Bobby Labonte
Encyclopedia
Robert Alan "Bobby" Labonte (born May 8, 1964) is an American
race car driver in the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger
/Clorox
/Kimberly-Clark
/Kingsford
/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry
for JTG Daugherty Racing
. He currently resides in Trinity
, North Carolina
. He is married to his wife Donna and they have two children: Robert Tyler and Madison. He and his older brother, Terry Labonte
, are the only brothers to have both won the Cup series championship. He is also the uncle of former Nationwide Series winner Justin Labonte
.
As of 2011, Labonte is the only driver to have won both the Winston Cup championship (2000) and the Busch Series championship (1991). He also won the IROC
title in 2001
.
. He began racing in 1969 in quarter midgets in his homestate of Texas, winning his first feature race one year later. From then until 1977, he drove in quarter-midgets throughout the United States, winning many races. In 1978, he advanced to the go-kart
ranks, but moved to North Carolina
with his family following his older brother Terry's advancement to the Cup series. After competing in several different divisions, Labonte made his Busch Series
debut in 1982 at Martinsville Speedway
, finishing 30th. Following his graduation from Trinity High School
, he worked as a fabricator on Terry's cars at Hagan Racing. After a few years of racing in various divisions, Labonte returned to the Busch Series in 1985, running two races in a car he owned himself at Martinsville. In his first race, he finished 30th, bringing home only $220. In his next race, though, he finished in 17th, his best finish so far. The next season, running his own Bobby Labonte Racing car, he won his first Busch pole position and finished second at Road Atlanta
.
While he continued to run races in the Busch Series, his main success came driving late-model stock cars. In 1987, Labonte won twelve races at Caraway Speedway
, clinching the track championship, in addition to working for Jay Hedgecock. The following season, he competed at Concord Motorsports Park, winning six times, and ran six more Busch races, finishing 16th at Darlington Raceway
. The next season, he ran seven races and had his first top-five finish at North Carolina Speedway
. He had two more top-tens that year.
. He was successful, winning two poles (both at Bristol Motor Speedway
), scoring six top-5s, and ten top-10s. He ended up finishing fourth in the standings and was also voted the Busch Series' "Most Popular Driver".
Next season
, he continued his second-division success by winning the NASCAR Busch Series championship with two wins, 10 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. He also won his first Busch Series race, at Bristol, then won again at O'Reilly Raceway Park in August.
In addition to his Busch Series schedule, he made two Winston Cup
starts in a Bobby Labonte Racing car at Dover International Speedway
and Michigan International Speedway
, finishing 34th and 38th, respectively.
The following season, 1992, he continued racing in the Busch Series. His season was a successful one, and he ended up winning three races (at Lanier, Hickory
, and Martinsville speedways respectively), but lost the Busch championship to Joe Nemechek
by three points. That championship finish is, to date, the closest finish in either Sprint Cup, Nationwide, or Craftsman Truck Series history.
In 1993, Labonte was called up by Bill Davis Racing
to drive in the Winston Cup Series. He signed a contract to drive the #22 Maxwell House
Ford Thunderbird
. In his rookie season, he won his first pole at Richmond International Raceway
, collected one top-five and two top-tens, and finished 19th in points. He was also second place behind Jeff Gordon
for Rookie of the Year
honors. He also competed in two Busch Series races, winning a pole and finishing 2nd and 24th respectively. Also, Labonte continued to operate his main Busch Series team, hiring David Green
to drive for him. Green finished third in points for Bobby Labonte Racing.
The next season, 1994, Labonte achieved his second major success as a car owner when his Busch Series driver, David Green
, won the championship. It was the second championship, and fifth top-five points finish in five years for Bobby Labonte Racing. He also ran in the Busch Series himself, making 12 starts and earning a victory at Michigan in August. In addition to his Busch Series exploits, Bobby continued running full-time in the Winston Cup series for Bill Davis Racing. He collected one top-5 and two top-10s and finished 21st in the standings, just missing out on the top 20 because of Todd Bodine
's two-position points standings gain in the final race of the season.
At the end of the season, Labonte departed to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries
Chevrolet
for Joe Gibbs Racing
. Bobby would pick up his first career win at the Coca Cola 600 in 1995. He would also go on and sweep the races at Michigan, and finish 10th in the standings.
In 1996, he won the season ending race at Atlanta, the same race where his brother Terry won the championship. The two took a victory lap together in what Labonte said was one of the most emotional and memorable moments of his life. That year, he finished 11th in points.
In 1997, Bobby switched car makes to a Pontiac Grand Prix. Bobby would go on to win the season ending race at Atlanta for the second year in a row. He ended up in 7th place in the standings, his best finish at that point in his career.
In 1998, Bobby won the pole for the Daytona 500, where he eventually finished 2nd to Dale Earnhardt in Earnhardt's emotional first Daytona 500 win. Bobby would later win at Daytona's sister track, Talledega, in the spring. Bobby also again won at Atlanta and also won the pole for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in summer. He finished the year in 6th in the standings, improving by a position.
In 1999, Labonte won five Winston Cup races, the most he has ever won in a single season. He won at Dover in the spring, Pocono, where he swept both races(He was the first to accomplish this particular sweep, which has been followed by Jimmie Johnson
in 2004 and Denny Hamlin
in 2006.), the second Michigan race and the season finale at Atlanta. However, during the season, he suffered a broken shoulder in an accident while qualifying for a Busch Series race at Darlington Raceway
, but raced in the Cup event two days later. Bobby started the race, but at the first caution a young Matt Kenseth would take over for him in the race. He finished second in the points to Dale Jarrett
, losing the championship by 201 points.
In 2000, Bobby went on to win 4 races, the second race of the season at Rockingham, The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, The Southern 500 at Darlington and the fall race at Charlotte. He led the point standings for 25 weeks after taking over at California, and never relinquished it. Bobby would go on to win his first ever Winston Cup Championship, finishing ahead of Dale Earnhardt by 265 points.
In 2001, Labonte finished 6th in the points standings. He also won twice that year at Atlanta and at Pocono.
In 2002, Bobby only had 1 win, which was at Martinsville in the spring. He also drove a 9/11 Tribute car in 2002 with the phrase "Let's Roll" on the hood of this stock car. It was his first career short track win at Martinsville. He went on to finish 16th in the standings, and failed to finish in the top 10 for the first time since 1996.
In 2003, Labonte rebounded and finished 8th in the standings while winning 2 races at Atlanta, and at Homestead (leading only the final lap). Also Bobby went on a tear during the spring with 3 straight 2nd-place finishes.
In 2004, Bobby did not win a race for the first time since 1994. Labonte finished 12th in the standings.
2005 saw much of the same. Bobby fell out of the top 20 in points, and only had 4 top-5s, one of which was a dramatic 2nd at Lowes Motor Speedway. He also went on to race some truck series events, which included a win at Martinsville. His win there made him join an elite group of drivers that have won in all 3 divisions at one track. In fact, with his win, he became the first driver to do so.
He also ran the 24 Hours of Daytona
road race, sharing a car with his brother Terry, Jan Magnussen
and Bryan Herta
. After the disappointing 2005 season, Bobby asked and was granted to be released from Joe Gibbs Racing, having spent the last eleven seasons there. Bobby joined the Petty Enterprises to drive the famous #43.
where he finished 3rd after being in contention for the win much of the day. He ended up finishing 21st in the points standings, three spots better than in 2005.
Bobby began the 2007 season with a 21st place finish in the Daytona 500
, after avoiding the many accidents the race had.
Bobby won the Busch Series race at Talladega Speedway in April 2007, edging Tony Stewart to the line in a thrilling finish. This was his first Busch Series win since 1998. Bobby would end the year with no top-fives and only three top-ten finishes, but due to a more consistent season, he finished in 18th place in the standings, a three-position improvement over 2006.
In the off season following the 2007 season, Labonte agreed to a 15 race contract to drive the # 21 chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2008. RCR's No. 21 team earned six victories in 2007 with driver Kevin Harvick, and has earned two of the organization's four series championships. In November 2007, Labonte formed a full-service marketing agency, Breaking Limits, which is based in Huntersville, North Carolina.
In 2008, Labonte continued his contract with Petty Enterprises, but experienced a largely unsuccessful season, gathering only three top-tens and no top-fives on his way to finishing 21st in the Sprint Cup standings.
In December of that year, Labonte was released from Petty Enterprises
while the team was negotiating with Gillett Evernham Motorsports about a possible merger.
, now in a partnership with Yates Racing
. Ask.com
sponsored the car for most races in 2009, In the 2009 Spring Las Vegas race, the Shelby 427, Labonte recorded his first top 5 with Hall of Fame racing, and his best finish since he finished third in the Fall Martinsville race in 2006. However that was his only Top 5 run for the year. With eleven races remaining in the 2009 season, Labonte was replaced for Erik Darnell for 7 of the final eleven races due to sponsorship problems with the #96. Labonte found a ride with TRG (The Racers Group)Motorsports and its 71 for the 7 races he was out of the 96. His first race at Atlanta, Labonte ran inside the Top 20 all night and scored a 18th place finish. Two races later Labonte gave TRG its best qualifying effort with a 8th place start, Labonte came home 22nd. At Talladega Labonte finished 10th place, and at one point was running second in that race to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Motorsports and its #71. TaxSlayer was the primary sponsor for 14 of the first 16 races. Even though TRG's 2009 owner points were not enough to make the field guaranteed for the first 5 races of '10, Labonte's past championship provisional gave the team that to fall back on, in the case that Labonte's qualifying runs are not fast. For 2010, Labonte was also reunited with Doug Randolph as his crew chief. Randolph finished the 2007 season with Labonte in the #43 for Petty Enterprises, posting 2 of 3 of Labonte's top-10 runs. TRG also announced an alliance with Richard Childress Racing for 2010. RCR shared technology and equipment with TRG for the season. They also formed an alliance with Stewart Haas Racing, as Tony Stewart
will provide a pit crew to the team.
In his first race in the TRG, Labonte finished 21st in the Daytona 500
after he started 42nd with a champions provisional. For much of the race Labonte was a Top 25 car. Labonte would end up fading back over the next few races, as he and the team would struggle for consistency. On the May 16th Dover race, due to lack of sponsorship, Labonte and the 71 team parked the car after 66 laps. Arguably, some people might say that this season is the worst of his full time career, as he only had two top 20's finishes in 2010 one at the Daytona 500
and one at the Sears Point Raceway road course event.
On June 22, 2010 it was announced that Labonte would be leaving the #71 due to team being unable to secure sponsorship. On June 23, Labonte was hired to drive car #7 for Robby Gordon Motorsports
at New Hampshire in a one race deal.
Phoenix Racing hired Labonte to take over the #09 car beginning at Daytona and Labonte split the rest of the 2010 season between Phoenix Racing and TRG Motorsports. On October 11 Stavola-Labonte Racing hired Bobby to drive its #10 car at Charlotte and Texas in a two race deal. The team is co-owned by Bobby older brother Terry. Despite bouncing around, Labonte competed in every race for the 2010 season.
as the full-time driver of the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing
Toyota Camry
, with support from Michael Waltrip Racing. The 47 car was sponsored in 2010 by various brands owned by Little Debbie, Clorox
, and Kimberly-Clark
, all sponsors returned. He finished 4th in the Daytona 500
, earning Labonte his 200th career top 10 finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Earning only one more top 10 finish so far in the season. JTG Daugherty Racing
and Michael Waltrip Racing received a penalty for violating section 12-1, 12-4-J, and 20-3.2.1A. Crew Chief Frankie Kerr was fined $50,000 and was suspended from 4 NASCAR Sprint cup Championship events, and suspended from NASCAR until November, 23. The same penalty was for Michael Waltrip Racing and the Car Chief for each team. The Owners of the numbers 47(Tad Geschickter); 56(Michael Waltrip); and 00(Rob Kauffman); were penalized 25 owner points. The drivers were also penalized 25 driver points.
For the 2012 season, Labonte will return to the 47 car with most of the sponsors returning also. JTG Daugherty Racing
also announced they will no longer operate out of the Michael Waltrip Racing shop. Todd Barrier will take over the role as the Crew Chief. The current crew chief, Frankie Kerr, will move to the position of Shop Foreman.
Data as of October 17, 2011
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
race car driver in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup Series. He currently drives the #47 Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
/Clorox
Clorox
The Clorox Company is a US-based manufacturer of various food and chemical products based in Oakland, California, which is best known for its bleach product, Clorox.- History :...
/Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include "Kleenex" facial tissue, "Kotex" feminine hygiene products, "Cottonelle", Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, "KimWipes"...
/Kingsford
Kingsford
-United Kingdom:*Kingsford, Worcestershire in England*Kingsford, near Stewarton, Ayrshire in Scotland-Surname:*Anna Kingsford , advocate of women's rights and vegetarianism*Charles Lethbridge Kingsford , English historian and topographer...
/Reese Towpower Hitches Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
for JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...
. He currently resides in Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He is married to his wife Donna and they have two children: Robert Tyler and Madison. He and his older brother, Terry Labonte
Terry Labonte
Terrance Lee Labonte is a semi-retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in the Sprint Cup Series when called upon and is a two-time Winston Cup and IROC champion. He currently drives the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had...
, are the only brothers to have both won the Cup series championship. He is also the uncle of former Nationwide Series winner Justin Labonte
Justin Labonte
Justin Labonte is a former NASCAR Busch Series driver. He is the son of NASCAR driver Terry Labonte, and the nephew of Bobby Labonte. He currently does not have a ride in the Nationwide Series, and is rumored to be racing late models on North Carolina short tracks...
.
As of 2011, Labonte is the only driver to have won both the Winston Cup championship (2000) and the Busch Series championship (1991). He also won the IROC
International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...
title in 2001
IROC XXV
The 25th season of the Crown Royal International Race of Champions began on Friday, February 16, 2001 at Daytona International Speedway. The initial roster included 12 drivers from four separate Racing Leagues...
.
Beginnings
Labonte was born on May 8, 1964 in Corpus Christi, TexasCorpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
. He began racing in 1969 in quarter midgets in his homestate of Texas, winning his first feature race one year later. From then until 1977, he drove in quarter-midgets throughout the United States, winning many races. In 1978, he advanced to the go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...
ranks, but moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
with his family following his older brother Terry's advancement to the Cup series. After competing in several different divisions, Labonte made his Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
debut in 1982 at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
, finishing 30th. Following his graduation from Trinity High School
Trinity High School (Trinity, North Carolina)
Trinity High School is a public high school located in Trinity, North Carolina. The school serves about 870 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Randolph County Schools district....
, he worked as a fabricator on Terry's cars at Hagan Racing. After a few years of racing in various divisions, Labonte returned to the Busch Series in 1985, running two races in a car he owned himself at Martinsville. In his first race, he finished 30th, bringing home only $220. In his next race, though, he finished in 17th, his best finish so far. The next season, running his own Bobby Labonte Racing car, he won his first Busch pole position and finished second at Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta
Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, USA. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams...
.
While he continued to run races in the Busch Series, his main success came driving late-model stock cars. In 1987, Labonte won twelve races at Caraway Speedway
Caraway Speedway
Caraway Speedway is a short track located near Asheboro, North Carolina, U.S.A.. Caraway Speedway was built in 1966 as a dirt track. The track was paved in 1972 and joined the NASCAR Weekly Series Family as a .455 mile asphalt short track. Caraway Speedway was owned and operated by Russell &...
, clinching the track championship, in addition to working for Jay Hedgecock. The following season, he competed at Concord Motorsports Park, winning six times, and ran six more Busch races, finishing 16th at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
. The next season, he ran seven races and had his first top-five finish at North Carolina Speedway
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
. He had two more top-tens that year.
1990-1994
By 1990, Labonte had finally earned enough money to race in the Busch Series full-time. He founded his own team, and drove a Slim Jim sponsored #44 OldsmobileOldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
. He was successful, winning two poles (both at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
), scoring six top-5s, and ten top-10s. He ended up finishing fourth in the standings and was also voted the Busch Series' "Most Popular Driver".
Next season
1991 in NASCAR Busch Series
The 1991 NASCAR Busch Series Season began February 16 and ended on October 27. Bobby Labonte of Labonte Motorsports won the championship.- Goody's 300 :The Goody's 300 was held February 16 at Daytona International Speedway...
, he continued his second-division success by winning the NASCAR Busch Series championship with two wins, 10 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. He also won his first Busch Series race, at Bristol, then won again at O'Reilly Raceway Park in August.
In addition to his Busch Series schedule, he made two Winston Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
starts in a Bobby Labonte Racing car at Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
and Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
, finishing 34th and 38th, respectively.
The following season, 1992, he continued racing in the Busch Series. His season was a successful one, and he ended up winning three races (at Lanier, Hickory
Hickory Motor Speedway
Hickory Motor Speedway is a short track located in Hickory, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most storied venues, and is often referred to as "The World's Most Famous Short Track" and the "Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars"....
, and Martinsville speedways respectively), but lost the Busch championship to Joe Nemechek
Joe Nemechek
Joseph Frank Nemechek III is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and owner of NEMCO Motorsports. He won the 1992 Busch Series championship...
by three points. That championship finish is, to date, the closest finish in either Sprint Cup, Nationwide, or Craftsman Truck Series history.
In 1993, Labonte was called up by Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in both the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series since 2007. Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac previously backed the team...
to drive in the Winston Cup Series. He signed a contract to drive the #22 Maxwell House
Maxwell House
Maxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. Introduced in 1892, it is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently second behind...
Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
. In his rookie season, he won his first pole at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
, collected one top-five and two top-tens, and finished 19th in points. He was also second place behind Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
for Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
honors. He also competed in two Busch Series races, winning a pole and finishing 2nd and 24th respectively. Also, Labonte continued to operate his main Busch Series team, hiring David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
to drive for him. Green finished third in points for Bobby Labonte Racing.
The next season, 1994, Labonte achieved his second major success as a car owner when his Busch Series driver, David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
, won the championship. It was the second championship, and fifth top-five points finish in five years for Bobby Labonte Racing. He also ran in the Busch Series himself, making 12 starts and earning a victory at Michigan in August. In addition to his Busch Series exploits, Bobby continued running full-time in the Winston Cup series for Bill Davis Racing. He collected one top-5 and two top-10s and finished 21st in the standings, just missing out on the top 20 because of Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine is a NASCAR driver. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion...
's two-position points standings gain in the final race of the season.
1995-2000
Interstate Batteries
Interstate Battery System of America, Inc., a.k.a. Interstate Batteries, is a privately owned company that markets automotive batteries manufactured by Johnson Controls through independent distributors to more than 200,000 automotive shops worldwide. The company is based in Dallas, Texas...
Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
for Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...
. Bobby would pick up his first career win at the Coca Cola 600 in 1995. He would also go on and sweep the races at Michigan, and finish 10th in the standings.
In 1996, he won the season ending race at Atlanta, the same race where his brother Terry won the championship. The two took a victory lap together in what Labonte said was one of the most emotional and memorable moments of his life. That year, he finished 11th in points.
In 1997, Bobby switched car makes to a Pontiac Grand Prix. Bobby would go on to win the season ending race at Atlanta for the second year in a row. He ended up in 7th place in the standings, his best finish at that point in his career.
In 1998, Bobby won the pole for the Daytona 500, where he eventually finished 2nd to Dale Earnhardt in Earnhardt's emotional first Daytona 500 win. Bobby would later win at Daytona's sister track, Talledega, in the spring. Bobby also again won at Atlanta and also won the pole for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in summer. He finished the year in 6th in the standings, improving by a position.
In 1999, Labonte won five Winston Cup races, the most he has ever won in a single season. He won at Dover in the spring, Pocono, where he swept both races(He was the first to accomplish this particular sweep, which has been followed by Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race car driver. He currently drives the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports....
in 2004 and Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin
James Dennis Alan "Denny" Hamlin is an American race car driver. Though originally born in Tampa, Florida, Hamlin was raised for most of his life in Chesterfield, Virginia. After racing in go-karts for a number of years, he worked his way up to Late Models by 2004 and signed a development contract...
in 2006.), the second Michigan race and the season finale at Atlanta. However, during the season, he suffered a broken shoulder in an accident while qualifying for a Busch Series race at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
, but raced in the Cup event two days later. Bobby started the race, but at the first caution a young Matt Kenseth would take over for him in the race. He finished second in the points to Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett
Dale Arnold Jarrett is a former American race car driver and current sports commentator known for winning the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship...
, losing the championship by 201 points.
In 2000, Bobby went on to win 4 races, the second race of the season at Rockingham, The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, The Southern 500 at Darlington and the fall race at Charlotte. He led the point standings for 25 weeks after taking over at California, and never relinquished it. Bobby would go on to win his first ever Winston Cup Championship, finishing ahead of Dale Earnhardt by 265 points.
2001-2005
In 2002, Bobby only had 1 win, which was at Martinsville in the spring. He also drove a 9/11 Tribute car in 2002 with the phrase "Let's Roll" on the hood of this stock car. It was his first career short track win at Martinsville. He went on to finish 16th in the standings, and failed to finish in the top 10 for the first time since 1996.
In 2003, Labonte rebounded and finished 8th in the standings while winning 2 races at Atlanta, and at Homestead (leading only the final lap). Also Bobby went on a tear during the spring with 3 straight 2nd-place finishes.
In 2004, Bobby did not win a race for the first time since 1994. Labonte finished 12th in the standings.
2005 saw much of the same. Bobby fell out of the top 20 in points, and only had 4 top-5s, one of which was a dramatic 2nd at Lowes Motor Speedway. He also went on to race some truck series events, which included a win at Martinsville. His win there made him join an elite group of drivers that have won in all 3 divisions at one track. In fact, with his win, he became the first driver to do so.
He also ran the 24 Hours of Daytona
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a combined road course, utilizing portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield...
road race, sharing a car with his brother Terry, Jan Magnussen
Jan Magnussen
Jan Magnussen is a racing driver from Denmark and a GM factory driver. He has competed in several of the most prestigious events in motor sport including CART, NASCAR, the FIA Formula One World Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.- Lower series racing :Magnussen dominated the 1994 British...
and Bryan Herta
Bryan Herta
Bryan John Herta is an American race car driver. He currently runs his own team, Bryan Herta Autosport in the Firestone Indy Lights Series...
. After the disappointing 2005 season, Bobby asked and was granted to be released from Joe Gibbs Racing, having spent the last eleven seasons there. Bobby joined the Petty Enterprises to drive the famous #43.
2006-2008
In his inaugural season in the #43, Labonte collected 3 top-5's and 8 top-10s. His top-5s included an impressive run at the Martinsville SpeedwayMartinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
where he finished 3rd after being in contention for the win much of the day. He ended up finishing 21st in the points standings, three spots better than in 2005.
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, after avoiding the many accidents the race had.
Bobby won the Busch Series race at Talladega Speedway in April 2007, edging Tony Stewart to the line in a thrilling finish. This was his first Busch Series win since 1998. Bobby would end the year with no top-fives and only three top-ten finishes, but due to a more consistent season, he finished in 18th place in the standings, a three-position improvement over 2006.
In the off season following the 2007 season, Labonte agreed to a 15 race contract to drive the # 21 chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 2008. RCR's No. 21 team earned six victories in 2007 with driver Kevin Harvick, and has earned two of the organization's four series championships. In November 2007, Labonte formed a full-service marketing agency, Breaking Limits, which is based in Huntersville, North Carolina.
In 2008, Labonte continued his contract with Petty Enterprises, but experienced a largely unsuccessful season, gathering only three top-tens and no top-fives on his way to finishing 21st in the Sprint Cup standings.
In December of that year, Labonte was released from Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina, USA. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from...
while the team was negotiating with Gillett Evernham Motorsports about a possible merger.
2009
On January 13, 2009, Labonte was confirmed to be the driver of the #96 Ford Fusion for Hall of Fame RacingHall of Fame Racing
Hall of Fame Racing was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing team principally owned by Jeff Moorad, Tom Garfinkel, and Tom Davin. The team was created as a joint venture between former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman...
, now in a partnership with Yates Racing
Yates Racing
Yates Racing was an American stock car racing racing team that competed in NASCAR until the 2009 season when it merged with Richard Petty Motorsports. Previously known as Robert Yates Racing, the team was owned by Doug Yates, who has officially owned the team since his father Robert's retirement on...
. Ask.com
Ask.com
Ask is a Q&A focused search engine founded in 1996 by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen in Berkeley, California. The original software was implemented by Gary Chevsky from his own design. Warthen, Chevsky, Justin Grant, and others built the early AskJeeves.com website around that core engine...
sponsored the car for most races in 2009, In the 2009 Spring Las Vegas race, the Shelby 427, Labonte recorded his first top 5 with Hall of Fame racing, and his best finish since he finished third in the Fall Martinsville race in 2006. However that was his only Top 5 run for the year. With eleven races remaining in the 2009 season, Labonte was replaced for Erik Darnell for 7 of the final eleven races due to sponsorship problems with the #96. Labonte found a ride with TRG (The Racers Group)Motorsports and its 71 for the 7 races he was out of the 96. His first race at Atlanta, Labonte ran inside the Top 20 all night and scored a 18th place finish. Two races later Labonte gave TRG its best qualifying effort with a 8th place start, Labonte came home 22nd. At Talladega Labonte finished 10th place, and at one point was running second in that race to Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2010
Feb 2010 - June 2010, Labonte drove for TRGTRG
TRG may refer to:* TRG , a Romanian dubstep producer* Tactical Response Group, a generic name for tactical police units in Australia...
Motorsports and its #71. TaxSlayer was the primary sponsor for 14 of the first 16 races. Even though TRG's 2009 owner points were not enough to make the field guaranteed for the first 5 races of '10, Labonte's past championship provisional gave the team that to fall back on, in the case that Labonte's qualifying runs are not fast. For 2010, Labonte was also reunited with Doug Randolph as his crew chief. Randolph finished the 2007 season with Labonte in the #43 for Petty Enterprises, posting 2 of 3 of Labonte's top-10 runs. TRG also announced an alliance with Richard Childress Racing for 2010. RCR shared technology and equipment with TRG for the season. They also formed an alliance with Stewart Haas Racing, as Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...
will provide a pit crew to the team.
In his first race in the TRG, Labonte finished 21st in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
after he started 42nd with a champions provisional. For much of the race Labonte was a Top 25 car. Labonte would end up fading back over the next few races, as he and the team would struggle for consistency. On the May 16th Dover race, due to lack of sponsorship, Labonte and the 71 team parked the car after 66 laps. Arguably, some people might say that this season is the worst of his full time career, as he only had two top 20's finishes in 2010 one at the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
and one at the Sears Point Raceway road course event.
On June 22, 2010 it was announced that Labonte would be leaving the #71 due to team being unable to secure sponsorship. On June 23, Labonte was hired to drive car #7 for Robby Gordon Motorsports
Robby Gordon Motorsports
Robby Gordon Motorsports is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. It fields the #7 Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon. It is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is owned by Gordon and heavily supported by John Menard, Jr.-2005:...
at New Hampshire in a one race deal.
Phoenix Racing hired Labonte to take over the #09 car beginning at Daytona and Labonte split the rest of the 2010 season between Phoenix Racing and TRG Motorsports. On October 11 Stavola-Labonte Racing hired Bobby to drive its #10 car at Charlotte and Texas in a two race deal. The team is co-owned by Bobby older brother Terry. Despite bouncing around, Labonte competed in every race for the 2010 season.
2011-2012
Labonte replaced Marcos AmbroseMarcos Ambrose
Marcos Ambrose is a championship winning Australian racing car driver. He currently drives the #9 Stanley Black & Decker Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series...
as the full-time driver of the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...
Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
, with support from Michael Waltrip Racing. The 47 car was sponsored in 2010 by various brands owned by Little Debbie, Clorox
Clorox
The Clorox Company is a US-based manufacturer of various food and chemical products based in Oakland, California, which is best known for its bleach product, Clorox.- History :...
, and Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include "Kleenex" facial tissue, "Kotex" feminine hygiene products, "Cottonelle", Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, "KimWipes"...
, all sponsors returned. He finished 4th in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, earning Labonte his 200th career top 10 finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Earning only one more top 10 finish so far in the season. JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...
and Michael Waltrip Racing received a penalty for violating section 12-1, 12-4-J, and 20-3.2.1A. Crew Chief Frankie Kerr was fined $50,000 and was suspended from 4 NASCAR Sprint cup Championship events, and suspended from NASCAR until November, 23. The same penalty was for Michael Waltrip Racing and the Car Chief for each team. The Owners of the numbers 47(Tad Geschickter); 56(Michael Waltrip); and 00(Rob Kauffman); were penalized 25 owner points. The drivers were also penalized 25 driver points.
For the 2012 season, Labonte will return to the 47 car with most of the sponsors returning also. JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty...
also announced they will no longer operate out of the Michael Waltrip Racing shop. Todd Barrier will take over the role as the Crew Chief. The current crew chief, Frankie Kerr, will move to the position of Shop Foreman.
Career NASCAR Statistics
| Year | Races | Wins | Poles | Top 5 | Top 10 | DNF | Finish | Start | Winnings | Season Rank | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36.0 | 36.5 | $8,350 | 66th | Labonte Motorsports Labonte Motorsports Labonte Motorsports is a former part-time Winston Cup team and full-time Busch Series team. It was owned by the Labonte racing family from Corpus Christi, Texas and competed for several years under various incarnations.- 1980s :... |
| 1993 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 19.1 | 20.8 | $353,575 | 19th | Bill Davis Racing Bill Davis Racing Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in both the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series since 2007. Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac previously backed the team... |
| 1994 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 21.9 | 19.9 | $512,005 | 21st | Bill Davis Racing |
| 1995 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 16.3 | 13.9 | $1,219,925 | 10th | Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son... |
| 1996 | 31 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 5 | 17.4 | 11.8 | $1,348,965 | 11th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 1997 | 32 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 13.7 | 13.3 | $1,924,250 | 7th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 1998 | 33 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 6 | 14.2 | 12.6 | $2,620,520 | 6th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 1999 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 26 | 1 | 9.0 | 9.5 | $3,570,272 | 2nd | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2000 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 24 | 0 | 7.4 | 11.6 | $4,023,325 | 1st | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2001 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 6 | 14.1 | 17.8 | $4,135,851 | 6th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2002 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 19.8 | 19.7 | $3,851,773 | 16th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2003 | 36 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 16.1 | 11.9 | $4,745,258 | 8th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2004 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 15.8 | 16.8 | $4,570,545 | 12th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2005 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 22.7 | 22.1 | $4,847,507 | 24th | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 2006 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 22.0 | 21.6 | $4,949,058 | 21st | Petty Enterprises Petty Enterprises Petty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina, USA. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from... |
| 2007 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 22.2 | 20.2 | $5,221,140 | 18th | Petty Enterprises |
| 2008 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 22.0 | 24.0 | $4,975,111 | 21st | Petty Enterprises |
| 2009 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 25.7 | 26.4 | $4,198,900 | 30th | Hall of Fame Racing Hall of Fame Racing Hall of Fame Racing was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing team principally owned by Jeff Moorad, Tom Garfinkel, and Tom Davin. The team was created as a joint venture between former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman... (29 races), TRG Motorsports (7) |
| 2010 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 30.6 | 31.7 | 3,172,180 | 31st | TRG Motorsports (19 races), Robby Gordon Motorsports Robby Gordon Motorsports Robby Gordon Motorsports is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. It fields the #7 Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon. It is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is owned by Gordon and heavily supported by John Menard, Jr.-2005:... (1), Phoenix Racing Phoenix Racing Phoenix Racing is a NASCAR team owned by James Finch. It currently fields the #51 Chevrolet Impala in the Sprint Cup Series driven by Landon Cassill and the #1 Chevrolet Impala in the Nationwide Series driven by Landon Cassill and Jamie McMurray.... (14), Stavola-Labonte Racing Stavola Brothers Racing 8--98.194.31.156 16:33, 27 November 2011 Stavola Brothers Racing was a NASCAR racing team, owned by Bill and Mickey Stavola, and operating NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series teams from 1984 through 1998. The team won the 1988 Daytona 500 with Bobby Allison behind the wheel of the #12 Miller High... (2) |
| 2011 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 21 | $3,901,008 | 29th | JTG Daugherty Racing JTG Daugherty Racing JTG Daugherty Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former advertising executive Tad Geschickter and his wife Jodi, along with current ESPN analyst Brad Daugherty... |
| Totals | 649 | 21 | 26 | 116 | 201 | 81 | 18.8 | 18.4 | $72,108,055 | ||
External links
- Bobby Labonte Official Website
- NASCAR.com's Bobby Labonte Profile
- Ask.com's Bobby Labonte Profile, News and Media Page
- Coca-Cola Racing Family's Bobby Labonte profile
- Drivers statistics at racing-reference.info
- Petty Enterprises official website
- Breaking Limits
- http://jtgdaughertyracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468:jtg-daugherty-racing-statement-in-response-to-penalties-assessed-by-nascar-to-the-no-47-team-as-a-result-of-rule-infractions-discovered-during-opening-day-inspection-oct-21-at-talladega-superspeedway&catid=33:bobby-labonte-team-news&Itemid=189
- http://jtgdaughertyracing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=466:jtg-daugherty-racing-announces-2012-plans&catid=33:bobby-labonte-team-news&Itemid=189