Aaron’s 499 - Terry Labonte Notes

UPCOMING LABONTE MILESTONES: There are two more career milestones on the horizon for Terry Labonte as he heads into the second quarter of the 2004 season. The June 13 Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway will mark his 600th race for Chevrolet. The following month, the two-time Cup Series champion will start the 800th race of his career in the July 25 New England 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.

LABONTE LOOKING FOR 'DEGA SPARK: One year ago, the spring race at Talladega provided a spark for Labonte as he posted his first top-five finish of the season, igniting a surge that carried him into NASCAR's Top 10. The Corpus Christi, Texas, native is hoping for a similar scenario this time around as he heads into this weekend's Aaron's 499. Labonte is 23rd in the NEXTEL Cup standings with a best finish of 17th place through the first eight races.

LABONTE AT 'DEGA: Labonte has two victories and three second-place finishes at Talladega's mammoth facility, winning in 1989 and 1997. Hendrick Motorsports has four wins at Talladega, most recently by Jeff Gordon in 2000.

LABONTE AHEAD OF '03: Through the first eight races of the 2004 season, Labonte and Kellogg's Racing are slightly ahead of their pace set a year ago when a late-season rally lifted them into NASCAR's Top 10. Last year, the team was 24th after eight events -- 448 points behind the leader. This year, Labonte ranks 23rd -- 395 off the pace of first-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. and 231 behind 10th-ranked Kevin Harvick.

STILL GOING: Labonte has now gone 23 races without the need of a provisional starting position, his longest such streak since he put 24 straight races together in 1998.

FRESH WHEELS: Kellogg's Racing will take a fresh chassis into Talladega this weekend -- the fourth new car the team has rolled out this year. Finishes in the three previous races in which the team has debuted a chassis are 20th at Daytona; 17th at Rockingham, N.C.; and 18th at Bristol, Tenn.

STAYING POWER: With 789 career starts to date, Labonte is fourth on NASCAR's all-time list, behind only Richard Petty, Dave Marcis, Ricky Rudd and Darrell Waltrip.

TERRY LABONTE, DRIVER OF THE NO. 5 KELLOGG'S CHEVROLETS: (ON RETURNING TO TALLADEGA.) "We need a good finish to pull us back up in the point standings. We were in the same boat a year ago, then finished fifth at Talladega, which gave us a big lift heading into the middle part of the season."

LABONTE: (ON THE TEAM'S NEW CAR FOR TALLADEGA.) "We had it in the wind tunnel and the numbers were excellent, so we think we've got something to work with. The races there are always a crapshoot -- you have to be in the right place at the right time and if it works out, you'll finish well. We're overdue for a good weekend."