Labonte Quietly Building Momentum

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 6, 2002) -- As Terry Labonte exited his team’s hauler following a 15th-place finish on June 2 in Dover, Del., he was surprised to see a small group of reporters waiting outside. “Why do they want to talk to me?” he wondered. The answers to that question varied, but all had a common theme: the two-time champion had driven a gutsy race, rallying from the 37th starting position on a demanding racetrack to salvage a respectable finish and hold onto 16th place in the point standings. It may not sound like much, but Labonte’s Kellogg’s Racing Team continues to dig out from one of its worst seasons a year ago and hopes to sustain its steady march back toward the top 10 during a visit to northeastern Pennsylvania for Sunday’s Pocono 500. “I was surprised because I didn’t think anyone would get excited over a 15th-place finish,” Labonte said. “But when you think about it, we raced from the back of the pack on a track where I haven’t had much success and came out of it with a finish that may not have really helped us in the points, but it didn’t hurt us.” Labonte’s gaze then settled on crew chief Jim Long. “He’s said all year that we need to walk before we run,” Labonte said. “Little steps are what will get us back where we need to be. It’s not all going to come back at once and I know we’ve been preaching patience all season. But I can see it starting to pay off and I feel we’re on the verge of finally turning that corner.” While the Kellogg’s Racing Team isn’t cutting any corners in its return to prominence, the NASCAR circuit certainly is with this week’s visit to Pocono, Pa. -- a unique alternative to the traditional four-cornered oval track. Pocono Raceway features a 2.5-mile triangle-shaped layout, with each of its three corners banked differently and a frontstretch long enough and wide enough for small aircraft to land safely. Labonte has had some success in solving the mysteries of Pocono, winning here in 1989 and 1995. He’s also finished in the top five on four other occasions, most recently in 1985, and won the pole position for the 1987 Pocono 500. This year’s race will be Labonte’s 723rd career start and his 304th for Kellogg’s. He is second among active NASCAR drivers in career starts, behind only Ricky Rudd (744). After sinking to 26th place following the Las Vegas race on March 3, Labonte has climbed back toward the top 10 in the series standings by advancing 10 positions in 10 races. He is 16th entering the Pocono 500, just six points behind 15th-place Ryan Newman and 208 behind 10th-place Rudd. Labonte also is on the verge of surpassing the $28 million mark in career winnings, needing $171,000 to do so. The 21st running of the Pocono 500 is scheduled to start shortly after 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 9 and will be televised live by FOX, with the radio broadcast on the Motor Racing Network. Rudd is the defending champion. Now in his 10th year behind the wheel of the Kellogg’s Chevrolet, Labonte stands seventh on the all-time money-winning list and is a two-time series champion with 21 career victories.