Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 11, 1990 TAG: 9003112660
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Three races into his first full crack at NASCAR's Triple A Labonte circuit, the younger brother of Winston Cup star Terry Labonte already has begun to generate waves.
"That Labonte kid is going to be tough, I believe," said Tommy Ellis, a two-time GN champion.
So far, Labonte's early-season performance - he was sixth at Daytona Beach, Fla.; third at Richmond; and ninth at Rockingham, N.C. - is the best on the circuit. He leads all GN drivers on the points list, ranking only behind Winston Cup interloper Dale Earnhardt.
"I never expected this kind of start," said Labonte, 25, who could grow a mustache and pass for his famous older brother.
"We were just excited to get through Daytona with a car left. I had never raced there before. I didn't expect to qualify third or finish sixth.
"After the race, I drove the truck home that night. I was still pretty shocked. When I got home [Trinity, N.C.], I said, `Let's read the paper and make sure that this is right, that this is the real thing.' "
Apparently, Bobby Labonte is the real thing. At this pace, it will be just a matter of time before he starts catching up with his big brother on the Winston Cup circuit.
"I've got a lot to learn here first," Bobby said. "Our only goal this year is to learn everything we can.
"Sure, I hope [a move to Winston Cup] comes in the near future. I would like to race against Terry one day."
Until then, Bobby Labonte hopes to make a name for himself in the GN ranks.
"I've been working for a chance to join the [GN] tour full time," said the younger Labonte, who ran seven events last season.
"The competition there is as strong as you'll find anywhere.
"You can only get as good as the drivers you run with. At this point in my career, this is the right place for me."
The race track. It's where the Labonte boys always wanted to be.
Bobby was all of 5 years old when he strapped on his first helmet for a quarter-midget race in the family's hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas.
"I told Bobby to watch Terry and follow him on the track," said the boys' father, Bob Labonte.
"I pushed Bobby and got him started. Then I pushed Terry and got him going. Pretty soon, Terry came up behind Bobby and started around. Bobby cut him off. That happened two or three times. Finally, Terry made a hard move on Bobby. Bobby ran him off the track and tore up both cars up pretty good.
"I ran out and asked Bobby what the heck he was doing. He said, `Daddy, he was going to pass me!' "
At 16, Bobby gave his father another rush in a go-kart race at Daytona.
"He started 75th," Bob Labonte said. "He passed 51 karts on the first lap. He came around past the pits again and I said, `Holy cow, where'd he come from?' He just always had a knack for going to the front."
After winning hundreds of races in go-karts and quarter-midgets, Bobby graduated to the bigger Late Model Stock cars.
He put his career on hold in 1982 to work for Billy Hagan's racing team, which fielded Winston Cup cars for Terry Labonte.
The hard-working youngster did everything at the Hagan shop.
"I mopped floors, did some fabrication work and a little work on the chassis," Bobby said.
"I just wanted to be around racing. I never had a desire to do anything else. As a kid, I can remember kicking around playing with nuts and bolts. That's just the way it was."
By 1985, Bobby was back in the driver's seat again. In 1987, he won his first stock-car race, 50 laps at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway. He won 19 poles and had 12 victories in 22 races to win the track driving championship.
In 1988, with a lot of help from his father, Bobby Labonte put together a GN car and ran six races. Last year, his seven GN starts included a fourth-place run at Rockingham and a sixth at Charlotte, N.C.
This winter, things really began to take off when Bobby Labonte landed a strong sponsorship deal with Penrose Sausages. He is listed as the owner of the team, which next year will move into a sprawling new shop in High Point, N.C.
"I spend seven days a week, 24 hours a day thinking about racing," Bobby said. "Dad and Terry have been a great help to me.
"Dad is a father, a coach, a damn good teacher. And Terry is really behind me.
"This is hard work. But if you want to do it, it's worth it. Not many people can do a job and a hobby at the same time."
And do well.
"I don't know if we can keep this up," Bobby Labonte said. "I've got a lot to learn, especially on the short tracks. I haven't seen many of these tracks before.
"I'd like to think we will be a contender [for the GN title], but it would take a lot of luck to win it. My main job is to stay out of trouble and keep on learning."
And make as big a splash as possible.
by CNB