The 1997 MBNA 400 was the 26th stock car race of the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 29th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 21, 1997, in Dover, Delaware at Dover International Speedway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. Depending on fuel mileage, Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would manage to save enough fuel to secure his 22nd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his fourth and final victory of the season. To fill out the top three, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt and Petty Enterprises driver Kyle Petty would finish second and third, respectively.