| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 31 of 32 in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1997 Dura Lube 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | November 2, 1997 | ||
| Official name | 10th Annual Dura Lube 500 | ||
| Location | Avondale, Arizona, Phoenix International Raceway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1.6 km (1 miles) | ||
| Distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 312 laps, 312 mi (502.115 km) | ||
| Average speed | 110.824 miles per hour (178.354 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Andy Petree Racing | ||
| Time | 27.360 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | |
| Laps | 117 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNN | ||
| Announcers | Eli Gold, Buddy Baker, Dick Berggren | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1997 Dura Lube 500 was the 31st and penultimate stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 10th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 2, Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race took the scheduled 312 laps to complete. At race's end, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett, despite being one lap down earlier in the race, would manage to dominate the late stages of the race to take his 15th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his seventh and final victory of the season. [1] [2] To fill out the top three, Penske Racing South driver Rusty Wallace and Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Hamilton would finish second and third, respectively.
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Going into the final race of the season, the 1997 NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a tight battle between the three mathematical eligible drivers for the championship, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, and Mark Martin was set. Gordon had 4,598 points, 77 points ahead of Jarrett and 87 points ahead of Martin. If Gordon was able to finish 18th or higher in the race, Gordon would automatically win the championship. [3]
