Race No. 17
The California 500
Presented by Toyota
The California Speedway — Fontana, California
September 26-28, 1997
Second Individual Friday Practice Report
| pos | car | driver | laptime | mph | km/h | % best time |
| 1 | 1 | Jimmy Vasser | 30.439 | 239.968 | 386.109 | 100.00% |
| 2 | 4X | Alex Zanardi | 30.552 | 239.081 | 384.681 | 100.37% |
| 3 | 20 | Scott Pruett | 30.567 | 238.964 | 384.492 | 100.42% |
| 4 | 9 | Robbie Gordon | 30.700 | 237.928 | 382.827 | 100.86% |
| 5 | 18 | Mark Blundell | 30.716 | 237.804 | 382.627 | 100.91% |
| 6 | 17 | Mauricio Gugelmin | 30.770 | 237.387 | 381.956 | 101.09% |
| 7 | 99 | Greg Moore | 30.789 | 237.241 | 381.720 | 101.15% |
| 8 | 8 | Bryan Herta | 30.848 | 236.787 | 380.990 | 101.34% |
| 9 | 40X | Raul Boesel | 30.860 | 236.695 | 380.842 | 101.38% |
| 10 | 6 | Michael Andretti | 30.896 | 236.419 | 380.398 | 101.50% |
| 11 | 5 | Gil de Ferran | 30.964 | 235.900 | 379.563 | 101.72% |
| 12 | 27 | Parker Johnstone | 31.070 | 235.095 | 378.268 | 102.07% |
| 13 | 7 | Bobby Rahal | 31.126 | 234.672 | 377.587 | 102.26% |
| 14 | 11 | Christian Fittipaldi | 31.139 | 234.574 | 377.430 | 102.30% |
| 15 | 2 | Al Unser Jr. | 31.319 | 233.226 | 375.260 | 102.89% |
| 16 | 19 | Michel Jourdain Jr. | 31.340 | 233.070 | 375.009 | 102.96% |
| 17 | 32 | Adrian Fernandez | 31.482 | 232.018 | 373.317 | 103.43% |
| 18 | 31 | Andre Ribeiro | 31.545 | 231.555 | 372.572 | 103.63% |
| 19 | 3 | Paul Tracy | 31.694 | 230.466 | 370.820 | 104.12% |
| 20 | 36X | Juan Manuel Fangio II | 31.815 | 229.590 | 369.410 | 104.52% |
| 21 | 34 | Dennis Vitolo | 31.836 | 229.438 | 369.166 | 104.59% |
| 22 | 98 | PJ Jones | 31.901 | 228.971 | 368.414 | 104.80% |
| 23 | 25X | Max Papis | 32.361 | 225.716 | 363.177 | 106.31% |
| 24 | 3X | Paul Tracy | 32.901 | 222.011 | 357.216 | 108.09% |
| 25 | 20X | Scott Pruett | 33.578 | 217.535 | 350.014 | 110.31% |
| 26 | 24 | Hiro Matsushita | 33.663 | 216.986 | 349.130 | 110.59% |
| 27 | 25 | Max Papis | 33.686 | 216.838 | 348.892 | 110.67% |