As the remaining laps ticked down in the 1997 Brickyard 400, the level of skepticism and incredulity climbed.
There’s no way Ricky Rudd could do it. There’s no way he could go more than a quarter of the 160-lap distance without running out of gas, was there?
There was. He did it.
Veteran Rudd scored one of the most popular victories in the 24-year history of the annual NASCAR Cup Series race at IMS on Aug. 2, 1997 when he seemingly did the impossible by stretching his last fuel run to a mind-boggling 46 laps.
He became the first – and only – driver-owner to win this marquee event, his No. 10 Rudd Performance Motorsports Ford crossing the Yard of Bricks .183 of a second in front of Bobby Labonte. It’s still the closest finish in the history of this race.
Rudd’s unlikely journey to Victory Lane started to unfold quietly in the second half of the race. He led Lap 114 and then made his final pit stop.
Defending race champion Dale Jarrett, 1994 winner Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin held the top three spots with 20 laps to go. By that point, Jarrett and Gordon each had led 25 laps, and it appeared they were the drivers to beat.
But crew chiefs for Jarrett, Gordon and Martin each computed that their respective drivers needed to make one final stop for a splash of fuel to make it to the finish of the 400-mile race. The crew chiefs for Rudd and Jeff Burton decided to gamble, hoping a combination of a soft throttle foot and a few late cautions could help their drivers stretch their gas tanks to the finish without another stop.
Burton’s strategy changed on Lap 145 when Robby Gordon brushed the wall and Burton ran over debris. Burton was forced to the pits under green, but the caution flag flew on Lap 147 for debris just as Burton finished his stop and rushed back to the track ahead of the leaders.
It appeared Burton would cruise to victory with four fresh tires and plenty of fuel after the rest of the lead cars on track would pit under that caution period for their final stop. But Burton’s victory train was derailed when NASCAR officials penalized him for speeding while exiting pit lane, dropping him to 15th.
That penalty thrust Rudd – who didn’t stop for service during that caution – into the lead on Lap 147.
But there still was one big question looming over the massive track as fans rose to their feet for the restart on Lap 151 – could Rudd make it to the finish without running out of gas?
Rudd’s cause was helped on Lap 155 when Rich Bickle crashed in Turn 3, the last of six caution periods during the race. The cleanup under yellow took just three laps, but it may have been the gift Rudd needed.
The capacity crowd stood and roared for the final restart on Lap 158. Labonte hounded Rudd for the entire final three laps, tucking his Pontiac behind Rudd’s Ford exiting Turn 4 on the final lap to try to pick up enough of a draft to sling-shot past Rudd for victory.
But Labonte never got close enough, and Rudd’s engine never got thirsty enough to sputter. Rudd stuck his left hand out the window in celebration halfway down the front straightaway after exiting Turn 4 for the last time.
Rudd’s Ford eventually ran out of gas – as he was on his cooldown lap heading to Victory Lane to celebrate the sweetest, most prestigious victory of his illustrious career.
“We rolled the dice,” Rudd said in Victory Lane. “We were either going to win it or finish last.”
