Race No. 3
Long Beach Grand Prix
Long Beach — California
April 11 — April 13, 1997
Saturday Qualifying Report
| pos | car | driver | laptime | mph | km/h | % best time |
| 1 | 4 | Alex Zanardi | 51.665 | 110.791 | 178.262 | 100.00% |
| 2 | 8 | Bryan Herta | 52.016 | 110.043 | 177.059 | 100.68% |
| 3 | 3 | Paul Tracy | 52.067 | 109.935 | 176.886 | 100.78% |
| 4 | 99 | Greg Moore | 52.094 | 109.878 | 176.794 | 100.83% |
| 5 | 1 | Jimmy Vasser | 52.171 | 109.716 | 176.533 | 100.98% |
| 6 | 6 | Michael Andretti | 52.186 | 109.685 | 176.483 | 101.01% |
| 7 | 20 | Scott Pruett | 52.193 | 109.670 | 176.459 | 101.02% |
| 8 | 40 | Raul Boesel | 52.246 | 109.559 | 176.280 | 101.12% |
| 9 | 7 | Bobby Rahal | 52.392 | 109.253 | 175.789 | 101.41% |
| 10 | 27 | Parker Johnstone | 52.455 | 109.122 | 175.577 | 101.53% |
| 11 | 11 | Roberto Moreno | 52.487 | 109.056 | 175.470 | 101.59% |
| 12 | 18 | Mark Blundell | 52.609 | 108.803 | 175.064 | 101.83% |
| 13 | 2 | Al Unser Jr. | 52.653 | 108.712 | 174.917 | 101.91% |
| 14 | 21X | Richie Hearn | 52.654 | 108.710 | 174.914 | 101.91% |
| 15 | 9 | Dario Franchitti | 52.825 | 108.358 | 174.348 | 102.25% |
| 16 | 31 | Andre Ribeiro | 52.980 | 108.041 | 173.838 | 102.55% |
| 17 | 32 | Adrian Fernandez | 53.210 | 107.574 | 173.086 | 102.99% |
| 18 | 16 | Patrick Carpentier | 53.213 | 107.568 | 173.076 | 103.00% |
| 19 | 19 | Michel Jourdain Jr. | 53.281 | 107.430 | 172.856 | 103.13% |
| 20 | 36 | Juan Manuel Fangio II | 53.458 | 107.075 | 172.283 | 103.47% |
| 21 | 34 | Paul Jasper | 53.478 | 107.035 | 172.219 | 103.51% |
| 22 | 98 | PJ Jones | 53.950 | 106.098 | 170.712 | 104.42% |
| 23 | 25 | Max Papis | 54.336 | 105.345 | 169.499 | 105.17% |
| 24 | 24X | Hiro Matsushita | 56.167 | 101.910 | 163.974 | 108.71% |
| 25 | 64 | Dennis Vitolo | 58.307 | 98.170 | 157.956 | 112.86% |