The 1997 CMT 300 was the 25th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the inaugural iteration of the event.

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.

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.

The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre.

Ken Schrader, driving for Andy Petree Racing, would win the pole, setting a time of 29.484 and an average speed of 129.182 miles per hour (207.898 km/h).