Sam's Town 250 - Justin Labonte Notes

PREVIEW: JUSTIN LABONTE (NO. 5 LOWE'S/STA-GREEN CHEVROLET)
VENUE: MEMPHIS MOTORSPORTS PARK (.75-MILE OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR BUSCH SERIES (RACE 32 OF 35)
EVENT: SATURDAY, OCT. 28, 2006 (250 LAPS, 187.5 MILES)

JUSTIN LABONTE BEHIND THE WHEEL: Justin Labonte, son of two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Terry Labonte, will substitute for Kyle Busch as driver of the No. 5 Lowe's/Sta-Green Chevrolet this weekend at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park. Busch will return to NASCAR Busch Series competition Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway.

SUPER SUB: Labonte has already worked with the No. 5 Lowe's team this season, driving Busch Series practice at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and Kentucky Speedway during the month of June.

LABONTE AT MEMPHIS: Labonte has competed in three Busch Series races at Memphis, posting a career-best finish of 12th there in 2005.

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Although he is just 25, Labonte is a veteran of Busch Series competition with 75 career starts. He earned a circuit victory on July 10, 2004 at Chicagoland Speedway.

NO. 5 AT MEMPHIS: The No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team has posted two top-10 finishes in five starts at Memphis Motorsports Park. Brian Vickers posted the team's best result -- a fifth-place effort -- in 2003.

THE STREAK CONTINUES: The Lowe's/Sta-Green team extended its top-15 streak to seven races with a 12th-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway two weeks ago. The team is sixth in both owner and driver points with four events remaining in the Busch Series season.

NEW CREW MEMBER: Marc Jones will join the No. 5 Lowe's over-the-wall pit crew at Memphis this weekend, replacing Jeffrey "Tex" Reeves as the team's rear-tire carrier. Reeves will continue with his car chief duties.

CHASSIS 345: Crew chief Chad Walter has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 345 as the primary option for Saturday's Busch Series event at Memphis. The car most recently finished 12th at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in September.

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JUSTIN LABONTE, DRIVER OF THE NO. 5 LOWE'S/STA-GREEN CHEVROLET: (ON RACING THE NO. 5 CHEVY FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS.) "I grew up watching my dad (Terry Labonte) race a No. 5 Chevy for Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports. Now I get to do the same thing. It's pretty incredible, really. My dad had a lot of success with the organization and I hope Saturday proves to be successful, too."

LABONTE: (ON WORKING WITH THE LOWE'S TEAM.) "I'm really excited about it. I had the opportunity to test with the team earlier this year, as well as practice the car on a couple occasions. It's a great race team and I know their equipment is top-of-the-line. I've known Chad (Walter) for a long time. He used to work in my dad's shop when he (Walter) first came down to North Carolina. So, it's pretty cool to have the opportunity to work with him again this year. This will be my first Busch Series race this season, so I'm really looking forward to it."

LABONTE: (ON MEMPHIS MOTORSPORTS PARK.) "I've raced at Memphis a few times now. It's a great little race track and a pretty exciting one, too. I really like racing at the track and did pretty well there last year. It's a pretty good track for me, personally."

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CHAD WALTER, CREW CHIEF OF THE NO. 5 LOWE'S/STA-GREEN CHEVROLET: (ON WORKING WITH JUSTIN LABONTE.) "Justin is a very capable race car driver. He's obviously been competing in the Busch Series for a while and just hasn't caught the break he needs. He joined us as a sub for Kyle (Busch) at Nashville and Kentucky and did an excellent job for us in both circumstances. We worked really well together. He gives great feedback, which is always appreciated. I'm really looking forward to working with him again this weekend at Memphis. This should be an easier weekend for him with the Lowe's team. He can concentrate on setting the car up for himself instead of trying to guess someone else's driving style. He's definitely helping us out and I hope that we can get a great finish this Saturday and help him out, too."

WALTER: (ON MEMPHIS MOTORSPORTS PARK.) "The Lowe's team tested at Memphis Motorsports Park last year, but had a less-than-stellar race. It was my first time at the track, other than the test, and I think it surprised us a bit. The Memphis track is definitely a challenge. The corners are incredibly tight. Getting good drive-off is the key. Our main goal will be to get the Lowe's Chevy turning well through the corners on the bottom and still getting drive-off. If we can do that, we'll have a pretty good day on Saturday."

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MARSHALL CARLSON, GENERAL MANAGER OF HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: (ON THE DECISION TO UTILIZE JUSTIN LABONTE AS A SUBSTITUTE DRIVER AT MEMPHIS.) "After reviewing the track schedules, we knew it would be impossible for Kyle (Busch) to make the Memphis race after participating in the NEXTEL Cup final practice and our team debriefing in Atlanta. We're supportive of our drivers running both series, but with the difficult logistics this weekend we thought it best to concentrate on Cup and the championship chase. We'll look forward to having Kyle back in the No. 5 Chevrolet next weekend when the two series are together again at Texas."

CARLSON: (ON JUSTIN LABONTE.) "We're fortunate to have a talented driver like Justin Labonte available to substitute for Kyle this weekend. He's a proven winner in the Busch Series and already has experience working with the No. 5 team this season."