Labonte to make 500th NASCAR Cup series start
Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Labonte will make his 500th NASCAR Cup start this weekend.
Labonte joins active drivers Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip as competitors who have eclipsed the 500-career start mark. Labonte and Rudd are the only two drivers to have over 500 starts who have started every race this season.
Labonte, 43, is also the youngest active driver to have 500 starts. This weekend's start will be Labonte's 498th consecutive Nextel Cup start, which puts him second on that list, behind Jeff Gordon by one start.
Labonte said he first started thinking about hitting the mark when his older brother, Terry Labonte, made his 500th start.
"He did it, and I began thinking about it and thought that was something that was very possible that could happen," he said. "I've been fortunate in my career, and it's pretty special to have this opportunity this weekend. Terry has over 800 starts, and Kyle has over 800 too. I'm going to try to catch them."
Labonte says he's seen several key changes in the sport since he made his first career Cup start on Sept. 11, 1993, at Richmond International Raceway.
"There has been so much that has changed in the sport over the past 10 years that I've been racing in Nextel Cup," Labonte said. "The competition is so tight now. There are so many competitive teams and drivers. It gets harder and harder to win races, and you have to work harder to do so. That is one of the biggest changes that I've seen.
"There is always the pressure that you put on yourself, but it's so much greater than what is was when I first started. The drivers and teams are so good today. You have to be close to perfect to win."
Labonte said that his family has always been a large part of his career and have been there "for all the ups and downs. That has helped to keep the longevity."
Labonte's reaching the mark on a high note. His team has three consecutive finishes of 11th or better, all since Doug Randolph became crew chief for the team. Labonte is 17th in the standings and looking to improve.
He heads into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 with 10 top-10 finishes in 30 starts there. He has two second-place finishes at Richmond, the last in 2003.
"Richmond is a good place for this to come at," he said of his 500th race.
"We knew it was going to be at Richmond, and that was pretty exciting. ... Doug has come in and raised the bar. The team is pretty strong right now. We have momentum, and we're still riding that going into this weekend."
Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Labonte will make his 500th NASCAR Cup start this weekend.
Labonte joins active drivers Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip as competitors who have eclipsed the 500-career start mark. Labonte and Rudd are the only two drivers to have over 500 starts who have started every race this season.
Labonte, 43, is also the youngest active driver to have 500 starts. This weekend's start will be Labonte's 498th consecutive Nextel Cup start, which puts him second on that list, behind Jeff Gordon by one start.
Labonte said he first started thinking about hitting the mark when his older brother, Terry Labonte, made his 500th start.
"He did it, and I began thinking about it and thought that was something that was very possible that could happen," he said. "I've been fortunate in my career, and it's pretty special to have this opportunity this weekend. Terry has over 800 starts, and Kyle has over 800 too. I'm going to try to catch them."
Labonte says he's seen several key changes in the sport since he made his first career Cup start on Sept. 11, 1993, at Richmond International Raceway.
"There has been so much that has changed in the sport over the past 10 years that I've been racing in Nextel Cup," Labonte said. "The competition is so tight now. There are so many competitive teams and drivers. It gets harder and harder to win races, and you have to work harder to do so. That is one of the biggest changes that I've seen.
"There is always the pressure that you put on yourself, but it's so much greater than what is was when I first started. The drivers and teams are so good today. You have to be close to perfect to win."
Labonte said that his family has always been a large part of his career and have been there "for all the ups and downs. That has helped to keep the longevity."
Labonte's reaching the mark on a high note. His team has three consecutive finishes of 11th or better, all since Doug Randolph became crew chief for the team. Labonte is 17th in the standings and looking to improve.
He heads into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 with 10 top-10 finishes in 30 starts there. He has two second-place finishes at Richmond, the last in 2003.
"Richmond is a good place for this to come at," he said of his 500th race.
"We knew it was going to be at Richmond, and that was pretty exciting. ... Doug has come in and raised the bar. The team is pretty strong right now. We have momentum, and we're still riding that going into this weekend."