Race 2 Win: Checker Auto Parts 500

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Checker Auto Parts 500 - Bobby Labonte Notes

BOBBY LABONTE PHOENIX NOTES AND QUOTES

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2005 – The following are Checker Auto Parts 500 and Phoenix 200 pre-race notes and quotes for Bobby Labonte, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Chevrolet (NEXTEL Cup) for Joe Gibbs Racing.

CHECKER AUTO PARTS 500 PRE-RACE NOTES:

Labonte will attempt to start his 14th NEXTEL Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. He has never won at Phoenix and his best finish was third in 1999. He won the Bud Pole for the 1996 race.

Labonte has six top-10 finishes at PIR (eighth, 1993; ninth, 1996; third, 1999; fifth, 2000; ninth, 2004; sixth, spring 2005).

On April 23, Labonte has one of his best races of the season, starting fourth and finishing sixth in the Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix

Labonte is 25th in the NEXTEL Cup point standings. He has 3,272points and is 40 points behind Michael Waltrip.

The primary car for the Checker Auto Parts 500 is chassis No. 84, the car Labonte drove to third-place in July at New Hampshire. The car was also used earlier in the year to finish sixth at Phoenix (spring), eighth at Richmond (spring) and 24th at New Hampshire (fall). In 2004, the car was used at: Martinsville 1 (second), Richmond 1 (third), Richmond 2 (16th), New Hampshire 1 (17th), and Martinsville 2 (18th). In 2003, the car was driven by Labonte in fall races at New Hampshire (16th) and Martinsville (41st). It was also driven at Phoenix (36th, accident).

The back-up car will be No. 85, which was used in 2004 at Phoenix where Labonte started 27th and finished ninth. The only other time the car was used was in 2003 at Indianapolis when Labonte started eighth and finished 22nd.

PHOENIX PRE-RACE QUOTE:
BOBBY LABONTE (No. 18 Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Chevrolet; 2000 NASCAR Champion, 1991 Busch Series Champion): “We had a good run at Phoenix in the spring and we’ve always run pretty well at Homestead, so I’m looking forward to the final two races. We had a really good run at Phoenix in the spring, so hopefully we can do well there on Sunday. We’re running our final Busch race of the year for ConAgra Foods in the SlimJim cars. We’ve come close to getting a victory for them and I’d really like to get one for them since this is the last race of the year. We’ve only got to races left in the Interstate Batteries Chevy and I’d like to get another win for everybody involved in the program. That’d be a great way to go out.”

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