The 1997 Pontiac Excitement 400 was the third stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 32nd iteration of the event.

The official test results came to 14.001:1, which while slightly over, was within the guidelines and would allow Wallace to keep his victory.

The final 10 spots were based on postmarks on the official entry list.

As a result, Terry Labonte, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would win the pole.

[4] Three drivers would fail to qualify: Billy Standridge, Greg Sacks, and Mike Wallace.