1997 CMT 300

{{Short description|25th race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series}}

{{Infobox NASCAR race report|Type=NASWINSTON|Scheduled_laps=300|Network=TNN|Announcers=Eli Gold, Dick Berggren, Buddy Baker|Avg={{convert|100.364|mph|km/h}}|First_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Most_Team=Hendrick Motorsports|Pole_Team=Andy Petree Racing|Pole_Driver=Ken Schrader|First_Driver=Jeff Gordon|Most_Driver=Jeff Gordon|Most_laps=137|Car=24|Course_km=1.703|Distance_laps=300|Location=Loudon, New Hampshire, New Hampshire International Speedway|Official_name=Inaugural CMT 300|Season_No=32|Race_No=25|Date=September 14|Course_mi=1.058|Scheduled_mi=317.4|Distance_km=510.805|Scheduled_km=510.805|Race_Name=CMT 300|Pole_Time=29.484|Year=1997|Distance_mi=317.4|Radio=Motor Racing Network|Image=1997_CMT_300_program_cover.png|Caption=The 1997 CMT 300 program cover.}}

The 1997 CMT 300 was the 25th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the inaugural iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 14, 1997, in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Speedway, a {{convert|1.058|mi|km|adj=on}} permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. At race's end, a fuel-only call by Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon late in the race would manage to help him propel to his 29th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his 10th and final victory of the season.{{Cite web |last=Poole |first=David |date=September 14, 1997 |title=Splash of gas gets Gordon 10th victory |url=http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0914.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001118053700/http://www.thatsracin.com/97/docs/0914.htm |archive-date=November 18, 2000 |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=That's Racin' |publisher=The Charlotte Observer}}{{Cite news |date=September 15, 1997 |title=Gordon wins 10th of season |pages=15 |work=St. Cloud Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/110612709/gordon-wins-10th-of-season/ |access-date=October 3, 2022 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} To fill out the top three, Robert Yates Racing driver Ernie Irvan and Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Hamilton would finish second and third, respectively.

Background

File:New_Hampshire_Motor_Speedway.PNG, the venue where the race was held.]]

New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.

= Entry list =

(R) denotes rookie driver.

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"

!Driver

!Team

!Make

!Sponsor

|Lance Hooper

|Precision Products Racing

1997 CMT 300

Background

= Entry list =

Qualifying

= Full qualifying results =

Race results

References