IndySpeedway.com
1996 - 1997 Indy Racing League



Jacques Villeneuve won the 1995 Indy 500 and CART championship!



1996 Indy Racing League Schedule

When the IRL was began, they thought it was a good idea if the Indy 500 was the last race of the season - a great grand finale so to speak. They could not change the date of the Indy 500 which is in May, so they thought they would change the traditional racing season (spring to fall) so that it ended in May. This resulted in the inaugural season of the IRL, which got started in 1996, of being just 3 races.

January
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
27 1pm Disney World Speedway 1-mile oval ABC Indy 200 Buzz Calkins
March
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
24 4pm Phoenix 1-mile oval ABC Dura Lube 200 Arie Luyendyk
May
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
30 Noon Indianapolis IN 2.5 mile ABC Indy 500 Buddy Lazier


This first 3-race season yielded Co-champions: Buzz Calkins and Scott Sharp

1997 Indy Racing League Schedule

The second season for the IRL began in 1996 and ended in 1997.

August 1996
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
18 1 pm New Hampshire 1 mile ABC TrueValue 200 Scott Sharp
September 1996
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
15 Noon Las Vegas 1.5 mile ABC Las Vegas 500k Richie Hearn
January 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
25 12:30p Disney World 1-mile oval ABC Indy 200 Eddie Cheever Jr
March 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
23 3pm Phoenix 1-mile oval ABC Phoenix 200 Jim Guthrie
May 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
27 Noon Indianapolis IN 2.5 mile ABC Indy 500 Arie Luyendyk
June 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
7 7:30pm Fort Worth Tx 1.5 mile ABC TruValue 500 Arie Luyendyk
29 1pm Pikes Peak 1 mile ABC Samsonite 200 Tony Stewart
July 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
26 7pm Charlotte 1.5 mile ABC Visionaire 500 Buddy Lazier
August 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
17 1 pm New Hampshire 1 mile ABC Pennsoil 200 Robbie Buhl
October 1997
Date Time EST City Track Size TV Channel Race Name Winner
11 8pm Las Vegas 1.5 mile ABC Las Vegas 500k Eliseo Salazar


Tony Stewart won the 97 IRL Championship