| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 27 of 32 in the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 1997 Hanes 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | September 29, 1997 | ||
| Official name | 49th Annual Hanes 500 | ||
| Location | Ridgeway, Virginia, Martinsville Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.847 km (0.526 miles) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 500 laps, 263 mi (423.257 km) | ||
| Average speed | 73.072 miles per hour (117.598 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Bill Davis Racing | ||
| Time | 20.272 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Rusty Wallace | Penske Racing South | |
| Laps | 226 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | ESPN | ||
| Announcers | Bob Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, Benny Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
The 1997 Hanes 500 was the 27th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 49th iteration of the event. The race was originally scheduled to held on Sunday, September 28, 1997, but was postponed until Monday, September 29 due to inclement weather. [1] The race took place in Ridgeway, Virginia at Martinsville Speedway, a 0.526 miles (0.847 km) permanent oval-shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. In the late stages of the race, Roush Racing driver Jeff Burton would manage to take advantage of a penalty-stricken Rusty Wallace to take his third career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his third and final victory of the season. [2] [3] To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Hamilton would finish second and third, respectively.
