1997 Winchester 400
Encyclopedia
Winchester 400
The Winchester 400 is a 400-lap short-track stock car race held each fall at the Winchester Speedway, approximately east of Indianapolis, Indiana. Held annually since 1970, the race has served as a launching point for the careers of several young drivers including former winners Rusty Wallace and...
motor race (run yearly since 1970) was held under All-Pro Series sanction on September 28, 1997, at the Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway is a half-mile paved oval motor racetrack in White River Township, Randolph County, just outside Winchester, Indiana, approximately northeast of Indianapolis. It seats 4000 spectators. It is also known as the "World's Fastest 1/2 mile"....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(USA).
Making only his second appearance at the famed Winchester Speedway, Hank Parker, Jr. led the final 54 laps to capture the 28th annual Winchester 400. Parker, Jr. of Denver, North Carolina
Denver, North Carolina
Denver, formerly known as "Dry Pond," is an unincorporated community located in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is situated on North Carolina State Highway 16 on the west side of Lake Norman on the Catawba River...
, passed Wayne Anderson
Wayne Anderson
Wayne Anderson is an American late model race car driver. Anderson was born in Wildwood, Florida, and graduated high school in 1986. He has two championships in the NASCAR Pro-Series, which were in 1999 and 2001. Anderson also participated in the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series,...
on the 348th circuit and bagged $13,975 for the victory.
Setting the pace in qualifying with a lap of 15.802 seconds (113.910 MPH), Nipper Alsup jumped into the green at the start with Parker, Jr., Derrick Gilchrist, Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon is an American race car driver. Currently, he drives the #74 Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In the past, he drove in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, finishing 8th in points in 1997...
, and defending "400" Champion Scot Walters
Scot Walters
Scot Walters is an American stock car racer from Cornelius, North Carolina. He competed in NASCAR from 1997 to 1999 in the Camping World Truck Series, as well as one Nationwide Series race in 1998.-NASCAR career:...
all giving chase. On lap 17, trouble at the back of the field became a problem for the race leader. Ken Alexander
Ken Alexander
Ken Alexander is a former NASCAR driver from Anderson, South Carolina, USA.He made eight starts in the Busch Series in 2001 and four starts in 2002. In 2001, he drove seven races for Jay Robinson and one for Tony Hall. Ken Alexander made all his 2002 starts for Hubert Hensley.-References:...
and Tony Ridner made contact and spun directly in front of the leaders. Forced to stop on the racetrack to avoid contact, Alsup was relegated to 20th position in the field. That handed the lead to Gilchrist for 16 laps until Parker, Jr. went out from for the first time on lap 34. Parker, Jr. would remain in front until stopping for tires on lap 114 which handed the lead over to Anderson, who held it until he stopped on lap 179 and the lead cycled back to Parker, Jr. Trying to work his way back to the front, Alsup’s day would end when he hit the fourth turn wall on lap 69.
The seventh caution period waved when Steven Christian hammered the third turn wall. Under the yellow, all the lead lap cars dove onto pit road for service. Anderson’s crew won the race off pit road and he paced the field as it went back to green on lap 298. Just as things looked to be going in his favor, Anderson suddenly slowed on lap 347 as he ran out of fuel. His misfortune handed the lead back to Parker, Jr. who held off a hard-charging Jeff Fultz by 0.77 seconds. Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon is an American race car driver. Currently, he drives the #74 Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In the past, he drove in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, finishing 8th in points in 1997...
finished third with Ron Young and rookie Carl Long
Carl Long
James Carlyle Long is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup race car driver and mechanic who is currently returning from suspension after a violation on his car during the 2009 Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Prior to his suspension, he was a crew member on the #34 Front Row Motorsports Cup team...
rounding out the top-five finishers.
Table of results
| Results of the 28th Annual Roger Holdeman Memorial Winchester 400 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Start | Car # | Driver/Hometown | Sponsor/Make | Laps | Winnings (in US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
Status | |
| 1 | 4 | 86 | Hank Parker, Jr. / Denver, NC | Delco Voyager Batteries/Duragloss/NGK / Chevrolet | 400 | $13,975 | running | |
| 2 | 7 | 30 | Jeff Fultz / Milford, OH | Jani-King/McDonald’s / Chevrolet | 400 | $8,575 | running | |
| 3 | 6 | 24 | Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Mike Harmon is an American race car driver. Currently, he drives the #74 Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In the past, he drove in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, finishing 8th in points in 1997... / Bimington, AL |
Lonesome Pine Timber Company / Chevrolet | 400 | $3,400 | running | |
| 4 | 11 | 4 | Ron Young / Conyers, GA | Wegner Automotive Research / Chevrolet | 400 | $4,800 | running | |
| 5 | 14 | 15 | Carl Long Carl Long James Carlyle Long is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup race car driver and mechanic who is currently returning from suspension after a violation on his car during the 2009 Sprint All-Star Race weekend. Prior to his suspension, he was a crew member on the #34 Front Row Motorsports Cup team... / Roxboro, NC |
Austin Cracker Sandwiches / Chevrolet | 399 | $4,625 | running | |
| 6 | 8 | 16 | Hal Goodson / Darlington, SC | Greased Lightning Cleaner Degreaser / Chevrolet | 398 | $3,900 | running | |
| 7 | 18 | 1 | Brian Rievley / Alexandria, IN | Hendricks County Auto Parts / Chevrolet | 394 | $2,500 | running | |
| 8 | 19 | 38 | Jeep Pflum / Charlotte, NC | Ultra Tech Racing Engines / Chevrolet | 382 | $2,225 | running | |
| 9 | 17 | 88 | Scott Sutherland / Jefferson, GA | Nortel/Northern Telecom / Chevrolet | 381 | $2,350 | running | |
| 10 | 1 | 27 | Derrick Gilchrist / Raleigh, NC | Fairfield Inns/Tarheel Wood Treating/BB&T / Chevrolet | 374 | $2,375 | running | |
| 11 | 12 | 0 | Steven Christian / Buford, GA | BellSouth / Chevrolet | 360 | $2,450 | running | |
| 12 | 15 | 25 | Wayne Anderson Wayne Anderson Wayne Anderson is an American late model race car driver. Anderson was born in Wildwood, Florida, and graduated high school in 1986. He has two championships in the NASCAR Pro-Series, which were in 1999 and 2001. Anderson also participated in the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series,... / Wildwood Springs, FL |
Porter Cable Professional Power Tools / Chevrolet | 352 | $1,850 | accident | |
| 13 | 29 | 6 | Billy Deckman / Kansas City, MO | Owens Corning / Ford | 351 | $1,950 | running | |
| 14 | 28 | 27 | Keith White / Higginsville, MO | Bayer Agricultural/Performance Corner / Chevrolet | 346 | $1,700 | running | |
| 15 | 23 | 33 | Conrad Burr Conrad Burr Conrad Burr is a former NASCAR driver. He competed a limited schedule in the Craftsman Truck Series from 2000-2003.... / Concord, NC |
Burr Construction / Chevrolet | 346 | $1,650 | accident | |
| 16 | 10 | 14 | Larry Raines / Cumming, GA | Jani-King/Schaeffer Lubricants / Chevrolet | 339 | $1,700 | accident | |
| 17 | 30 | 17 | George Ingole / Lakeland, FL | Freezer Radiator Cooling Agent / Chevrolet | 330 | $1,050 | running | |
| 18 | 5 | 37 | Scot Walters Scot Walters Scot Walters is an American stock car racer from Cornelius, North Carolina. He competed in NASCAR from 1997 to 1999 in the Camping World Truck Series, as well as one Nationwide Series race in 1998.-NASCAR career:... / Owensboro, KY |
Timber Wolf/Brewco Collision/Penske Shocks / Chevrolet | 318 | $1,000 | accident | |
| 19 | 26 | 48 | Brett Oakley / Middletown, OH | Mar-Flex Waterproofing Systems / Chevrolet | 215 | $975 | engine | |
| 20 | 13 | 98 | Sean Studer / Concord, NC | Old El Paso Mexican Foods/Rogers American / Chevrolet | 174 | $1,450 | accident | |
| 21 | 31 | 67 | Vern Slagh / Zeeland, MI | First Bank of America / Chevrolet | 171 | $925 | accident | |
| 22 | 24 | 00 | David Reutimann David Reutimann Emil David Reutimann is the driver the #00 Aaron's Dream Machine/Tums/Best Western Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series... / Zephyrhills, FL |
Sunstate Recycling / Chevrolet | 162 | $1,600 | overheating | |
| 23 | 9 | 7 | Ray Skillman / Indianapolis, IN | Dupont Automotive Finishes/Kendall Oil / Chevrolet | 153 | $875 | suspension | |
| 24 | 17 | 38 | Jerry Russell / Troy, OH | King Motorsports / Chevrolet | 144 | $850 | overheating | |
| 25 | 3 | 42 | Brian Ross / Plymouth, IN | Ross Racing & Fabrication / Chevrolet | 111 | $825 | accident | |
| 26 | 1 | 74 | Nipper Alsup / Huntersville, NC | Lift Services/Wire Rope Specialists / Chevrolet | 69 | $1,650 | accident | |
| 27 | 22 | 10 | Tony Ridner / Brownsburg, IN | Hendricks County Auto Parts / Chevrolet | 33 | $750 | engine | |
| 28 | 21 | 9 | Bobby Blount / Walkerton, IN | Eagle Creek Aviation / Chevrolet | 25 | $750 | steering | |
| 29 | 18 | 19 | Steven Howard / Greer, SC | Bobby Wood Chev./A & R Auto Parts / Chevrolet | 25 | $1,250 | accident | |
| 30 | 20 | 03 | Ken Alexander Ken Alexander Ken Alexander is a former NASCAR driver from Anderson, South Carolina, USA.He made eight starts in the Busch Series in 2001 and four starts in 2002. In 2001, he drove seven races for Jay Robinson and one for Tony Hall. Ken Alexander made all his 2002 starts for Hubert Hensley.-References:... / Anderson, SC |
Greased Lightning Cleaner/True Value / Chevrolet | 13 | $1,250 | accident | |
| 31 | 25 | 79 | Spanks Overbeek / Cincinnati, OH | Courtesy Chev./Aramark Uniforms / Chevrolet | 13 | $1,250 | accident | |
| DNS | 34 | Ken Weaver / Mishawaka, IN | practice crash | |||||
Race statistics
- Average Speed: 74.44 mi/h
- Margin of Victory: 0.77 seconds
- Time of Race: Two hours, 41 minutes and 12 seconds
- Lead Changes: 7 among 5 drivers
- Lap Leaders: Nipper Alsup 1-14; Derrick Gilchrist 15-33; Hank Parker Jr. 34-114; Wayne Anderson 115-179; Mike Harmon 180; Parker Jr. 181-293; Anderson 294-346; Parker Jr. 347-400.
- Cautions: 11 for 80 laps
- Entries: 32 bQualifiers: 31