|| *Comments on the 1997 Cummins 200:* View the most recent comment <#15> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. J. Kircher posted: 04.19.2006 - 4:09 am Rate this comment: (2) (0) You gotta feel for Jimmy Hensley in this race. Hensley lead the entire 200-lap ADVERTISED distance when a caution comes out and a green-white-checker restart occurs. Just his luck Ron Hornaday, arguably the best when it comes to restarts, lives up to his reputation and makes the pass on Hensley leading only the final two laps. 2. Rusty posted: 08.15.2006 - 6:09 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Mike McLaughlin's only Truck Series top 5. 3. Thomas posted: 02.07.2007 - 7:54 am Rate this comment: (0) (3) What a ripoff! Horny wins the damn race on one of many cheap shot restarts. This was the first time there was ever a lead change at IRP in the CTS. Mike Skinner led the first 2 races flag-to-flag. 4. Mike posted: 04.13.2007 - 9:47 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Plus, the win gave Hornaday a tie with Skinner for the all-time truck series lead. 5. Anonymous posted: 08.15.2007 - 10:45 pm Rate this comment: (3) (0) Hensley had a flat tire. There was no "cheap shot". 6. 18fan posted: 09.21.2009 - 11:50 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) If that caution didn't come out, there would have been three races at IRP, and there would have been zero lead changes. 7. BiffreyIndiana posted: 02.08.2011 - 11:50 pm Rate this comment: (2) (1) There was no cheap shot, not just because of the flat tire, but for this reason, and this always drives me crazy when people complain about a driver getting the shaft: 34 drivers started this race, 34 of which presumable attended a driver's meeting prior to said race, 34 of which have access to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rulebook... which means all 34 were or SHOULD have been aware that in 1997, all Craftsman Truck Series events must end under green. Everyone is on a level playing field, and should exercise what George W. Bush would call "Strategery" as far as fuel and tires are concerned. Just saying. Just like when Regan Smith "won" Talladega. 42 other drivers knew not to pass below the line. He didn't? That's sports. Whether the rule makes sense or not, all drivers have the same rules. Just my humble opinion. 8. 44andJoe posted: 12.15.2012 - 2:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #71 sponsor: Cristel/Mobil 1/Copec Chevrolet (Kevin Doran) #77 sponsor: Cristel/Mobil 1/Copec Chevrolet (Kevin Doran) 9. 83andJoe posted: 07.06.2013 - 3:19 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) #37 crew chief: Scot Walters 10. RaceFanX posted: 07.03.2017 - 4:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jack Sprague's runner-up performance here allowed him to take the Truck series points lead from 10th-place finisher Rich Bickle. Sprague would lead the title hunt from here on out on the way to his first Truck series title. 11. RaceFanX posted: 04.07.2018 - 10:20 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) This was the second major race at IRP on the undercard of the Brickyard 400 weekend as the USAC Silver Crown series raced the night before. Kenny Irwin, Jr. crossed over from the Truck series to run that race and impressively won it despite starting last. Mike Bliss also got back to his USAC roots in that race, finishing second. Tony Stewart led much of that race only to crash into the spinning lapped car of Jay Drake, who flipped, and end up out of the race. Irwin had a mixed week at IRP as his Silver Crown win would be balanced out by a disappointing DNQ when he attempted the NASCAR Busch series race. Still he did have a solid run here as he claimed a top-10 finish in his lone Truck series outing on the oval at IRP. 12. Jimnsimforever posted: 03.05.2020 - 12:40 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #93 truck: Nathan Buttke qualified the truck for Mike Skinner 13. SweetRich posted: 03.05.2020 - 11:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commentators for the race were Dave Despain and Benny Parsons with Marty Reid on pit road. 14. rm posted: 08.25.2020 - 7:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Tammy Jo Kirk broke the concrete wall when she was turned into the outer barrier on the backstretch on lap 54. A red flag for wall repair & inspection ensued, but luckily the wall was in worse shape than Kirk was though her evening was done early. 15. rm posted: 08.25.2020 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Couple other things: -Mike Skinner's DNF reason - "oil leak" -There was another red flag on lap 162 shortly after Jay Sauter crashed in turn 2, as the lights - already dim enough at IRP - went out on in that corner. -During one of the red flags, they showed highlights of the USAC race the night before in which Tony Stewart (spelled "Stewert" on the ESPN2 graphic) dominated before crashing hard into Jay Drake late - opening the door for Kenny Irwin Jr. to rally to the win after starting shotgun on the 30-car field. Irwin couldn't quite go back to back, but the eventual '97 ROTY did turn in one of his best Truck races of the year by finishing 7th. -Jimmy Hensley barely nipped Joe Ruttman for third coming to the line. Had the lapped truck of Tony Raines not exited the pits right in front of the battle for second on the final lap, Hensley would have likely slipped even further down the order on the final lap. -It took the Trucks 550 laps before they got a lead change at IRP...so naturally the 1998 running of the race set the series record for lead changes at the track with 11. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: