I Upper Deck got it right with the 1997 SP set. Not only was the set visually appealing it was just plain fun to collect. Taking their inspiration from the Topps Finest sets of 1996 SP introduced NASCAR to the 3 tier system of cards. Instead of the common, uncommon and rare of the Topps sets with SP it was 1,2 or 3 Flags. Each added flag added difficulty and a big jump in price (see pricing comments) to the set collector I remember a lot of trading at the card store for those tough 3 flag cards.
I gave this set a 9 rating. I would have gone to the 10 but for the inserts.The Film cards were a nice touch but the inserts literally stopped there. There is a 4 card autographed insert set but this is basically SPx cards which never thrilled me anyway.
The Parallel Super Series on the other hand is a flat out bear to collect. I have never seen a complete Super Series offered for sale and if anyone ever did offer one it would go for high 3 or low 4 figures. The Earnhardt and Gordon cards alone book for a few hundred dollars. With common cards going in the range of $3-$6 by themselves the best piece of advice I could give is to lot buy whenever possible. Just be prepared to pay through the nose for the key 3 flag cards.
Overall it is my opinion that the 97 SP set was the best that Upper deck produced in the 1995-2000 era. Good luck and have fun collecting it!