I owned a 1996 GSR from new until 2007 (sniff) it was a great car....and once you own a Honda 4 cylinder, you're spoiled for life...the shifter, the silkiness of the engine, the beating it took and kept on asking...stock 8k RPM meant I visited it often (the 118lbs-ft helps motivate you). I replaced a radiator, the ignition components regularly, oil pan gasket, and the speakers which after 10 years were a bit buzzy. The leather seats and interior were perfect still. The red paint was a bit faded and dinged. I also replaced the suspension with a Koni Sport coilover kit with adjustable shocks (in 2006). It only had 107k miles and I sold it for $3500...which is a gift, but it went to a good home.
The biggest problem with these cars are the brakes. Driving a Mazdaspeed3 as a daily driver now...wow! What a difference...but I miss the 8k RPM redline, and the shifter...the 280lbs-ft helps make up for most of it though.
Back on topic...IIRC the Type R was much more of a race car for the street than the later models. I believe the 97 didn't come with A/C or a radio, and very little if any sound dampening, but I think the rest of the car is the same as the other models except for minor difference.
Type R vs. GSR
Moly coated pistons
Stiffer valve springs
steeper cams
body bracing
Torsen
+ of course the aforementioned blueprinting, porting, and polishing done by the factory.
I agree that the car will probably never see the standard IT gains and will be an underdog in ITR, and probably belongs in ITS as a "turnkey" racer. Keep in mind that to go from 170HP in the GSR to the 19x in the Type R they had to do all the above things & the redline went from 8k RPM to 9k RPM, AND it lost 1lbs-ft with the mods. Having said all that, there's no reason the 97 shouldn't be listed.
