] qualified last after losing a gear. During afternoon's final practice, [[Buzz Calkins]] had an oil leak and crashed in Turn 4, forfeiting his 5th place on the grid as he needed a back-up car.<ref name="SaturdayReport" /> For the first time in series' history, all the drivers that took part in the practice sessions would start the race.

===Qualifying Results===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Key
! Meaning
|-
| align="center" | '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| Rookie
|-
| align="center" | '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:gold;">W</span>'''
| Past winner
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" " style="fontsize:95%"
!| Pos
!| No.
!| Name
!| Lap 1
!| Lap 2
!| Best (in mph)
|-
! scope="row" | 1
| align=center| 2
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tony Stewart]]
| align="center"| 21.424
| align="center"| 21.175
| align="center"| 170.012
|-
! scope="row" | 2
| align=center| 27
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 21.364
| align="center"| 21.241
| align="center"| 169.484
|-
! scope="row" | 3
| align=center| 6
| {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Scott Goodyear]]
| align="center"| 21.975
| align="center"| 21.681
| align="center"| 166.044
|-
! scope="row" | 4
| align=center| 5
| {{flagicon|NED}} [[Arie Luyendyk]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:gold;">W</span>'''
| align="center"| 21.736
| align="center"| 21.715
| align="center"| 165.784
|-
! scope="row" | 5
| align=center| 3
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Robbie Buhl]]
| align="center"| 21.956
| align="center"| 22.257
| align="center"| 163.964
|-
! scope="row" | 6
| align=center| 16
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Schmidt]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.141
| align="center"| 21.973
| align="center"| 163.837
|-
! scope="row" | 7
| align=center| 51
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Eddie Cheever]]
| align="center"| 22.059
| align="center"| 22.017
| align="center"| 163.510
|-
! scope="row" | 8
| align=center| 22
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Marco Greco]]
| align="center"| 22.064
| align="center"| 22.019
| align="center"| 163.495
|-
! scope="row" | 9
| align=center| 4
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kenny Bräck]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.051
| align="center"| 22.027
| align="center"| 163.436
|-
! scope="row" | 10
| align=center| 21
| {{flagicon|COL}} [[Roberto Guerrero]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:gold;">W</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.129
| align="center"| 22.075
| align="center"| 163.080
|-
! scope="row" | 11
| align=center| 18
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]]
| align="center"| Waved off
| align="center"| 22.100
| align="center"| 162.896
|-
! scope="row" | 12
| align=center| 30
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jeret Schroeder]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.136
| align="center"| 22.166
| align="center"| 162.631
|-
! scope="row" | 13
| align=center| 91
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Buddy Lazier]]
| align="center"| 22.148
| align="center"| 22.202
| align="center"| 162.543
|-
! scope="row" | 14
| align=center| 14
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Davey Hamilton]]
| align="center"| 22.161
| align="center"| 22.209
| align="center"| 162.448
|-
! scope="row" | 15
| align=center| 33
| {{flagicon|ESP}} [[Fermín Vélez]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.235
| align="center"| 22.477
| align="center"| 161.907
|-
! scope="row" | 16
| align=center| 10
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Mike Groff]]
| align="center"| 22.593
| align="center"| 22.520
| align="center"| 159.858
|-
! scope="row" | 17
| align=center| 50
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Billy Roe]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.916
| align="center"| 22.650
| align="center"| 158.940
|-
! scope="row" | 18
| align=center| 40
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jack Miller (driver)|Jack Miller]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| align="center"| 22.933
| align="center"| 22.779
| align="center"| 158.040
|-
! scope="row" | 19
| align=center| 77
| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphan Grégoire]]
| align="center"| 23.386
| align="center"| 23.235
| align="center"| 154.939
|-
! scope="row" | 20
| align=center| 1
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Scott Sharp]]{{ref|1|1}}
| colspan=2 align="center"| Didn't qualify
| align="center"| No speed
|-
! scope="row" | 21
| align=center| 17
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Affonso Giaffone]]{{ref|2|2}} '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
| colspan=2 align="center"| Didn't qualify
| align="center"| No speed
|-
! scope="row" | 22
| align=center| 12
| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Buzz Calkins]]{{ref|3|3}}
| align="center"| 22.217
| align="center"| 21.947
| align="center"| 164.032
|-
!colspan="9"|{{center|Source:<ref>{{cite web|title=Qualification Summary – Saturday 03/22/97 (archived from Archive.org) |url=http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970322q.htm |access-date=23 January 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713213222/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/970322q.htm |archive-date=13 July 1997 }}</ref>}}
|}
{{refbegin}}
# {{note|1}} His engine caught fire in practice, and a spare was not ready on time for qualifying. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field.
# {{note|2}} Couldn't qualify after his chassis had been damaged in a practice crash. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field.
# {{note|3}} Changed to a backup car following a crash in a practice session after qualifying.
{{refend}}

== Race Report ==
The Phoenix event resulted in a slow, attrition-filled race, as 83 of the 200 laps were run under nine caution periods. Six cautions were caused by engine failures and oil spills, five of those from [[Oldsmobile]] engines, which suffered a dozen failures overall throughout the weekend. It wasn't until after the event that the brand identified the issue as an oil line fitting that wasn't suitable in the plumbing system of the new IRL chassis.<ref name="Oldsmobile">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-oldsmobile-aurora-phoenix-preview/13922/|title=IRL Engine Competition Heats Up in Arizona Desert|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=March 27, 1998|archive-date=January 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045855/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-oldsmobile-aurora-phoenix-preview/13922/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite that, the race was won by [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]], who ended the day with 860 miles of running in its engine.<ref name="Aurora">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-aurora-report/8188/|title=Aurora V8 Sweeps IRL Phoenix 200|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=March 23, 1997|archive-date=January 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107233433/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-aurora-report/8188/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

From his front-row position, Guthrie tried to jump [[Tony Stewart]] on the outside, but the pole-sitter held on into Turn 1, while [[Scott Goodyear]] lost two places. [[Roberto Guerrero]] suffered a battery failure and was unable to get going from 10th on the grid.<ref name="RaceReport">{{cite news|url=http://www.brickyard.com:80/pir/1997/970323a.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970713215938/http://www.brickyard.com/pir/1997/970323a.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 1997|title=1997 Phoenix 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, Sunday March 23, 1997 – Trackside Notes|publisher=Indy Racing League|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=March 23, 1997}}</ref> After failing to bring the car up to speed, he had to pull into the apron on Lap 2, bringing out a caution. He was able to take the restart on Lap 7, albeit five laps down. Guthrie tried to take the lead again on the restart to no avail, this time on the inside, having to defend himself from [[Arie Luyendyk]]. In that restart, [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] gained four spots and was already in 4th place, having passed three cars at the start.

On Lap 12, Luyendyk lost an engine that had been mounted just the day before, triggering the second caution of the day.<ref name="RaceReport" /> At the restart on Lap 19, Paul Jr. passed Guthrie for second, but he didn't have enough speed to go after Stewart, and Guthrie reclaimed the spot three laps later, staying within 3–4 seconds of the leader. [[Affonso Giaffone]] gained eight positions in barely ten laps, and was up to 6th place by Lap 35. After a good stint, being as high as 7th, [[Buddy Lazier]] slowly faded to 9th place before retiring on Lap 33 with an engine failure that caused extensive oil spilling on the track and pit entry, triggering a caution that lasted for 10 laps due to the cleanup.

As the leaders made their first pit stop, Guthrie had the lapped car of [[Roberto Guerrero]] on the inside, and had to swerve up the track, missing the pits. He was serviced a lap later, dropping several places. During his stop, [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] suffered an electrical issue and lost several laps, leaving [[Scott Goodyear]] and [[Robbie Buhl]] as Stewart's main contenders. Meanwhile, Giaffone, [[Eddie Cheever]] (7th before the caution period), [[Kenny Bräck]] (10th) and [[Scott Sharp]] (11th) stayed on track, and led the restart on Lap 45, with 12 drivers on the lead lap. Stewart passed Sharp, and both were able to put Bräck behind on that lap. The three of them quickly caught up to Cheever, and passed him on Lap 51 when he run high on Turn 3 due to a misfire. In the meantime, Guthrie had passed four cars on track.

On Lap 52, [[Scott Goodyear]] lost his engine on the exit of Turn 1 while running sixth. [[Marco Greco]] spun on the oil and Buhl, who had been passed by Greco on the restart, was slightly hit by [[Sam Schmidt]] as he braked to avoid an accident. Just behind them, [[Jeret Schroeder]] lost control of the car and crashed into the outside wall. He was transported by ambulance with a mild concussion and a shoulder abrasion.<ref name="Injuries">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-medical-updates/8210/|title=IRL: Medical Updates|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=March 26, 1997|archive-date=January 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107232928/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-medical-updates/8210/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Out of all the drivers involved, only Greco, who stayed in 7th place, and Schmidt (a lap down) continued. During the caution, [[Affonso Giaffone]], [[Kenny Bräck]] and [[Eddie Cheever]] made their pit stops, handing the lead to Stewart, who made a late splash-and-go while retaining the race lead. Giaffone spun on the grass during the restart and would stop again on Lap 61.

[[Scott Sharp]] stayed out again and took advantage of Stewart's cold tires to grab the lead on the Lap 61 restart, only for his engine to blow up four laps later. He was able to pull into an access road located after Turn 1, but the caution came out two laps later when [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]] slowed on the backstretch. With only six drivers on the lead lap, [[Eddie Cheever]] made another pit stop, placing behind Bräck for the Lap 76 restart. [[Davey Hamilton]] had been greatly benefitted by the attrition rate and got past Greco for third, but both were passed by Bräck, who emerged as a serious contender in his debut Indy car race, although he had lost 10 seconds to Stewart and Guthrie by then. Another first timer, [[Billy Roe]], started losing oil on Lap 82 while running 11th and was black flagged, but he was unaware of the situation until he crashed heavily on Lap 85, entering Turn 3.

During a long caution, Stewart chose to make another pit stop on Lap 95, while Guthrie's crew gambled on staying out to make their stop on Lap 120 to try and jump Stewart, providing there was another caution on that period. After the restart on Lap 99, Guthrie pulled an 11-second lead over [[Kenny Bräck]], while Stewart climbed to third by Lap 112. Five laps later, Giaffone, running a lap down in 7th place, pulled to the side of the track with a half-shaft problem, and brought a timely caution for Guthrie's odds. Their strategy from that point was to go flat-out until the end, hoping to make it without a pit stop and the help of two more caution periods at the very least. Stewart topped off a lap later than Guthrie, and emerged in front of him, but his team was planning for a late splash-and-go. A lengthy clean-up ensued, on which [[Eddie Cheever]] retired with an oil pressure issue, after repeatedly trying to pass [[Marco Greco]].

As the front of the field, led by lapped cars, was already on Turn 3 for a Lap 129 restart, with the Pace Car was pulling into pit lane, race officials suddenly aborted the restart for an additional track inspection, which caused Pace Car driver [[Johnny Rutherford]] to swerve back onto the left side of the track before being passed by four different drivers, including race leader [[Kenny Bräck]], who was due to make his second pit-stop. No penalties were issued, and the race was finally underway on Lap 133, with Hamilton and Stewart passing Greco simultaneously on the outside of Turn 3; Hamilton would be passed by Stewart in the same fashion two laps later, after being blocked by Groff.

By Lap 140, Guthrie also got past Hamilton, and joined Stewart in pursuit of Bräck. All three drivers were a second apart from each other when, on Lap 146, Bräck run high into the oil dry in Turn 3, spun and crashed. Stewart pitted for a splash of fuel and some tyre pressure changes just before the Lap 155 restart, and quickly passed Greco, but he faced a crowded traffic situation afterwards. His race pace was not a match for Guthrie, who consistently lapped over 160&nbsp;mph in a 26-lap green flag run, the longest of the day. By Lap 178, Stewart was 15 seconds behind Guthrie, and 4 seconds behind Hamilton, while Greco had gone a lap down.

20 laps from the end, [[Sam Schmidt]] was trying to hunt down [[Stéphan Grégoire]] for fifth place when he lost the right-rear tyre entering Turn 3, right in front of [[Davey Hamilton]]. The rear-first crash pounded a significant hole in the concrete wall that had to be fixed with a metal plate, while Schmidt was transported by ambulance with mid-back pain, although uninjured.<ref name="Injuries" /> Having complained of handling issues in the previous laps, and aiming to run down Guthrie after the restart, Stewart pitted twice under the caution, the first one for drastic changes in his rear wing, and the second one for fuel and 'option' tires for better grip, briefly stalling the engine afterwards. Guthrie stayed out, looking to stretch his fuel.

At the last restart with 9 laps to go, Stewart got going behind the lapped cars of [[Marco Greco]] and [[Roberto Guerrero]], which he passed in the following lap. Aiming for the win, Stewart passed Hamilton on the outside of Turn 3 with five laps to go, and was gaining on Guthrie at a half second per lap, but he ran out of time, and Guthrie held on by less than a second. Just like [[Arie Luyendyk]] six years before, Guthrie won with an unsponsored car, and the $170,100 payoff helped in partially settling his debts.<ref name="Debts">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-results-2008-03-27/8190/|title=Guthrie Holds Back Stewart to Celebrate Phoenix 200 Win|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=April 23, 1997|archive-date=January 7, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107233436/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-phoenix-results-2008-03-27/8190/|url-status=dead}}</ref> This would be Guthrie's one-and-only podium finish of his Indy car career. A month later, the team announced a year-long sponsorship agreement with [[Jacuzzi]], which guaranteed a proper effort for the [[Indianapolis 500]] with new engines and a back-up.<ref name="Blueprint">{{cite news|url=https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-blueprint-announces-sponsor/8839/|title=U.S. Industries and Blueprint Racing Form Year-Long Partnership|publisher=Motorsport.com|access-date=January 7, 2019|date=April 30, 1997|archive-date=January 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045744/https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/news/irl-blueprint-announces-sponsor/8839/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

After Stewart, [[Davey Hamilton]] got his first podium finish in Indy car racing and jumped to second in the standings, while [[Marco Greco]]. keeping his top-10 streak, and [[Stéphan Grégoire]] had their first top-5 finish ever. [[Mike Groff]], who run a cautious race and was down to 18th place at one point, kept the championship lead with a sixth place finish due to the high attrition. While leading a restart on Lap 138 as an already lapped car, Groff's car had started to smoke and it was black flagged, losing four laps to fix the issue. With a very basic setup in his back-up car, [[Buzz Calkins]] was not a factor during the race and lost several laps, but managed to see the checkered flag in 8th place.

For the fifth race in a row, the Indy Racing League had produced a first-time Indy car winner, an unprecedented feat in post-war Indy car history, and none of the top-6 drivers had ever won an Indy car race before, for the first time since the 1959 Golden State 100 at the [[California State Fairgrounds Race Track|California State Fairgrounds]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]. This became the second slowest Indy car race ever held at Phoenix, with an average speed of just 89.19&nbsp;mph, just under 3&nbsp;mph faster than the 1967 Jimmy Bryan Memorial at the same track, and slower than any [[Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series|NASCAR Cup Series]] race ever held at Phoenix since their debut in 1988. At 2 hours and 14 minutes, it holds the record for the longest Indy car race at Phoenix, being 45 minutes longer than the 1986 Circle K/Fiesta Bowl 200, which had the average speed record at 134&nbsp;mph.

== Race Results ==
===Box Score===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
|-
! Pos !! No. !! Driver !! Team !! Laps !! Time/Retired !! Grid !! Laps<br>Led !! Points
|-
! 1
| align=center|'''27'''
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jim Guthrie (racing driver)|Jim Guthrie]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Blueprint Racing]]
|align=center|200
|align=center|2:14:32.667
|align=center|2
|align=center|74
|align=center|'''35'''
|-
! 2
| align="center"|'''2'''
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Tony Stewart]]
|[[Team Menard]]
|align=center|200
|align=center|+ 0.854 sec
|align=center|1
|align=center|85
|align=center|'''36'''
|-
! 3
| align=center|'''14'''
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Davey Hamilton]]
|[[A. J. Foyt Enterprises]]
|align=center|200
|align=center|Running
|align=center|14
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''32'''
|-
! 4
| align=center|'''22'''
|{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Marco Greco]]
|[[Team Scandia]]
|align=center|199
|align=center|+ 1 lap
|align=center|8
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''31'''
|-
! 5
|align=center|'''77'''
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Stéphan Grégoire]]
|[[Chastain Motorsports]]
|align=center|199
|align=center|+ 1 lap
|align=center|19
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''30'''
|-
! 6
| align=center |'''10'''
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Mike Groff]]
|[[Byrd-Cunningham Racing]]
|align=center|195
|align=center|+ 5 laps
|align=center|16
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''29'''
|-
! 7
|align="center" |'''21'''
|{{flagicon|COL}} [[Roberto Guerrero]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:gold;">W</span>'''  &nbsp;&nbsp;
|[[Pagan Racing]]
|align=center|194
|align=center|+ 6 laps
|align=center|10
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''28'''
|-
! 8
| align=center|'''12'''
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Buzz Calkins]]
|[[Bradley Motorsports]]
|align=center|187
|align=center|+ 13 laps
|align=center|22
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''27'''
|-
! 9
| align=center|'''18'''
||{{flagicon|USA}} [[John Paul Jr. (racing driver)|John Paul Jr.]]
|[[PDM Racing]]
|align=center|179
|align=center|+ 21 laps
|align=center|11
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''26'''
|-
! 10
| align=center|'''16'''
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Sam Schmidt]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Blueprint Racing]]
|align=center|176
|align=center|Accident T4
|align=center|6
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''25'''
|-
! 11
|align=center|'''4'''
|{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kenny Bräck]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Galles Racing]]
|align=center|145
|align=center|Accident T4
|align=center|9
|align=center|24
|align=center|'''24'''
|-
! 12
| align=center|'''51'''
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Eddie Cheever]]
|[[Cheever Racing|Team Cheever]]
|align=center|120
|align=center|Overheating
|align=center|7
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''23'''
|-
! 13
| align=center|'''17'''
|{{flagicon|BRA}} [[Affonso Giaffone]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Chitwood Motorsports]]
|align=center|114
|align=center|Half Shaft
|align=center|21
|align=center|13
|align=center|'''22'''
|-
! 14
| align=center|'''33'''
|{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Fermín Vélez]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Team Scandia]]
|align=center|94
|align=center|Electrical
|align=center|15
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''21'''
|-
! 15
| align=center|'''50'''
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Billy Roe]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Eurointernational]]
|align=center|82
|align=center|Accident T3/Engine
|align=center|17
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''20'''
|-
! 16
| align=center|'''1'''
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Scott Sharp]]
|[[A. J. Foyt Enterprises]]
|align=center|65
|align=center|Engine
|align=center|20
|align=center|4
|align=center|'''19'''
|-
! 17
| align=center|'''6'''
|{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Scott Goodyear]]
|[[Treadway Racing]]
|align=center|52
|align=center|Engine
|align=center|3
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''18'''
|-
|-
! 18
| align=center|'''3'''
|{{flagicon|US}} [[Robbie Buhl]]
|[[Team Menard]]
|align=center|51
|align=center|Accident T2
|align=center|5
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''17'''
|-
! 19
| align=center|'''30'''
||{{flagicon|US}} [[Jeret Schroeder]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[McCormack Motorsports]]
|align=center|51
|align=center|Accident T2
|align=center|12
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''16'''
|-
! 20
| align=center|'''40'''
||{{flagicon|US}} [[Jack Miller (driver)|Jack Miller]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:yellowgreen;">R</span>'''
|[[Arizona Motorsport]]
|align=center|33
|align=center|Fuel Pickup
|align=center|18
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''15'''
|-
! 21
| align=center|'''91'''
||{{flagicon|US}} [[Buddy Lazier]]
|[[Hemelgarn Racing]]
|align=center|31
|align=center|Engine
|align=center|13
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''14'''
|-
! 22
| align=center|'''5'''
||{{flagicon|NED}} [[Arie Luyendyk]] '''<span style="padding:1px 4px; color:black; background-color:gold;">W</span>'''
|[[Treadway Racing]]
|align=center|11
|align=center|Mechanical
|align=center|4
|align=center|0
|align=center|'''13'''
|-
|}

===Race Statistics===
* '''Lead changes:''' 10 among 5 drivers
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Lap Leaders
|-
! Laps
! Leader
|-
|1–41 ||Tony Stewart
|-
|42 ||Jim Guthrie
|-
|43–55 ||Affonso Giaffone
|-
|56–61 ||Tony Stewart
|-
|62–65 ||Scott Sharp
|-
|66–94 ||Tony Stewart
|-
|95–120 ||Jim Guthrie
|-
|121 ||Tony Stewart
|-
|122–145 ||Kenny Bräck
|-
|146–153 ||Tony Stewart
|-
|154–200 ||Jim Guthrie
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
!colspan=2|Cautions: 9 for 86 laps
|-
! Laps
! Reason
|-
|2–6
|Tow-in for Roberto Guerrero (battery issues)
|-
|13–18
|Arie Luyendyk stopped, oil on the track
|-
|36–44
|Buddy Lazier's engine leaks oil on the track
|-
|52–60
|Goodyear's engine leaks oil on the track; Buhl, Schroeder and Schmidt's crash
|-
|69–75
|Oil on track from Scott Sharp's engine
|-
|85–98
|Billy Roe's crash; oil on the track
|-
|117–132
|Affonso Giaffone stopped, oil on the track
|-
|146–154
|Kenny Bräck's crash
|-
|180–190
|Sam Schmidt's crash
|}
{{col-end}}

==Standings after the race==

;Drivers' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Pos
! Driver
! Points
|-
| 1
| {{flagicon|US}} [[Mike Groff]]
| 125
|-
| 2
| {{flagicon|US}} [[Davey Hamilton]]
| 114
|-
| 3
| {{flagicon|US}} [[Buzz Calkins]]
| 113
|-
| 4
| {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Marco Greco]]
| 112
|-
| 5
| {{flagicon|COL}} [[Roberto Guerrero]]
| 106
|}
* <small>'''Note:''' Only the top five positions are included for the standings.</small>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://indycar.com IndyCar official website]

{{American Championship Car race report footer |
 Series = Indy Racing League  |
 Name_of_race = [[Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix|Phoenix 200]] |
 Year_of_race = 1996–1997 |
 Previous_race_in_season = [[1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World]] |
 Next_race_in_season = [[1997 Indianapolis 500]] |
 Previous_year's_race = [[1996 Dura Lube 200]] |
 Next_year's_race = [[1998 Dura Lube 200]]
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix 200, 1997}}
[[Category:1996–97 in IndyCar]]
[[Category:1997 in sports in Arizona|Phoenix 200]]