Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Camping World 200 - Bobby Labonte Notes

Bobby Labonte
No. 77 Dollar General Stores Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Team Report
NASCAR Busch Series Race 18 of 35—New Hampshire International Speedway

THE MILWAUKEE (WIS.) MILE RACE RECAP:

Ron Hornaday made his first start in the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet for the NASCAR Busch Series race at The Milwaukee (Wis.) Mile, reuniting with his old Kevin Harvick Inc. Truck Series crew chief Wally Rogers. Hornaday qualified the No. 77 car 27th on the starting grid and was racing towards the front of the field when he was tapped by another competitor and sent hard into the turn one wall.

NEW HAMPSIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY FACTS & STATS:

NUMBER NINE: Bobby Labonte will make his ninth career NASCAR Busch Series start at New Hampshire International Speedway, returning to the seat of the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet.

ONE OF THE FIRST DRIVERS ON THE TRACK: New Hampshire International Speedway opened its gates for the first time in June of 1990 and hosted its first NASCAR touring series event, the Budweiser 300 for the Busch Series on July 15, 1990. Labonte was among the field of 46 competitors that raced in the first 300-lap event at New Hampshire.

2007 SEASON: Labonte has made eight previous starts for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) in the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series season, earning one victory at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway earlier this season in April.

TOP QUALIFYING SPEED: Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team co-owner and driver Kevin Harvick, holds the NASCAR Busch Series qualifying speed record at New Hampshire International Speedway. Driving the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) owned Chevrolet, Harvick qualified on the pole for the 2001 Busch Series event with a speed of 130.716 miles per hour (mph). Harvick followed up his pole position with a second-place finish, leading 165 of 200 laps.

SIX WINS AMONG 13 VICTORIES AT KHI: Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick have celebrated 13 wins since the start of their company in 2001. The crew chief of the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet, Wally Rogers, has helped KHI earn six of the victories in the Truck and Busch Series’. Rogers joined KHI in 2003 and it wasn’t long when he found himself in victory lane with KHI team co-owner Kevin Harvick. Their first win cam at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in the Truck Series event. In 2005 Rogers was paired with two-time NASCAR Truck Series Champion Ron Hornaday and together they earned a victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and by season’s end the No. 6 Truck Series team ranked fourth in the points standings. During the 2006 season Rogers was asked to work “double-duty” as crew chief between the No. 33 Busch Series team and the No. 33 Truck Series team. Kicking off the 2006 season in grand style, Rogers was atop the pit box as Tony Stewart drove to victory lane in the No. 33 Busch Series season opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. KHI’s No. 77 Busch Series car finished second behind the No. 33, for the first one-two finish in the company’s history. That season Rogers also assisted the No. 33 Truck Series team to two victories at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. Rogers flew from Charlotte to Mansfield, Ohio to help set up the No. 33 truck in practice then returned to Charlotte for Busch Series practice the next day. Rogers also helped set up the No. 33 truck that won in Kentucky, Rogers communicated via phone and American On-Line (AOL) Instant Messenger to the team in Kentucky while Rogers was in Chicago, Ill. for the Busch Series event. In 2007, Rogers has taken over the role as crew chief of the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet. Just 10 races into the 2007 season Busch Series season Rogers once again found himself in victory lane, this time with Nextel Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte behind the wheel of the No. 77 car. For the second time in KHI history, the two Busch Series cars finished one-two, this time with the No. 77 leading the No. 33.

BOBBY LABONTE QUOTES:

What is the secret to getting around New Hampshire International Speedway: “It’s a difficult type of track and one that represents a different set of challenges for drivers. I’m not sure if there is a secret to getting around New Hampshire. But I enjoy it. Obviously you need to be fast down the straight-a-ways, but have a good handling car through the turns. You want the car to ‘roll’ through the turns and accelerate off. It’s a tricky place, but you want to be smooth. Although Michigan is my favorite track, I like the fact that at New Hampshire you see similar characteristics. The fact that you have so many grooves to pick from to race makes it fun to race at. I grew up racing quarter midgets and the short tracks in North Carolina, and I’m sure that it has helped in my career. You learn the rhythm of getting around a short track, and that’s important.”

QUICK NOTES:
Race Info
Date: June 30, 2007
Track: New Hampshire International Speedway
Event Name: New England 200

Race length: 200 laps / 211.6 miles
Banking/Turns: 12-degrees
Track layout: 1.058-miles
Shape: Oval

Pre-Race Schedule:
Practice—Friday from 9:40 – 10:50 a.m., ET
Final Practice—Friday from 1:45 – 3:00 p.m., ET
Qualifying—Saturday at 10:05 a.m., ET

Broadcast Times:
TV – NASCAR Countdown pre-race coverage can be seen live on ABC at 2:30 p.m., ET. Followed by the New England 200 on ABC at 3:00 p.m., ET.
Radio – The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast pre-race coverage at 2:30 p.m., ET.

No. 77 Dollar General stores Monte Carlo SS Specs
Chassis: 010
Car History: Chassis No. 010 was recently rebuilt after an on-track incident in the spring 2007 Busch Series race at the Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.
Engine: RCR