1997 NASCAR Cup Series Head-to-Head Playoff Results
By Zane Miller First round (8) #94 Bill Elliott v. (1) #24 Jeff Gordon (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (2) #2 Rusty Wallace (6) #3 Dale Earnhardt v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett (5) #99 Jeff Burton v. (4) #5 Terry Labonte The first round got underway at Richmond, which would be no trouble for Jeff Gordon as he came in third, while Bill Elliott came in 30th despite starting on the pole and leading 43 laps early. Having a disastrous weekend at the Virginia track would be Bobby Labonte, who started at the rear of the field and only went downhill from there, finishing 34th. This allowed Rusty Wallace to take the early advantage in the series with a fifth-place finish. Also with a disappointing run was Dale Earnhardt, who finished in 15th after also starting towards the back, in stark contrast to Dale Jarrett, who led a sizable chunk of laps on the way to the race win. Finally, breakout star Jeff Burton grabbed the runner-up spot ahead of veteran racer Terry Labonte in 17th. The 1997 season also saw the addition of the New Hampshire International Speedway (now New Hampshire Motor Speedway) to the playoffs, where Jarrett would knock out the four-time champ with a sixth-place finish while Earnhardt ended up eighth. Also falling out of championship contention would be Elliott, who finished 11th as Gordon brought another strong car to a race win. One more driver would also deliver the finishing blow with a top-15 result, this being Burton who took the 14th spot after leading a race-high 235 laps, as this was more than enough to do in Terry Labonte, who crashed out with less than 40 laps to go. Bobby Labonte would keep every series from being a sweep, however. On the final restart, Wallace was a handful of spots ahead of Labonte, but appeared to have it well in hand once the white flag flew. However, just past the start-finish line, Wallace moved down the track in front of Hut Stricklin, causing Wallace to spin off the bumper into the inside wall. Thanks to the almost unbelievable luck, Labonte scooted by for a 15th-place finish, while Wallace dragged his battered #2 car across the line in 21st, though he would have likely finished inside the top-10 had the incident not occurred. In the first-round finale at Dover, all eyes were initially focused on the battle between Labonte and Wallace. However, as the race went on, it became clear that the only thing that would take Labonte out of the semifinal round would be either a mistake or a mechanical failure from the #18 team, as Labonte stayed inside the top-five and Wallace was stuck on the outside looking in. Alas, no mistake was forthcoming as Labonte grabbed fourth, with Wallace coming several laps down in 16th. Semifinal (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (1) #24 Jeff Gordon (5) #99 Jeff Burton v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett In the semifinal opener at Martinsville, Labonte was out to prove that his stunning upset over Wallace was not just a fluke. However, this endeavor would not get off to a good start as he finished a rough afternoon multiple laps down in 27th, while Gordon continued his hot streak by taking the fourth spot. Meanwhile, Burton had a point of his own to prove, nabbing the race win after leading 92 laps, as Jarrett finished outside the top-10. However, the fortunes of each of the four drivers would flip at Charlotte, starting with Jarrett taking home the race win in dominating fashion after leading the final 58 laps. Despite Burton’s solid sixth-place run, his championship fate would lie in the hands of the sport’s largest track a week later. Following behind Jarrett was Labonte in the runner-up spot, keeping Gordon at bay, at least temporarily, in spite of the latter’s fifth-place finish. One of NASCAR’s most famous, and most controversial, tracks is undoubtedly Talladega Superspeedway, holding such a reputation ever since its first race on the schedule in 1969. However, 1997 would be the first year a Talladega race was moved to the fall and, consequently, into the playoffs. The “Big One” is bluntly defined as an enormous multi-car pileup often seen at superspeedways, and such a wreck would undo Gordon’s masterful playoff campaign. With just 41 laps to go, he was involved in a 23-car accident, while Labonte was well ahead of the carnage. While Burton was also a part of the accident, he only sustained minor damage and was able to continue, though Gordon was not so lucky as he was credited with a 35th-place finish. Most importantly in his case, Jarrett was also in the incident and lost a lap during repairs. As Labonte pushed his brother Terry to the race win, Burton made it to the line in 14th with Jarrett in 21st. It was now clear that two relative newcomers would be duking it out in the finals. Final (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (5) #99 Jeff Burton Rockingham would be the new start of the finals following the schedule realignment, which Labonte took advantage of by leading 93 laps on the day. Although he eventually fell back to 11th by the end of the race, this was still more than enough to best Burton, who dropped well out of contention after an accident near the two-thirds mark and finished a disappointing 38th. All Labonte needed at Phoenix was a solid run to cap off his unlikely championship run, as he was one of the favorites due to his strong fourth-place starting spot while Burton started near the back of the pack. However, this would not come so easily, as Burton clawed his way to a 13th-place finish while Labonte was not a significant threat once race day actually began, falling to 23rd by the checkered flag. The championship fight would be decided at the newly-reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, though the incredibly competitive and unpredictable postseason would end anticlimactically. Burton was nowhere to be found at the front as he struggled to find any pace at all, eventually finishing several laps down in 34th. Meanwhile, Labonte left no doubt that this chilly November day would see his first career Cup Series championship, winning the race as well with 168 laps led. Bobby Labonte’s stats for 1997 included one win, nine top-fives and 18 top-10s, finishing seventh in the real-life standings to champion Jeff Gordon. 1997 Cup Series standings in real life: https://scorum.com/en-us/nascar/@zmiller82/1997-nascar-cup-series-season-recap
1997 NASCAR Cup Series Head-to-Head Playoff Results
By Zane Miller First round (8) #94 Bill Elliott v. (1) #24 Jeff Gordon (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (2) #2 Rusty Wallace (6) #3 Dale Earnhardt v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett (5) #99 Jeff Burton v. (4) #5 Terry Labonte The first round got underway at Richmond, which would be no trouble for Jeff Gordon as he came in third, while Bill Elliott came in 30th despite starting on the pole and leading 43 laps early. Having a disastrous weekend at the Virginia track would be Bobby Labonte, who started at the rear of the field and only went downhill from there, finishing 34th. This allowed Rusty Wallace to take the early advantage in the series with a fifth-place finish. Also with a disappointing run was Dale Earnhardt, who finished in 15th after also starting towards the back, in stark contrast to Dale Jarrett, who led a sizable chunk of laps on the way to the race win. Finally, breakout star Jeff Burton grabbed the runner-up spot ahead of veteran racer Terry Labonte in 17th. The 1997 season also saw the addition of the New Hampshire International Speedway (now New Hampshire Motor Speedway) to the playoffs, where Jarrett would knock out the four-time champ with a sixth-place finish while Earnhardt ended up eighth. Also falling out of championship contention would be Elliott, who finished 11th as Gordon brought another strong car to a race win. One more driver would also deliver the finishing blow with a top-15 result, this being Burton who took the 14th spot after leading a race-high 235 laps, as this was more than enough to do in Terry Labonte, who crashed out with less than 40 laps to go. Bobby Labonte would keep every series from being a sweep, however. On the final restart, Wallace was a handful of spots ahead of Labonte, but appeared to have it well in hand once the white flag flew. However, just past the start-finish line, Wallace moved down the track in front of Hut Stricklin, causing Wallace to spin off the bumper into the inside wall. Thanks to the almost unbelievable luck, Labonte scooted by for a 15th-place finish, while Wallace dragged his battered #2 car across the line in 21st, though he would have likely finished inside the top-10 had the incident not occurred. In the first-round finale at Dover, all eyes were initially focused on the battle between Labonte and Wallace. However, as the race went on, it became clear that the only thing that would take Labonte out of the semifinal round would be either a mistake or a mechanical failure from the #18 team, as Labonte stayed inside the top-five and Wallace was stuck on the outside looking in. Alas, no mistake was forthcoming as Labonte grabbed fourth, with Wallace coming several laps down in 16th. Semifinal (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (1) #24 Jeff Gordon (5) #99 Jeff Burton v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett In the semifinal opener at Martinsville, Labonte was out to prove that his stunning upset over Wallace was not just a fluke. However, this endeavor would not get off to a good start as he finished a rough afternoon multiple laps down in 27th, while Gordon continued his hot streak by taking the fourth spot. Meanwhile, Burton had a point of his own to prove, nabbing the race win after leading 92 laps, as Jarrett finished outside the top-10. However, the fortunes of each of the four drivers would flip at Charlotte, starting with Jarrett taking home the race win in dominating fashion after leading the final 58 laps. Despite Burton’s solid sixth-place run, his championship fate would lie in the hands of the sport’s largest track a week later. Following behind Jarrett was Labonte in the runner-up spot, keeping Gordon at bay, at least temporarily, in spite of the latter’s fifth-place finish. One of NASCAR’s most famous, and most controversial, tracks is undoubtedly Talladega Superspeedway, holding such a reputation ever since its first race on the schedule in 1969. However, 1997 would be the first year a Talladega race was moved to the fall and, consequently, into the playoffs. The “Big One” is bluntly defined as an enormous multi-car pileup often seen at superspeedways, and such a wreck would undo Gordon’s masterful playoff campaign. With just 41 laps to go, he was involved in a 23-car accident, while Labonte was well ahead of the carnage. While Burton was also a part of the accident, he only sustained minor damage and was able to continue, though Gordon was not so lucky as he was credited with a 35th-place finish. Most importantly in his case, Jarrett was also in the incident and lost a lap during repairs. As Labonte pushed his brother Terry to the race win, Burton made it to the line in 14th with Jarrett in 21st. It was now clear that two relative newcomers would be duking it out in the finals. Final (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (5) #99 Jeff Burton Rockingham would be the new start of the finals following the schedule realignment, which Labonte took advantage of by leading 93 laps on the day. Although he eventually fell back to 11th by the end of the race, this was still more than enough to best Burton, who dropped well out of contention after an accident near the two-thirds mark and finished a disappointing 38th. All Labonte needed at Phoenix was a solid run to cap off his unlikely championship run, as he was one of the favorites due to his strong fourth-place starting spot while Burton started near the back of the pack. However, this would not come so easily, as Burton clawed his way to a 13th-place finish while Labonte was not a significant threat once race day actually began, falling to 23rd by the checkered flag. The championship fight would be decided at the newly-reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, though the incredibly competitive and unpredictable postseason would end anticlimactically. Burton was nowhere to be found at the front as he struggled to find any pace at all, eventually finishing several laps down in 34th. Meanwhile, Labonte left no doubt that this chilly November day would see his first career Cup Series championship, winning the race as well with 168 laps led. Bobby Labonte’s stats for 1997 included one win, nine top-fives and 18 top-10s, finishing seventh in the real-life standings to champion Jeff Gordon. 1997 Cup Series standings in real life: https://scorum.com/en-us/nascar/@zmiller82/1997-nascar-cup-series-season-recap
1997 NASCAR Cup Series Head-to-Head Playoff Results
By Zane Miller First round (8) #94 Bill Elliott v. (1) #24 Jeff Gordon (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (2) #2 Rusty Wallace (6) #3 Dale Earnhardt v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett (5) #99 Jeff Burton v. (4) #5 Terry Labonte The first round got underway at Richmond, which would be no trouble for Jeff Gordon as he came in third, while Bill Elliott came in 30th despite starting on the pole and leading 43 laps early. Having a disastrous weekend at the Virginia track would be Bobby Labonte, who started at the rear of the field and only went downhill from there, finishing 34th. This allowed Rusty Wallace to take the early advantage in the series with a fifth-place finish. Also with a disappointing run was Dale Earnhardt, who finished in 15th after also starting towards the back, in stark contrast to Dale Jarrett, who led a sizable chunk of laps on the way to the race win. Finally, breakout star Jeff Burton grabbed the runner-up spot ahead of veteran racer Terry Labonte in 17th. The 1997 season also saw the addition of the New Hampshire International Speedway (now New Hampshire Motor Speedway) to the playoffs, where Jarrett would knock out the four-time champ with a sixth-place finish while Earnhardt ended up eighth. Also falling out of championship contention would be Elliott, who finished 11th as Gordon brought another strong car to a race win. One more driver would also deliver the finishing blow with a top-15 result, this being Burton who took the 14th spot after leading a race-high 235 laps, as this was more than enough to do in Terry Labonte, who crashed out with less than 40 laps to go. Bobby Labonte would keep every series from being a sweep, however. On the final restart, Wallace was a handful of spots ahead of Labonte, but appeared to have it well in hand once the white flag flew. However, just past the start-finish line, Wallace moved down the track in front of Hut Stricklin, causing Wallace to spin off the bumper into the inside wall. Thanks to the almost unbelievable luck, Labonte scooted by for a 15th-place finish, while Wallace dragged his battered #2 car across the line in 21st, though he would have likely finished inside the top-10 had the incident not occurred. In the first-round finale at Dover, all eyes were initially focused on the battle between Labonte and Wallace. However, as the race went on, it became clear that the only thing that would take Labonte out of the semifinal round would be either a mistake or a mechanical failure from the #18 team, as Labonte stayed inside the top-five and Wallace was stuck on the outside looking in. Alas, no mistake was forthcoming as Labonte grabbed fourth, with Wallace coming several laps down in 16th. Semifinal (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (1) #24 Jeff Gordon (5) #99 Jeff Burton v. (3) #88 Dale Jarrett In the semifinal opener at Martinsville, Labonte was out to prove that his stunning upset over Wallace was not just a fluke. However, this endeavor would not get off to a good start as he finished a rough afternoon multiple laps down in 27th, while Gordon continued his hot streak by taking the fourth spot. Meanwhile, Burton had a point of his own to prove, nabbing the race win after leading 92 laps, as Jarrett finished outside the top-10. However, the fortunes of each of the four drivers would flip at Charlotte, starting with Jarrett taking home the race win in dominating fashion after leading the final 58 laps. Despite Burton’s solid sixth-place run, his championship fate would lie in the hands of the sport’s largest track a week later. Following behind Jarrett was Labonte in the runner-up spot, keeping Gordon at bay, at least temporarily, in spite of the latter’s fifth-place finish. One of NASCAR’s most famous, and most controversial, tracks is undoubtedly Talladega Superspeedway, holding such a reputation ever since its first race on the schedule in 1969. However, 1997 would be the first year a Talladega race was moved to the fall and, consequently, into the playoffs. The “Big One” is bluntly defined as an enormous multi-car pileup often seen at superspeedways, and such a wreck would undo Gordon’s masterful playoff campaign. With just 41 laps to go, he was involved in a 23-car accident, while Labonte was well ahead of the carnage. While Burton was also a part of the accident, he only sustained minor damage and was able to continue, though Gordon was not so lucky as he was credited with a 35th-place finish. Most importantly in his case, Jarrett was also in the incident and lost a lap during repairs. As Labonte pushed his brother Terry to the race win, Burton made it to the line in 14th with Jarrett in 21st. It was now clear that two relative newcomers would be duking it out in the finals. Final (7) #18 Bobby Labonte v. (5) #99 Jeff Burton Rockingham would be the new start of the finals following the schedule realignment, which Labonte took advantage of by leading 93 laps on the day. Although he eventually fell back to 11th by the end of the race, this was still more than enough to best Burton, who dropped well out of contention after an accident near the two-thirds mark and finished a disappointing 38th. All Labonte needed at Phoenix was a solid run to cap off his unlikely championship run, as he was one of the favorites due to his strong fourth-place starting spot while Burton started near the back of the pack. However, this would not come so easily, as Burton clawed his way to a 13th-place finish while Labonte was not a significant threat once race day actually began, falling to 23rd by the checkered flag. The championship fight would be decided at the newly-reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway, though the incredibly competitive and unpredictable postseason would end anticlimactically. Burton was nowhere to be found at the front as he struggled to find any pace at all, eventually finishing several laps down in 34th. Meanwhile, Labonte left no doubt that this chilly November day would see his first career Cup Series championship, winning the race as well with 168 laps led. Bobby Labonte’s stats for 1997 included one win, nine top-fives and 18 top-10s, finishing seventh in the real-life standings to champion Jeff Gordon. 1997 Cup Series standings in real life: https://scorum.com/en-us/nascar/@zmiller82/1997-nascar-cup-series-season-recap
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