Bobby Labonte

Labonte in 2013.

**Robert Allen Labonte** is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and current analyst for *NASCAR on Fox*. He also currently competes full-time in the Superstar Racing Experience, driving the No. 18 car. Labonte is the 2000 NASCAR Pepsi Cup Series champion. He and his older brother, Terry Labonte, are one of only two pairs of brothers to have both won the Cup championships (along with Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch). He last competed part-time in the no.32 Ford for Go Fas Racing in 2016.

## Career

### 1991: First Starts

In 1991, Labonte attempted to make the field for the 1991 Coca Cola 600 in his family's no.44 Oldsmobile, but failed to qualify.

Labonte then retuned at Dover, this time in the no.14 Slim Jim Oldsmobile for his family. Although he successfully qualified 33rd, he finished 34th after engine issues. Eight weeks later, he qualified for his third and final attempt of 1991 at Michigan. He turned 40 laps, only for his engine to give out again. He finished 38th.

### 1993-1994: Bill Davis Racing

Two years later, Labonte returned to the Pepsi Cup joining Bill Davis Racing, driving the no.22 Maxwell House Ford in their inaugural season. In his rookie season, he won his first pole at Richmond International Raceway, collected six top-10s, and finished 19th in points. He was also second place behind Jeff Gordon for Rookie of the Year honors. His best finish in 1993 was 7th at the fall Dover race.

In 1994, Labonte struggled with only two top tens, which included a fifth-place run at Michigan for his first career top five. After a dismal seasons where he placed 21st in points Labonte left BDR.

### 1995-2005: The Joe Gibbs Racing Saga

Labonte departed to replace Dale Jarrett as the driver of the No.18 Interstate Batteries-sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Labonte began the '95 season with a DNF in the Daytona 500 followed by a second place run at Rockingham. He then achieved another runner up at Atlanta after another DNF at Richmond. Four races later, Labonte finished 10th while also achieving his first pole at Martinsville. After finishing 5th at Talladega and 13th in the 1995 Save Mart Supermarkets 300 at Sears Point, Labonte would pick up his first career win in that years' Coca-Cola 600, a win he would call in 2018 the favorite of his career. After the win, Labonte went on to have a great season, with two more victories at both Michigan races, one more top five, and six top tens, finishing 10th in the final point standings.

In 1996, Labonte would only win 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 the points standings with one win, four top fives, and nine top tens.

in 1997 Gibbs switched car makes to a Pontiac Grand Prix after running Chevrolet for several years . The year was same song, same dance, with Labonte only winning the finale at Atlanta. Despite it, Labonte scored nine top tens, with eighteen top tens, and finished 7th in points.

1998 saw Labonte won at both Atlanta and Talladega, as well as pole positions for both Daytona races, finishing second to Dale Earnhardt in the 500. He finished the year in sixth in final points, improving by a position.

### 2006-2008: Stint with Petty Enterprises

In 2006 Labonte joined Petty Enterprises to drive the famous No. 43. In addition former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Robbie Loomis. Many analysts saw this combination as the key to putting the no.43 back into victory lane. Labonte's first year at Petty showed promise, as he collected three Top 5's and eight Top 10's. His Top 5's included an impressive run at the Martinsville Speedway, where he finished third after being in contention for the win much of the day. He ended up finishing 21st in the points standings, three spots better than he did two years before.

Labonte began the 2007 season with a 21st-place finish in the Daytona 500, after avoiding the many accidents the race had. Labonte would end the year with no Top 5's and only three Top 10's with a best finish of 8th at Phoenix and the Bristol Night Race. However, due to a more consistent season with sixteen top twenties, he finished 18th in the standings, a three-position improvement over 2006.

In 2008, Labonte continued his contract with Petty Enterprises, but experienced a largely unsuccessful season, gathering only three Top 10's and no Top 5's on his way to finishing 21st in the point standings. However in the summer of 2008, Labonte had bought some of HAAS CNC Racing, and was planned to begin to drive for the team beginning in 2009, after rumors circulated he would drive a fifth Richard Childress Racing entry (Although later it was revealed Mark Martin would be the driver of that entry).

### 2009-2012

Beginning in 2009, Labonte would become the new co-owner of Labonte HAAS Racing in the team's new no.65 entry. In addition to that, Ryan Newman was also hired to drive the no.60 (Previously the 66), and former-JGR teammate Jason Leffler was selected as the permeant driver for the no.70 after Leffler ran five race in the no.70 during the 2008 season. However due to the no.65 having no points before the 2009 season, Labonte almost had to use past champions' provisionals for the first five races of 2009. He completed those races without needing to use the provisional, ending up well inside the Top 45 in points.

After 2012 HAAS got a better deal from Tony Stewart and left Labonte.