1997 NAPA 500
The 1997 NAPA 500 was the 32nd and final stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 38th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 16, 1997, in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles (2.48 km) permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 325 laps to complete. At race's end, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte would manage to dominate a majority of the race to take his fifth career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his only victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 32 of 32 in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
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The 1997 NAPA 500 program cover, with artwork by Sam Bass. | |||
| Date | November 16, 1997 | ||
| Official name | 38th Annual NAPA 500 | ||
| Location | Hampton, Georgia, Atlanta Motor Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 1.54 mi (2.48 km) | ||
| Distance | 325 laps, 500.5 mi (805.476 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 325 laps, 500.5 mi (805.476 km) | ||
| Average speed | 159.904 miles per hour (257.341 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Geoff Bodine Racing | ||
| Time | 28.074 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 168 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Performance Racing Network | ||
Needing an 18th-place finish or higher in the race, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would manage to lock up the championship after staying consistently within the top 18, eventually securing a 17th-place finish to win his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, finishing 14 points ahead of runner-up Dale Jarrett.