Date August 10, 1997 (1997-08-10) Location Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen Course Permanent racing facility
2.45 mi (3.942 km) Distance 90 laps, 220.5 mi (354.86 km) Weather Temperatures reaching up to 91.4 °F (33.0 °C); wind speeds up to 16.1 miles per hour (25.9 km/h) Average speed 91.294 mph (146.923 km/h) | ||
The 1997 The Bud At The Glen, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on August 10, 1997, at Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York. Contested over 90 laps on the 2.45-mile (3.942 km) road course, it was the 20th race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race. This is his 1st career victory on a road course, beginning a streak of 6 consecutive road course wins that lasted until 2000.
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Background
Watkins Glen International, nicknamed "The Glen", is an automobile race track located in Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The sports car racing facility is owned by the International Speedway Corporation. It was long known around the world as the home of the United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for 20 consecutive years (1961–1980) but since 1948, it has been home to road racing of nearly every class, such as Formula One, the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association and the Verizon IndyCar Series. Initially, public roads in the village were used for the race course. In 1956, a permanent circuit for the race was built. In 1968, the race was extended to six hours, earning the nickname "6 Hours of Watkins Glen". The circuit's current layout has more/less been the same since 1971, although a chicane was installed at the uphill esses in 1975 to slow cars through these corners, where there was a fatality during practice at the 1973 United States Grand Prix. The chicane was removed in 1985, but another chicane called the "Inner Loop" was installed in 1992 after a fatal accident during the previous year's NASCAR Winston Cup event. The circuit is known as the Mecca of North American road racing and is a very popular venue among fans and drivers.