1997 United States Cellular 200 - NASCAR Race

New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058 mile oval track which has hosted NASCAR racing since the 1990s. It is commonly referred to by its location, Loudon.

The track was opened in June 1990, after 9 months of construction after the Bahre family purchased the Bryar Motorsports Park in the region and redeveloped the popular motorcycle circuit into a multi-purpose track, with NASCAR added to the popular motorcycle and SCCA races on the complex.

It was the largest speedway in New England, and later expansion has made this the largest sports venue of any type in the region. NASCAR made its debut at the track in July 1990, with a Busch Series race won by Tommy Ellis. For 3 years, the Busch Series hosted a pair of races at the track each year.

These races were successful and led to Loudon earning a spot on the NASACR Winston Cup schedule in 1993. Rusty Wallace won the inaugural Slick 50 300 in July of that year.

A second 300 mile race was added to the schedule in 1997, taking one of the spots that North Wilkesboro once had on the schedule after that track was sold in an estate sale. The race is held in the middle of September, and in 2004, Loudon became the first race in NASCAR's Chase for the Cup "playoff" series.

1997 United States Cellular 200 NASCAR Race Results

Below are the race results for 1997 United States Cellular 200, in order of finishing place.