THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 30, 1996 TAG: 9610300606
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 68 lines
One driver won his first NASCAR Winston Cup race Sunday and the other is on the verge of winning his second Winston Cup championship.
But Bobby Hamilton and Terry Labonte haven't let these career moments get in the way of leading normal lives away from the race track.
Hamilton was busy at Nashville Speedway Tuesday helping his son and friends prepare their cars for a big Late Model race there this weekend.
And Labonte was looking forward to a hunting trip in the mountains of Montana this weekend.
``As quick as we got done (at the track), we got on an airplane and headed back home,'' said Hamilton, describing his activities after winning the Dura-Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. ``The party was all in victory lane and a little press conference afterwards.
``I don't think the real fun part has happened to me yet. For me, it don't never sink in until about three or four days later.''
As Hamilton spoke Tuesday during the weekly Winston Cup teleconference, the noise of race cars reverberated in the background.
``They've got a 300-lapper here at Nashville Speedway this weekend and all the kids are going to run,'' Hamilton said, including his son, Bobby Jr. ``I'm just here to help them get ready for that.''
Hamilton said he didn't have a lot of time to chat with car owner Richard Petty about the first victory for a Petty Enterprises car in 355 races.
``He just told me how much he appreciated everybody working so hard, but that was really about it,'' Hamilton said. ``I never dreamed that victory lane would be so hectic, and me and him had to part ways, so we really haven't had time to talk about it.''
Petty, by the way, quickly got back to his own routine after the race as well. He flew to the Petty family home in Wyoming.
Labonte spent Monday and Tuesday trying to recover from the stress he put on his left hand after breaking a bone at the base of his index finger in a crash during practice Friday at Phoenix.
``We really haven't done any therapy on it yet,'' he said. ``The problem right now is the hand is still swollen up real bad. It's kind of black-and-blue looking. They're saying the swelling should go down in the next day or so, so I'll go back to the doctors Thursday or Friday and reassess the thing. I can't move my index finger without the hand hurting. Right now, I'm keeping it on ice and keeping it elevated.''
Labonte said the good news from the doctors who examined it Monday was that ``we didn't do any damage to it on Sunday.''
Labonte said the injury will not stop him from going on a scheduled hunting trip to Montana this weekend with car owner Richard Childress.
``I'm lefthanded, but I shoot with my right hand, so it's OK,'' he said.
Labonte said his type of a fracture usually takes four or five weeks to heal.
For the finale at Atlanta on Nov. 10, ``we're probably going to have to have some sort of splint on it ... I don't know if we're going to have to do the pain shots again but if we do, we do.
``I'm glad Phoenix was last week and Atlanta is in two weeks. I think Atlanta would be tougher because you're in the turns for an awful long time and you're going faster and really maybe you have to fight the car more than you do at Phoenix.''
Labonte is 47 points ahead of teammate Jeff Gordon in the battle for the Winston Cup. He needs only to finish eighth or higher to clinch his second title.
Ironically, Labonte's average finish for the last five races at Atlanta is precisely 8.0. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Terry Labonte, left, plans to go hunting, while Bobby Hamilton is
helping his son get ready for a race. by CNB