1997 Interstate Batteries 500

Race details
Race 6 of 32 in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Simple line diagram of Texas Motor Speedway track layout
Date	April 6, 1997 (1997-04-06)
Official name	Inaugural Interstate Batteries 500
Location	Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.5 mi (2.4 km)
Distance	334 laps, 501 mi (806.281 km)
Weather	Mild with temperatures of 71.6 °F (22.0 °C); wind speeds of 14 miles per hour (23 km/h)[1]
Pole position
Driver	Dale Jarrett	Robert Yates Racing
Time	Set by 1997 owner's points
Most laps led
Driver	Terry Labonte	Hendrick Motorsports
Laps	104
Winner
No. 99	Jeff Burton	Roush Racing
Television in the United States
Network	CBS
Announcers	Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett, Buddy Baker
Radio in the United States
Radio	Performance Racing Network

The 1997 Interstate Batteries 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on April 6, 1997, at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The race was the inaugural Cup Series race at the track, and it was the first time Interstate Batteries served as a sponsor for NASCAR.^[2] The race was the sixth of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. The pace car was the Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34 with a 3.8L engine, the first of its kind to serve as a pace car.^[3] As qualifying was canceled due to rain,^[4] the pole position was awarded to points leader Dale Jarrett of Yates Racing. Terry Labonte of Hendrick Motorsports led the most laps with 104, while Roush Racing's Jeff Burton scored his first Cup Series victory after leading 60 laps, including the final 58.

As a result of the rain, besides qualifying being canceled, many of the track's parking lots were flooded. Track owner Bruton Smith received help from the Texas Department of Transportation, which closed down a portion of Texas State Highway 170 to use it as a parking lot. Although the parking lot issue was solved, traffic concerns arose, and on race day, by 8 AM, traffic on Interstate 35W stopped 16 miles south of the track. Due to the traffic, pianist Van Cliburn, who was scheduled to perform the national anthem at the race, had his helicopter delayed and could not perform.^[5]

The race started with a 13-car crash on the first lap.^[4] The crash was the first in a wreck-laden race, with ten cautions and 73 laps under the yellow flag,^[6] the most in track history.^[7] Late in the race, Jeff Burton took the lead, and led the final 58 laps of the race to win his first career Cup race. Dale Jarrett finished second, followed by Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, and Ricky Rudd.^[8]

The Interstate Batteries 500 was covered by CBS for the first time in the United States. Ken Squier, two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Ned Jarrett and nineteen-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner Buddy Baker called the race from the broadcast booth. Mike Joy, Dick Berggren and Ralph Sheheen handled pit road for the television side.

Pos	Driver	Points	Differential
1	Dale Jarrett	994	0
2	Terry Labonte	899	-95
3	Bobby Labonte	858	-136
4	Jeff Burton	837	-157
5	Jeff Gordon	810	-184
6	Ricky Rudd	775	-219
7	Geoff Bodine	740	-254
8	Ward Burton	709	-285
8	Mark Martin	709	-285
10	Dale Earnhardt	703	-291