1997 Phoenix 200
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| 4th round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League season | |
| Date | March 23, 1997 |
| Official name | Phoenix 200 |
| Location | Phoenix International Raceway |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 1.000 mi / 1.609 km |
| Distance | 200 laps 200.000 mi / 321.869 km |
| Weather | Dry with temperatures reaching up to 89.6 °F (32.0 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 15.9 miles per hour (25.6 km/h) |
| Pole position | |
| Driver | Tony Stewart (Team Menard) |
| Time | 21.175 |
| Fastest lap | |
| Driver | Tony Stewart (Team Menard) |
| Time | 22.135 (on lap 11 of 200) |
| Podium | |
| First | Jim Guthrie (Blueprint Racing) |
| Second | Tony Stewart (Team Menard) |
| Third | Davey Hamilton (A. J. Foyt Enterprises) |
The 1997 Phoenix 200 was the fourth round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League. The race was held on March 23, 1997, at the 1.000 mi (1.609 km) Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, and was won by the unheralded 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.