Race No. 17
The California 500
Presented by Toyota
The California Speedway — Fontana, California
September 26-28, 1997
Friday Practice Combined
| pos | car | driver | laptime | mph | km/h | % best time |
| 1 | 17 | Mauricio Gugelmin | 30.416 | 240.150 | 386.401 | 100.00% |
| 2 | 1 | Jimmy Vasser | 30.439 | 239.968 | 386.109 | 100.08% |
| 3 | 4X | Alex Zanardi | 30.552 | 239.081 | 384.681 | 100.45% |
| 4 | 20 | Scott Pruett | 30.567 | 238.964 | 384.492 | 100.50% |
| 5 | 9 | Robbie Gordon | 30.700 | 237.928 | 382.827 | 100.93% |
| 6 | 18 | Mark Blundell | 30.716 | 237.804 | 382.627 | 100.99% |
| 7 | 4 | Alex Zanardi | 30.747 | 237.565 | 382.242 | 101.09% |
| 8 | 99 | Greg Moore | 30.789 | 237.241 | 381.720 | 101.23% |
| 9 | 8 | Bryan Herta | 30.848 | 236.787 | 380.990 | 101.42% |
| 10 | 40X | Raul Boesel | 30.860 | 236.695 | 380.842 | 101.46% |
| 11 | 6 | Michael Andretti | 30.896 | 236.419 | 380.398 | 101.58% |
| 12 | 27 | Parker Johnstone | 30.898 | 236.404 | 380.373 | 101.58% |
| 13 | 5 | Gil de Ferran | 30.964 | 235.900 | 379.563 | 101.80% |
| 14 | 7X | Bobby Rahal | 31.018 | 235.489 | 378.902 | 101.98% |
| 15 | 7 | Bobby Rahal | 31.126 | 234.672 | 377.587 | 102.33% |
| 16 | 11 | Christian Fittipaldi | 31.139 | 234.574 | 377.430 | 102.38% |
| 17 | 2 | Al Unser Jr. | 31.319 | 233.226 | 375.260 | 102.97% |
| 18 | 19 | Michel Jourdain Jr. | 31.340 | 233.070 | 375.009 | 103.04% |
| 19 | 8X | Bryan Herta | 31.401 | 232.617 | 374.280 | 103.24% |
| 20 | 32 | Adrian Fernandez | 31.482 | 232.018 | 373.317 | 103.50% |
| 21 | 31 | Andre Ribeiro | 31.545 | 231.555 | 372.572 | 103.71% |
| 22 | 16 | Patrick Carpentier | 31.639 | 230.867 | 371.465 | 104.02% |
| 23 | 3 | Paul Tracy | 31.694 | 230.466 | 370.820 | 104.20% |
| 24 | 40 | Raul Boesel | 31.782 | 229.828 | 369.794 | 104.49% |
| 25 | 36X | Juan Manuel Fangio II | 31.815 | 229.590 | 369.410 | 104.60% |
| 26 | 34 | Dennis Vitolo | 31.836 | 229.438 | 369.166 | 104.67% |
| 27 | 98 | PJ Jones | 31.901 | 228.971 | 368.414 | 104.88% |
| 28 | 21 | Richie Hearn | 32.038 | 227.992 | 366.839 | 105.33% |
| 29 | 25 | Max Papis | 32.206 | 226.802 | 364.925 | 105.89% |
| 30 | 9X | Robbie Gordon | 32.286 | 226.240 | 364.021 | 106.15% |
| 31 | 25X | Max Papis | 32.361 | 225.716 | 363.177 | 106.39% |
| 32 | 31X | Andre Ribeiro | 32.437 | 225.187 | 362.326 | 106.64% |
| 33 | 36 | Juan Manuel Fangio II | 32.526 | 224.571 | 361.335 | 106.94% |
| 34 | 20X | Scott Pruett | 32.599 | 224.068 | 360.526 | 107.18% |
| 35 | 3X | Paul Tracy | 32.901 | 222.011 | 357.216 | 108.17% |
| 36 | 64 | Arnd Meier | 33.224 | 219.853 | 353.744 | 109.23% |
| 37 | 5X | Gil de Ferran | 33.419 | 218.570 | 351.680 | 109.87% |
| 38 | 24 | Hiro Matsushita | 33.663 | 216.986 | 349.130 | 110.68% |
| 39 | 2X | Al Unser Jr. | 34.768 | 210.090 | 338.034 | 114.31% |
| 40 | 1X | Jimmy Vasser | 35.434 | 206.141 | 331.681 | 116.50% |
| 41 | 99X | Greg Moore | 40.409 | 180.762 | 290.846 | 132.85% |