Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site

#18 Team News and Rumors Archive

NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages

2008 News

Special M&M's schemes [5 races] are scheduled to be run at the following races:
Darlington [5/10] Indiana Jones
Pococo [6/8] Most Colorful Fan in NASCAR
Indianapolis [7/27] Red, White & Blue
Charlotte [10/11] Susan G. Komen/Breast Cancer
Atlanta [10/26] Halloween

Snickers [2 races] is scheduled to be the primary sponsor at the following races:
Atlanta [3/9]
Phoenix [4/12]

Pedigree [3 races] is scheduled to be the primary sponsor at the following races:
Richmond [5/3]
Bristol [8/23] - didn't run there
Talladega [10/5]
Phoenix [11/9]

Combos [1 race] is scheduled to be the primary sponsor at the following races:
Dover [6/1]

Interstate Batteries [6 races] is scheduled to be the primary sponsor at the following races:
California [2/24]
Texas [4/6]
New Hampshire [6/29]
Daytona [7/5]
Michigan [8/17]
Dover [9/21]

Kyle Busch named to 4th qtr Pocono Spirit Award: #18-Kyle Busch’s generosity to a former driver prompted voters to name him the fourth-quarter recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association Pocono Spirit Award. Busch was recognized for donating $100,000 to Sam Ard and his family after tying Ard’s single-season victory mark with his 10th win of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season, a win that came at Texas Motor Speedway. Ard, a two-time series champion, suffers from both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, creating massive medical bills. “Sam Ard is one of the pioneers of this [series], and to be tied with at 10 wins is something that’s pretty spectacular and really, really special to me,’’ Busch said after the win. “I’m going to try to help him out and see what I can do. It’s not much, but it’s something that can try to help.’’ The NMPA Pocono Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year, quarterly winners are selected, and an overall winner is selected by a vote of the NMPA membership. The 2008 overall winner will be announced during the NMPA's annual convention and awards ceremony in January 2009. Also receiving votes were Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon and NASCAR. Sprint Cup driver Juan Pablo Montoya was the first-quarter winner. Longtime NASCAR photographer T. Taylor Warren was the second-quarter winner, and team owner Richard Childress claimed the third-quarter honor.(SceneDaily)(12-16-2008)

Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR named: In a sport filled with "colorful" fans, Deborah Gannon of Canton, Ga., claimed the title of the most colorful of them. Prior to the start of the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M'S Toyota, helped crown Gannon as the winner of "The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR" contest. Created by M&M'S Racing, "The Most Colorful Fan of NASCAR" contest celebrates, recognizes and rewards all of the enthusiastic NASCAR fans throughout the country, regardless who they pull for at the track. From June 8-Oct. 11, 2008, NASCAR fans nationwide showcased their unmatched love for the sport by uploading their most colorful photos to NASCAR.COM. In the end, Gannon's photo stood out from the tens of thousands of entries. "I think the people that follow NASCAR are the best fans in the world, so this truly is a great honor," Gannon said. "Of course, the opportunity to see the season finale in Miami, as well as meet Kyle and coach [Joe] Gibbs ran a close second. It's an experience I will cherish forever." Gannon and four other finalists won the opportunity to travel to Homestead to watch the finale and find out who the contest winner was. As the grand prize winner, Gannon also will receive a designer watch, as well as a Richard Petty Driving Experience for her and a guest.(NASCAR.com)(11-22-2008)

Kyle Busch expected to run full 2009 NNS season: UPDATE: Kyle Busch likely will run for the Nationwide Series title next year, Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs said Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Missing five races during the 2008 season, Busch finished sixth in the standings, 671 points behind champion Clint Bowyer. Busch won 10 races. Gibbs said the team is close on sponsorship for the full season and if it can get it, then Busch would run the entire schedule – one that includes five weekends where the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series run in different cities. Most of the sponsorship for Busch will come from Z-Line Design, JGR Nationwide Series general manager Steve DeSouza said. Gibbs said the second JGR Nationwide car will feature mostly Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Logano’s sponsorship is expected to come from GameStop for about 24 races, with Hamlin running the rest with a sponsor to be announced, DeSouza said.(Scene Daily)(11-15-2008) UPDATE: Kyle Busch is "99 percent" certain to run the full 35-race Nationwide schedule next year, Joe Gibbs Racing's vice president of Nationwide Series operations Steve de Souza said on Friday. Dave Rogers, the crew chief for JGR's owners' championship-winning #20 Toyota, said that he'd work another combination season, with Gibbs' Sprint Cup drivers Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano doing most of the races. He said Busch would run a full schedule in the #18 Camry with crew chief Jason Ratcliff.(NASCAR.com)(11-23-2008)

Kyle Busch to test F-1 car UPDATE 2: Kyle Busch will test a Formula One car with Toyota later this year in Japan. As teams get ready for Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Challenge, Busch said Formula One is something that appeals to him, but not on the near horizon. "I'm planning on retiring at 30 and going Formula One racing,” the 23-year-old Busch said at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He also reveled his plan to drive an F1 car for the first time at the end of this year when he goes to Japan to do NASCAR exhibition runs for Toyota. "We're working on a test session right now at the end of November, or the beginning of December, sometime going to Japan and doing a little exhibition, to see what it's like," he said. "We'll take a Cup car over there too and just run around there at either Twin-Ring or somewhere like that to show them what the Cup cars are like and try to get into a Formula One car too. We'll see how well I test first, we'll see if my neck can stand the g-forces of braking and everything. I wouldn't mind. If I can do it and if I'm good at it then I'll give it a shot and try it." However, Busch admitted however that the actual racing part of F1 appeals the least to him. "It seems as though the racing isn't all that great," he said. "They get stuck in line, the aero takes over everything and Toyota is not necessarily one of those companies at the moment that's like Ferrari or McLaren, or like Renault was a couple of years ago. I don't think it's only a driver that you put in the seat that's going to make it go, you know. You need a little bit more of a car."(CupScene)(5-16-2008)
UPDATE - Hamlin heading to Japan: from a Joe Gibbs Racing PR: You'll be heading to Japan and Fuji Speedway for Toyota Motorsports Day during the off season - Are you looking forward to that trip?: Denny Hamlin - "I really am looking forward to it. Usually, when the end of the season rolls around I like nothing more than to go home, turn off my phone and do as little as possible but this is a once-in-a -lifetime opportunity. This is a huge event for Toyota, where they will showcase their Cup and F1 teams for all of their fans - it's a cool thing to be a part of and I'll get a chance to visit some new places and meet some new people.”(JGR PR), Kyle Busch was supposed to go, but he has another commitment and has to attend the NASCAR Nationwide Banquet. Hamlin will not be driving a F-1 car but a Stock Car.(11-14-2008)
UPDATE 2: Because he's required to be in Orlando next weekend for the Nationwide Series banquet, Kyle Busch won't get to test a Formula One car in Japan. Busch had been looking forward to a Toyota exhibition in which he was going to drive a Sprint Cup car and then an F1 car. NASCAR is requiring him to attend the banquet because he finished in the top 10 in points, and Busch isn't happy about it. "I have to go to the Nationwide banquet and accept my sixth-place awards instead," Busch said. "NASCAR took me away from the Formula One car."(Tampa Tribune)(11-16-2008) Comment here

Busch to give 100K to Ard UPDATE: 23-year-old Kyle Busch dedicated his latest [Nationwide Series] win to South Carolinian Sam Ard, a two-time Nationwide -then called the Busch Series -- champion suffering from Alzheimer's disease and in tough straits financially. "Sam Ard was one of the pioneers of the sport and this really means a lot to me," Busch said after his now-traditional victory bows to the crowd. "I got to thinking about it and I decided I'm going give him $100,000 to try to help him out."(Associated Press/ESPN)(11-2-2008)
UPDATE: Sam Ard was unsettled late Saturday night, unable to sleep as he peppered his wife about things he couldn't remember. Were his parents still alive when he married Jo nearly 50 years ago? Were they doing a good job raising their children? "He asked me `What if I go back racing?' " Jo Ard said Monday. "I said `If you go back racing, I'm going to hand you divorce papers. Nobody is going to let you go racing.' " Ard's racing days are indeed long over. He's 69 years old and suffering from both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. He's not permitted to drive anywhere anymore, and no one is exactly sure how much Ard understands about the latest push to help his crumbling finances and mounting medical bills. Kevin Harvick, a champion of Ard's plight, donated a 2007 Chevrolet van last month to Ard's family that solved the transportation woes that plagued the couple since Jo's car died five months ago. Then the NASCAR Foundation and Motor Racing Outreach teamed for an online auction to benefit the Sam Ard Fund. The largest gesture, though, came Saturday afternoon when Kyle Busch committed $100,000 to Ard moments after winning the Nationwide Series race. The win at Texas Motor Speedway tied Ard's mark of 10 series victories in a season. Ard didn't have a particularly long NASCAR career, but his three seasons netted him two championships in the second-tier series now sponsored by Nationwide. He never got rich from racing, and collected roughly 25% of the $378,765 he made in winnings before suffering severe head trauma in a 1984 accident. Unable to secure a consistent income after the accident, the Ards blew through their children's college funds to cover everyday expenses. Unlike every other major professional league, NASCAR does not provide a pension to its participants [as they are consdiered independent contractors not NASCAR employees] and has not been on the hook for Ard or any other former driver facing financial difficulties. The NASCAR community has occasionally stepped in to help, and a 2006 plea to their peers by Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. led to a significant donation to Ard's care fund. That gesture and Ard's fight were the centerpiece of a 2007 Associated Press examination of NASCAR's indifference toward financially supporting its veterans. When Busch pledged his assistance, Jo Ard said the 23-year-old racer had no idea the magnitude of his gesture. She said she'll use a chunk of the money to make their bathroom handicap accessible so Ard can use it alone. "Kyle doesn't know what he's done. He really, truly does not know what he's done to take the load and the pressure off of me," Jo Ard told The AP by telephone Monday. "We can do the bathroom. I can maybe get someone to come to the house and help me if I need them, because we're here day in and day out because Sammy can't be left alone. He falls. He can't drive. He'll tell you he feels fine, but every day is different."(see full AP story at ESPN.com)(11-4-2008) Comment here

NASCAR takes rear-end housing of #18: NASCAR officials opted to take the rear-end housing of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup car driven by Kyle Busch to electronically check the measurements following Sunday's Pep Boys 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. Tharp said that NASCAR does not anticipate there will be a problem with the car, but wanted to check it more closely at the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.(SceneDaily)(10-27-2008)
UPDATE: A NASCAR spokesman says sanctioning body officials have found that the rear housing taken from the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driven by Kyle Busch following the Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway was within the rules. NASCAR took the rear housing to its research and development center in Concord, N.C., to be measured electronically and found it to be in compliance with the rules, according to the spokesman, so the team will not face any penalties.(Scene Daily)(10-30-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch says what? joke? Last week on the Big D & Bubba Show show, #18-Kyle Busch talked a little NASCAR, discussing everything from the hatred of fans to a certain little physical altercation between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards. Kyle had some interesting thoughts on that fight, saying that Harvick is "one of the biggest hotheads" in Sprint Cup, and Edwards is "probably on more juice than Barry Bonds." Jayski note: after listening to the interview on Monday, it sounded like Busch was joking and Big D & Bubba asked him briefly about it, Busch laughed and said "I said probably" and it was never brought up after that or later in the interview. I had not planned to post anything as it seemed to all be taken out of contest, but folks are asking about it, so see/hear more at the links on bigdandbubba.com.(10-23-2008) Comment here

Halloween colors for Kyle Busch at AMS: Kyle Busch’s #18 M&M’s Toyota will feature a special Halloween M&M’s paint scheme in the Pep Boys 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in celebration of Halloween on Friday, Oct. 31, and to promote the M&M’s Halloween Millions contest. Busch will participate in the NASCAR Foundation Track Walk Sunday morning in Atlanta and walk alongside the children of the Carrie Steele-Pitts Home orphanage located in Atlanta, a charity supported by the Kyle Busch Foundation (KBF). The children will stick around and cheer Busch on during the Pep Boys Auto 500, compliments of the NASCAR Foundation and Busch.(Elevation Group PR), see my #18 Team Schemes page for an image of the scheme.(10-23-2008)

Stremme beats Busch at Winschester: David Stremme won the 37th Annual Winchester 400 Sunday in Winchester, IN beating Kyle Busch.(CRA Racing)(10-13-2008)

Pink M&M's scheme for Busch at LMS: While M&M’s will be on board as the primary sponsor this weekend in the Bank of America 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch’s #18 Toyota will feature a pink paint scheme to help raise awareness for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation during Breast Cancer Awareness month.(JGR PR), see image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(10-9-2008)

No answers for Busch's engine woes at Kansas: Jimmy Makar, senior vice president for Joe Gibbs Racing, says the team is unsure what caused #18-Kyle Busch's engine woes during last weekend. Busch reported that he was losing power but then things improved. Still, he finished 28th, his best finish in the first three races of the Chase. "I wish I could tell you,'' Makar said of what was wrong. "We've looked at the fuel system. We've run everything across the dyno. We've run it across the lab in the shop. We've actually taken everything and gone to Kentucky and tested with it [Thursday]. I haven't found anything. I think it was fuel related, but we can't find anything that says this is it. Whatever caused it is ... it came and went and we haven't been able to locate the problem. That's your worst nightmare, when you can't find a reason for your problem.''(Roanoke Times)(10-4-2008)

Mars Acquires Wrigley: In a move that ends more than a century of family control, shareholders of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. approved the company’s $23 billion sale to Mars Inc., which now becomes the world’s largest candy maker. The deal, which bumps Britain’s Cadbury PLC from the top candy-making slot, will offer gums such as Juicy Fruit and Big Red, M&Ms, Snickers and Skittles under the same corporate banner. Under Mars’ ownership, the firm will be able to grow in new directions, Bill Wrigley Jr. said. Wrigley’s is slated to take over control of Mars’ non-chocolate candy, such as Starburst and Skittles.(csnews.com), no word on how or if it will effect the sponsorship of the #18 M&M's Toyota of Kyle Busch or the #42 Big Red/Juicy Fruit Dodge of Juan Pablo Montoya.(10-2-2008)

Last 2008 race for Interstate Batteries: The Camping World 400 at Dover International Speedway is the sixth and final 2008 event during which Dallas-based Interstate Batteries will serve as the primary sponsor of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that Kyle Busch will drive.(JGR PR), see images of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(9-18-2008)

Kyle Busch testing at Milwaukee: In preparation for the first race in the Chase at Loudon, NH this weekend, Sprint Cup Series point leader Kyle Busch is testing his #18 M&M's Toyota today, Monday, September 8 at The Milwaukee Mile. Grandstands are open today, free to public until 5:00 p.m. Enter Grandstand Gate 8, near center grandstand.(Milwaukee Mile PR)(9-8-2008)

Kyle Busch Tops Tony Schumacher In Battle of Top Guns at zMAX Dragway: Kyle Busch and Tony Schumacher, the top drivers this season from NASCAR and the NHRA, dueled Tuesday at zMAX Dragway @ Concord to promote the upcoming playoff events at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In the coming weeks, the legendary motorsports complex will become the world's first to host both the NHRA Countdown to One with the Sept. 11-14 NHRA Nationals and the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup with the Bank of America 500 on Oct. 11. Racing identically prepared Toyota Camry pace cars, Busch and Schumacher matched up for a best two-out-of-three on the concrete quarter-mile dragway. The only advice that the five-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Schumacher gave his opponent was, "Don't wait to leave on green." Apparently, that advice was more than enough, as "Rowdy" Busch beat "The Sarge" Schumacher off the line and onto victory to go up 1-0. Schumacher, ready for revenge, was a little too anxious at the start of the second race, red-lighting to give Busch the win by default. But a last minute amendment to the rules by Lowe's Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith, gave the competitors one more race, winner take all. Busch used a .102-second reaction time to again beat Schumacher off the line and onto victory with the best pass of the day, a 14.544 elapsed time and top speed of 97.33 mph. Afterward, Busch celebrated by honking the horn and feigning a bow out the side of the car window. Despite the loss, Schumacher was all smiles, joking that after only three races, "I already don't like him."(LMS PR)(9-4-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch wins at Milwaukee: Kyle Busch notched his name to the prestigious list of winners at the legendary Milwaukee Mile by driving to his first career victory at the facility Sunday afternoon in the “Wisconsin All Star 100 with Matt Kenseth” super late model race that co-headlined the Governor’s Cup Weekend. Busch fielded his own super late model to race against Kenseth and the touring stars of the ASA Midwest Tour. Kenseth returned to his home state to defend his victory earned last August in a 50-lap super late model event. Fresh off his second place finish in the Sprint Cup Series race in Bristol, Tenn. the night before, Busch arrived at The Mile early Sunday morning ready to race. He set the pace in practice, beat Kenseth for quick time in the 39-car field and started 11th with the series-mandated inversion.(more at the Milwaukee Mile site)(8-26-2008)

Kyle Busch could be penalized: NASCAR officials will discuss on Monday if #18-Kyle Busch will be penalized for instigating an incident with winner #99-Carl Edwards on the cool-down lap of Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch, upset over contact from Edwards when he lost the lead with 30 laps remaining, rammed the right side of his car into the #99 as they came back towards the start/finish line after Edwards took the checkered flag for the sixth time this season. Edwards retaliated by spinning Busch out. NASCAR officials immediately summoned Busch to the hauler. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said the situation will be further evaluated. There is precedence for a penalty. Tony Stewart was fined $10,000 and placed on probation for five months after ramming Jeff Gordon's car on pit road in retaliation for a last-lap incident in the 2001 Bristol race. Edwards was not summoned by NASCAR, but he was stopped near the NASCAR hauler by Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs to talk about the exchange with his driver. "He just explained to me that you reap what you sow, which I believe," Edwards said. "I explained to him that's why that happened that way. That's it. I have a lot of respect for him and the organization. They do a really good job and I really look up to them, so that's that." Busch did not talk to reporters following the meeting with NASCAR president Mike Helton, Pemberton and series director John Darby. JGR owner Joe Gibbs, also in the meeting with NASCAR, said only that "NASCAR is smart at what they do. They handle everything the right way."(ESPN.com)(8-24-2008) Comment here

JGR names Director of Corporate Communications: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has named Chris Helein as its director of corporate communications, effective immediately. Helein spent the past two seasons in the NFL as vice president of public relations for the Washington Redskins, where in his second stint with the organization, he worked closely with former head coach and three-time Super Bowl winner Joe Gibbs. In his new position, Helein will lead all aspects of JGR's public relations efforts, which will include serving as the primary media liaison for JGR and working closely with each team's sponsor representatives. For the remainder of the 2008 racing season, Helein will work alongside Mike Arning and True Speed Communication, the firm that has handled JGR's corporate communications since 2003. Arning will continue his role as the at-track liaison for JGR and the #20 Home Depot team in the Sprint Cup Series through the season finale Nov. 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(JGR PR)(8-23-2008)

Kyle Busch wins at Watkins Glen: #18-Kyle Busch won the Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International for his 8th win of 2008 and 12th of his career. #20-Stewart finished 2nd followed by #21-Ambrose [his best career finish in 3 races, after winning his first Nationwide race on Saturday], #42-Montoya, #1-Truex Jr., #29-Harvick, #48-Johnson, #11-Hamlin, #99-Edwards and #2-Busch. #88-Earnhardt Jr. finished 22nd after leading 33 laps, was leading when caution came out before he could pit and fell back. There was a 45 minute red flag for a big wreck involving 9 drivers/cars with 8 laps to go. There were 8 lead changes among 5 drivers and 4 cautions for 9 laps.
For race results, awards and more, see my Watkins Glen Race Results Awards Page.(8-10-2008)
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Watkins Glen page.(8-10-2008) Comment here

Busch clinches top spot in Chase...if: #18-Kyle Busch’s eight victories have clinched the Chase’s “top seeding” because of the 80 bonus points those wins provide. Of course, to be top seed, he must first make the Chase – a virtual certainty if there ever was one. This weekend, Busch can become the first driver to clinch a Chase berth, by finishing 10th or better on Sunday at Michigan.(NASCAR)(8-12-2008)

Record books beware: #18-Kyle Busch, who won his eighth race of the season last Sunday at Watkins Glen, already became the first driver in NASCAR national series history to win three road course races in a single season. With six more wins, he’ll also break the modern era record for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins of 13 (Richard Petty in 1975 and Jeff Gordon in 1998). Busch became the 18th driver with eight or more win in the first 22 races of a season – 13 of the previous 17 went on to win the series championship.(NASCAR)(8-12-2008)

Kyle Busch wins second quarter driver of the year award: #18-Kyle Busch just keeps winning. The 23-year-old Sprint Cup star has won second-quarter voting for 2008 Driver of the Year, repeating his victory in the first-quarter balloting. Busch won a total of four races in NASCAR’s top two series—three in Cup and one in Nationwide—during the quarter that ran from May 3 to June 29. He continues to lead the Cup point standings. In the second-quarter voting, Busch totaled 103 points as he took seven of 14 first-place votes and was listed on every ballot, with only one vote below second place. He handily beat Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon, whose two IndyCar Series victories earned him five first-place votes and a total of 85 points. World of Outlaws star Donny Schatz, who drives for Tony Stewart Racing, had one first-place vote and was third in the voting with 48 points. The late Scott Kalitta, the Funny Car driver who died in a crash on June 21, got the other first-place vote.(Associated Press)(7-23-2008) Comment here

Busch, Kenseth come up short in ASA race at Iowa: All weekend long Tim Schendel was fast around the 7/8-mile Iowa Speedway as he was able to back up those fast times in practice and qualifying by taking the ASA Midwest Tour Rasmussen Group Twin 75's. Schendel took the checkered flag while Jonathan Eilen would hold off Matt Kenseth and Donny Reuvers for second. Kenseth, who was making his first visit Iowa Speedway, was pleased with his third place finish. Kyle Busch flew through the field after starting 11th and took over the top spot on lap 8. Busch would then dominate by pulling away from the rest of the field to the halfway break. At the start of the second half, Busch would lead the first four laps until he fell off the pace and retired with mechanical problems.(ASA Midwest Tour)(7-21-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch testing Late Models this week: Kyle Busch will be shaking down his super late model stock car at The Milwaukee Mile on Wednesday, July 16. This short track car is what he'll be driving at The Mile on Sunday, August 24 in the "Wisconsin All-Star 100 With Matt Kenseth" race, one of four stock car races on The Mile's Governor's Cup weekend August 22-24. Grandstands on Wednesday will be open, free to public, enter Grandstand Gate 8. More details about Governor's Cup weekend at www.milwaukeemile.com.(Milwaukee Mile PR)(7-15-2008)
AND: Kyle Busch plans to run a test session Thursday at the Iowa Speedway. Busch is running in Sunday's ASA late model series race in Newton. Fellow NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth also plans to run on Sunday. He is scheduled to test this weekend prior to the race. The Iowa Speedway plans to open the public viewing area for Busch's practice run.(KCCI.com)(7-15-2008)

Gibbs wants to keep team in the family: Joe Gibbs says he's not about to join the trend of offering ownership in his race team in order to retain drivers. Tony Stewart received 50% ownership in making the jump from Joe Gibbs Racing to Stewart Haas Racing. Drivers Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards (who re-signed with Roush Fenway Racing) and Ryan Newman (entertaining offers for 2009) say they've received offers that include a share of team ownership. But JGR is a family operation, and Gibbs, the family patriarch, says he plans to keep it that way. "We have eight grandchildren," Gibbs said. "I'm not worried about (sons) J.D. or Coy. But (the business) is going to be for the grandkids if I have anything to say about it."(USA Today)(7-14-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch wins at Chicago: #18-Kyle Busch won the Lifelock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway for his 7th win of 2008 and the 11th of his career. He took the lead from #48-Jimmie Johnson coming to the white flag after a restart with 2 to go. #48-Johnson got loose coming to the checkerd flag but held on for second place. The rest of the top-10 were #29-Harvick, #16-Biffle, #20-Stewart, #83-Vickers, #17-Kenseth, #6-Ragan, #1-Truex, Jr. and #12-Newman. There were 9 cautions for 34 laps and their were 16 lead changes among 10 drivers.
For race results, awards and more, see my Chicago Race Results Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Chicago page.(7-12-2008)

Kyle Busch wins at Daytona: #18-Kyle Busch won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway for his 6th win of 2008 and the 10th of his career. The race ended with a green-white-checkered finish with #24-Gordon getting spun by #99-Edwards on the restart, no caution was thrown as Gordon was out of the way and was able to get going THEN just after the white flag was waved, there was a big wreck behind the leaders and the yellow came out with the video showing #18-Busch ahead of #99-Edwards. The rest of the top-10 were #17-Kenseth, #2-Busch, #6-Ragan, #7-Gordon, #9-Kahne, #88-Earnhardt Jr., #07-Bowyer and #8-Martin. NOTE: the results are under review and could change a bit. There were 11 cautions for 33 laps and their were 21 lead changes among 10 drivers.
For race results, awards and more, see my Daytona Race Results Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Daytona page.(7-5-2008) Comment here

Gibbs to 4 teams in 2009? maybe: Will Joe and J. D. Gibbs have four Cup teams in 2009? It’s looking good. “I wouldn’t rule it out….but we’re in no hurry,” J. D. Gibbs says. “If everything lines up well, great. But if you don’t have all the parts there, don’t do it. “We’ve done this before. We’ve got the key guys already. So we’ll sit down with Mark Cronquist (the team engine man) and Jimmy Makar (the team manager) and the guys and talk it over. And if the time is right, we’ll do it. The driver is key, obviously. The crew, we’d be in good shape. The infrastructure is all there. But we won’t do it until everyone signs off on it. Joey Logano? What I’ve seen is the guys who are really talented, they don’t need much time. He’s been on a track since he was six. And, like we’ve seen with Tony (Stewart) and Kyle (Busch) and Denny (Hamlin), those guys ‘pop’ right away. Joey fits that mold. Some guys do get better after a while. But usually if you don’t come out of the box strong, it’s hard to say ‘he’s going to get better down the road.’”
And how about Juan Pablo Montoya? Is he a candidate for a Gibbs’ ride? “We think the world of Juan…though I wouldn’t ask Kyle that question this week,” Gibbs said, laughing about the Busch-Montoya run-in at Loudon Sunday. “I don’t know Juan’s situation…. “But to the best of my understanding he’s there (at Chip Ganassi’s). So we’re not going to look at that. We’re actually talking more about 2010 (when Stewart’s contract is up).”(Winston Salem Journal)(7-4-2008) Comment here

Montoya and Kyle Busch tangle: While trying to wreck #18-Kyle Busch on Sunday, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya managed to wreck himself in the process near the end of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. And he did it during a caution. After a caution flag flew with 21 laps to go, Montoya ran into the right-rear fender of Busch's car. It caused Busch to spin and hit Montoya's car as Montoya was driving by. "We always give each other lots of room," Montoya said of Busch. "But he went wide like I wasn't there. Then I got beside him and he started banging me like he was trying to wreck me. I looked at him like, 'What are you doing?' " Montoya had no problem admitting he deliberately ran into Busch's car. "Yeah. I did what he did to me," Montoya said. "I don't appreciate people who race me like that. There's a fine line and he crossed it." Apparently, NASCAR officials felt the same was about Montoya's retaliation move. He was assessed a two-lap penalty for rough driving outside of race procedure. It dropped Montoya to 32nd in the finishing order. Busch finished 25th, but still leads the Cup standings by 64 points over #31-Jeff Burton. So what caused the altercation with Montoya? "I have no idea," Busch said. "I got a run on him earlier. I didn't turn down into him. He ran me up the race track. The caution came out and he thought he had to beat me. I touched his door and he spun me out. I don't know what his beef is."(ESPN.com)(6-30-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch wins at Infineon: #18-Kyle Busch won the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway for his 5th win of 2008 and the 9th of his career. He came from the 30th spot at the start and led 78 of the 110 laps. #38-Gilliland finished 2nd [his career best finish], followed by #24-Gordon, #07-Bowyer, #5-Mears, #42-Montoya, #12-Newman, #17-Kenseth, #99-Edwards, and #20-Stewart. There were 6 cautions for 14 laps and their were 6 lead changes among 6 drivers.
For race results, awards and more, see my Infineon Race Results Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Infineon page. (6-22-2008)

Busch gives up full time Nationwide run: #18-Kyle Busch said on TNT's pre-race show he won't race a Nationwide car next weekend in Milwaukee. The Cup series is in Sonoma, Calif., and getting back and forth is taxing on drivers. Busch also mentioned he won't compete in the Nationwide event at Memphis, which is the same October weekend the Cup series is in Atlanta. Busch said he's cutting back his schedule slightly because he's too far back to win the Nationwide title, so there's no need to make such trips.(Roanoke Times)(6-16-2008) Comment here

Logano could run some Sprint Cup races late this season: Joey Logano, who in only his third Nationwide Series start won on Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway, likely will compete in a few Sprint Cup races for Joe Gibbs Racing before the end of the season. "We would like to get him in some Cup stuff towards the end of the year," team owner Joe Gibbs said before Sunday's Cup race at Michigan International Speedway. "We want to make sure it's the good stuff and the right way." Gibbs said it was too late in the year to start a fourth Cup team for Logano to run fulltime next season. Asked if Logano might replace Tony Stewart should the two-time Cup champion leave for another team [rumored teams include Haas CNC, #5 Hendrick, 4th RCR team], Gibbs said, "I don't think we've gone in that direction yet. We're still trying to work things out." Stewart is being pursued by several teams, including at least one [Haas CNC Racing] that is offering ownership. Gibbs and his son, team president J.D. Gibbs, have been emphatic that they won't part with Stewart before his contract expires after 2009. They remain optimistic that he will re-sign with JGR and end his career there.(ESPN.com)(6-15-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch's Triple Race Weekend:
Truck Series [started 17th/last, finished 2nd] at Texas, J.R. Norris practiced & qualified the #51 Miccosukee Resorts/NOS Energy Toyota in the 17th spot, Busch had to fall to the rear of the field before the race, and was able to finish 2nd to Ron Hornaday. See more on my Truck Series site.
Nationwide Series at Nashville Superspeedway: [started 5th, finished 20th] Willie Allen practiced the #32 Dollar General Toyota of Braun Racing 21st fastest in Happy Hour on Friday. Busch was able to get to Nashville in time to qualify the #32 car in the 5th starting position. Busch finished 20th at Nationwide. More info on my Nationwide Series site.
Sprint Cup: [started 10th/last, finished 43rd] Busch qualified the #18 M&M's Toyota 10th for the Pocono Raceway at Pocono Raceway. During the 1st practice Saturday, Busch wrecked and will go to a backup car, so he will have to fall to the rear of the field on Sunday. Busch wrecked early in the race, the crew giot him back out, but he could not make up any positions, spun again and finally parked the car, finishing 43rd/last.(6-8-2008)

Kyle Busch trying to be first to do the triple: #18-Kyle Busch, who leads the Sprint Cup Series standings, will run that series' events at Pocono Raceway, the Pocono 500 on Sunday afternoon in addition Busch also plans on being at Texas Motor Speedway for Friday night's Craftsman Truck Series race, the Sam's Town 400. Then, on Saturday night, he'll be in the Nationwide Series at Nashville Superspeedway for the Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General. This is unprecedented to say the least. No driver has ever attempted to run in all three NASCAR national series on one weekend at three different tracks. Due to the intense travel challenges, Busch will take part in only one qualifying session this weekend – at Pocono, in the #18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. At Nashville, Busch will be in the #32 Toyota for Braun Racing. Tennessee native Will Allen will sub for Busch during practice and qualifying. At Texas, Busch will be in the #51 Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports, but qualifying and practice in the truck will be handled by J.R. Norris.(NASCAR PR)(6-3-2008) Comment here

Busch almost loses helmet: #18-Kyle Busch almost had to go to a backup helmet this weekend. His helmet was stolen from the garage Friday night, but track security officers caught the culprit. "Somebody snuck in the garage with the cleanup crew and stole it," Busch said. "Somebody saw it happen, I guess, and they told security guards outside. They were checking everybody that was leaving and they found him and brought the helmet back." Did the helmet have any special significance to Busch? "It didn't matter," he said. "It's not a lucky helmet." But Busch now has two victories with that helmet, including Atlanta. "On second thought, it might be a lucky helmet," team owner Joe Gibbs said.(ESPN.com)(6-2-2008)

Kyle Busch wins at Dover: #18-Kyle Busch won the Best Buy 400 benefiting Student Clubs for Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway for his 4th win of 2008 and 8th of his career. #99-Edwards finished 2nd, followed by #16-Biffle, #17-Kenseth, #24-Gordon, #1-Truex Jr., #48-Johnson, #31-Burton, #22-Blaney and #26-McMurray. There was one big wreck, early in the race which knocked six curretn Chase drivers out of the race or way back in the running order. A few involved included #88-Earnhardt Jr who finished 35th, #29-Harvick 38th, #20-Stewart 41st and #11-Hamlin 43rd. There were only 5 cautions for 26 yellow flag laps and 9 drivers lead a lap for 15 lead changes.
For races results, awrds and more, see my Dover Race Results Awards Page.(6-1-2008)

M&M's searching for NASCAR's most colorful fan: M&M's will launch an 18-week NASCAR promotion next month that will include prizes from two other sponsors in the sport, The Home Depot and Tissot, as well as trips to Miami for the season-ending Sprint Cup event in November. The promotion, designed to identify the "Most Colorful Fan in NASCAR," will debut June 8 on NASCAR.com with support that will include print advertising and other online buys at Yahoo! and Jayski.com. But the promotion's home for 18 weeks will be NASCAR.com, where fans will enter the sweepstakes by submitting photos of themselves in their most colorful fan gear. M&M's is a product of Mars, the primary sponsor of Kyle Busch's #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, and Busch will vote along with visitors to the site for the most colorful fans. Five finalists will win trips for two to the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Each finalist also will win a $100 gift certificate to The Home Depot, another sponsor at Gibbs with driver Tony Stewart. The ultimate winner will receive a Tissot limited-edition watch. Busch will drive in the June 8 Sprint Cup event at Pocono with a special "Most Colorful Fan in NASCAR" paint scheme to help build awareness for the promotion.(SportsBusiness Journal/Sporting News)(5-20-2008)

Gibbs tested own engines in All-Star race: Joe Gibbs Racing used its engines in the all-star race as opposed to the engines it receives from Toyota Racing Development. The team plans to go back to TRD motors for the Coca-Cola 600. Since the all-star race is a non-points race, it provides teams a chance to test equipment without fear that a failure will hurt them in the points.(Roanoke Times), #20-Stewart had to change engines before the race, #11-Hamlin and #18-Busch both lost engines during the All-Star race, all three had rocker-arm problms.(5-19-2008) Comment here

Kyle vs. Kurt after 125 races...Kurt leads: Even though 23-year-old #18-Kyle Busch is definitely the hottest driver on the circuit right now, but the truth is that big brother #2-Kurt Busch had won more races at the same point in his career. Saturday night's Darlington race was the 125th career Cup race for Kyle. Here's the way the Busch Brothers' statistics compare at the same point in their careers:
Kurt Busch completed the 125th race of his Cup career on 5/15/04 at Richmond
Kyle Busch completed the 125th race of his Cup career on 5/10/08 at Darlington
After 125 races Kurt Busch had 9 wins, 25 top-5s, 45 top-10s, 20 DNFs and 2 poles
After 125 races Kyle Busch had 7 wins, 37 top-5s, 59 top-10s, 16 DNFs and 3 poles
(Tom Roberts PR)(5-14-2008) Comment here

Busch flips the bird? been asked about something posted in an AP article: Kyle Busch is NASCAR's most hated driver. And he loves it. Viciously booed during pre-race introductions, Busch soaked up the venom by encouraging Saturday night's crowd at Darlington Raceway to keep it coming. And when he heard a member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew jeer him as he passed by on the parade lap, Busch smugly flipped him the bird.(Associated Press/ESPN.com), folks have been asking if NASCAR will fine Busch. I watched the bedinning of the race and pre-race ceramonies and didn't see this make it on TV and have not heard if anyone from NASCAR saw the 'act', so I doubt there will be any penalties regarding this.(5-13-2008) Comment here

Busch Wins at Darlington: #18-Kyle Busch won the Dodge Challenger 500 at Darlington Raceway for his 3rd win of 2008 and his 7th career win. He dominated the later stages of the race and led 169 laps on the night. #99-Carl Edwards was second, with the rest of the top-10 being #24-Jeff Gordon, #88-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #6-David Ragan, #17-Matt Kenseth, #11-Denny Hamlin, #28-Travis Kvapil, #22-Dave Blaney, and #10-Jeff Burton (who continues his streak of finishing every lap this season). Pole sitter #16-Greg Biffle broke a transmission midway through the race and finished 43rd. There were 8 cautions for 31 laps and 15 leaders with 35 lead changes.
Darlington Race Results Awards Page.(5-10-2008)

#18 team wins 1st Qtr Most Valuable Pit Crew Award: The #18 M&M’s Team for Joe Gibbs Racing recorded one win and has been in the top five of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series championship point standings through the first eight races of the season. As a result of their outstanding work on the track and in the pits the team has been named the first quarter finalist for the 2008 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award. The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the Sprint Cup season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team’s crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000 awarded at the 2008 National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City. 2008 #18 M&M’s Pit Crew: Michael Lepp, Pit Crew Coach; Jeff Fender, Jackman; Nick O’Dell, Front-Tire Changer; Brad Donaghy, Front-Tire Carrier; Jack Seminara, Rear-Tire Changer; Kenny Barber, Rear-Tire Carrier; Tom Lempe, Gas man; Jason Hinson, Catch Can; Steve Addington, Crew Chief.(Mechanix Wear)(5-8-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch named 1st Quarter Driver of the Year: #18-Kyle Busch crushed the competition on the track and in the ballots as he won 1st quarter Driver of the Year 2008. Busch won a total seven races in NASCAR's top-three series, Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series. Although he leads in the Cup standings with a second place this past weekend in Richmond, voting only considered results through the previous event at Talladega Speedway. In the voting Busch took 14 first-place ballots, and none lower than a third place totaling 142 points. Cup rival Roush/Fenway driver Carl Edwards' three wins earned him one first-place vote and a total of 72 points. Danica Patrick, who drives for Andretti Green Racing, whose record-setting first win in top level IndyCar Series for a woman, garnered two first place votes and totaled 51 points in third place. Ashley Force, daughter of the 1996 Driver of the Year beat her famous father, John Force last week in Atlanta in NHRA's funny car division was fourth in the voting with 49 points. A total of 17 drivers scored points in the first quarter voting, including fifth place Jason Meyers, in the World of Outlaws who won three of the first six races. In related news, ESPN's award winning writer and broadcast journalist Terry Blount has been added to the panel.(DOTY PR)(5-6-2008) Comment here

Indiana Jones Scheme for Kyle Busch: Kyle Busch's #18 M&M'S Toyota Camry will sport a special Indiana Jones-themed paint scheme, and Busch will wear a matching fire suit during the Dodge Challenger 500 Sprint Cup race in Darlington, South Carolina, on May 10. The special paint scheme features: Movie title decals on the hood, trunk and TV panel; An image of Indiana Jones with his iconic hat and whip on the left rear panel; and The M&M'S Brand Red, Green and Yellow characters sporting various Indiana Jones-themed outfits. The M&M'S Brand Racing team also plans to feature fun Indiana Jones-themed activities for fans attending the Darlington race, giving them a literal taste of the adventure.(PWR New Media), see an image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(5-5-2008) Comment here

Red, White & Blue M&M's at Indy: #18-Kyle Busch is scheduled to run a special Red, White, and Blue Summer Fun M&M's car in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27, 2008. See the image on my #18 Team Schemes page.(5-2-2008)

The Wrigley Company Agrees to Merger with Mars: The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company announced that it had reached an agreement to merge with Mars, Incorporated, one of the world's leading confectionery and consumer goods companies. As a result of this transaction, Wrigley will become a private company and part of one of the world's premier family-owned companies. The combined organization will have a product portfolio containing some of the world's most recognizable and well-loved confectionery brands -- including Orbit, Extra, Doublemint, M&M's, Snickers and Mars -- as well as leading food, beverage and pet care brands, totaling over $27 billion in global sales. Mars, Incorporated, will acquire 100% of Wrigley's outstanding shares and all of its outstanding options will be cashed out. The Wrigley Company will operate as a separate, stand-alone subsidiary, keeping its headquarters in Chicago and continuing its civic and philanthropic involvement, both locally and in its communities around the world. Additionally, Bill Wrigley, Jr. will continue serving as the Company's Executive Chairman. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including stockholder approval and certain governmental regulatory clearances. Both parties are committed to working to close the transaction as soon as possible, with the merger expected to be completed within six to twelve months.(MSN Money Central), NO WORD how or if this merger will effect M&M's sponsorship of the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch and the #42 Dodge of Juan Pablo Montoya.(4-29-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch wins at Talladega: #18-Kyle Busch won the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, for his 2nd win of 2008 and 6th of his career. The race ended under caution when there was a semi-big wreck on the last lap [once the white flag is thrown, NASCAR does not do a Green-White-Checker]. It is the 8th time since the 'Lucky Dog' rule went into effect at Dover in Sept 2003 that a driver who has received the Lucky Dog/Lap Back pass has gone on to win the Cup race. Busch now has seven NASCAR victories this season: two in Sprint Cup, three Nationwide and two in the Craftsman Truck Series. Finishing 2nd was #42-Montoya [his best oval finish] followed by #11-Hamlin, #6-Ragan, #83-Vickers, #28-Kvapil, #5-Mears, #12-Newman, #07-Bowyer and #88-Earnhardt Jr. #7-Robby Gordon finished 11th. #20-Stewart wrecked late and ended up 38th, #99-Edwards lost a tire and smacked the wall, finishing 40th. There were 8 caution flags for 23 laps and there were 52 lead changes among 20 drivers.
See race results and awards on my Talladega Race Results page.(4-27-2008)

Joe Gibbs Racing Test at Rockingham: The Joe Gibbs Racing test team spent all day on Wednesday April 16th at the Rockingham Speedway gathering information for all of their Sprint Cup Series race teams. The Joe Gibbs Racing Test team used JGR developmental driver Joey Logano throughout the comprehensive test day.(Rockingham Speedway PR)(4-16-2008) Comment here

Interstate back on the #18: The green and black colors of Interstate Batteries will be back on the #18 Toyota of Kyle Busch at Texas this week.(JGR PR), see images of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page.(4-2-2008)

Fuel Cell Problems at JGR? #11-Denny Hamlin says a potential flaw in the design of the fuel cells at Joe Gibbs Racing may have contributed to Sunday's loss at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hamlin was leading on the green-white-checkered restart, but his car stalled because not enough fuel reached the engine. That allowed #31-Jeff Burton to blow past Hamlin for his first win at the half-mile track and set up a 1-2-3 finish for Richard Childress Racing. Hamlin, who got his car going after gas swashed into the engine in the corners of the track, finished sixth. It wasn't the first time this has happened. "Anytime we get low on fuel, especially with a banked race track like Bristol, all of our fuel drains in the cell to where we don't get any in the engine," Hamlin said Tuesday. "Once we do take off all we're using is fuel in the lines. There's a bubble in there and the car stalls." Hamlin said team owner Joe Gibbs met with engineers all day Monday looking for answers. He said officials are also looking into why the gearbox in his car failed the previous week at Atlanta and the one in teammate Kyle Busch's car failed with him in the lead at Bristol. "He blew the top seal out of his," Hamlin said. "Mine blew the bottom seal. As far as knowing exactly what's causing it, I don't know yet. Between steering boxes and fuel, it's aging me pretty bad." Hamlin said there are several ways to design a fuel cell. One is so that it always works well with low fuel; another is where under green-flag conditions a car can "suck out the gas to where there's only one drop left."(ESPN.com)(3-19-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch wins at Atlanta, Toyota's first win: #18-Kyle Busch won the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for his 1st win of 2008, 5th career win and first ever for Toyota in Sprint Cup [40th race]. It is the first time a foreign manufacturer has won a Cup race since Al Keller won in a Jaguar on June 13, 1954 in Linden Airport [NJ]. Busch also won the Truck Series race at Atlanta on Friday and leads the Cup and Truck Series points standings. Busch is now the youngest driver to win a Cup race at Atlanta [Jeff Gordon had been the youngest at 23 years, 7 months, 8 days old], Busch is 22 years old, 10 months and 8 days old [approx]. #20-Stewart was 2nd [and not happy with the tires at all] followed by #88-Earnhardt Jr., #16-Biffle, #24-Gordon, #07-Bowyer, #29-Harvick, #17-Kenseth, #83-Vickers and #31-Burton. Last weeks winner, #99-Edwards was leading the race late when his engine gave out on lap 275 and he finished 42nd. There were 8 cautions for 35 laps and there were 26 lead changes among 9 drivers.
Race Results on my Atlanta Race Results/Awards Page
For drivers/owners points, see my Jayski's Drivers/Owners Points Page.(3-9-2008)

ASA creates new short track national championship; JGR test part of prize: The American Speed Association (ASA) is breaking new ground once again, by unveiling plans for an innovative Short Track National Championship. The new plan allows competitors in any ASA Member Track's premier division to compete against each other, regardless of geographical location. ASA will create East and West divisions, with an ASA Short Track Divisional Champion crowned in each. The one driver who accumulates the most points will be named the ASA Short Track National Champion. With the title comes a cash reward, and the ultimate dream - a test session with Joe Gibbs Racing.(ASA-Racing.com)(2-29-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch having quite a 2008 start: #18-Kyle Busch had quite a weekend ... again. Busch logged top 5 finishes in the Truck, Nationwide and Cup races in California. Busch pulled of the same feat at Daytona a week ago, making him the first driver to do so since Mark Martin in 1996. Terry Labonte did it in 1995. Busch is also the first driver to ever lead the Cup and Truck standings at the same time.(ESPN.com)(2-26-2008)

Kyle Busch doing well in all three series: #18-Kyle Busch (fourth) is the second driver to be in the top 10 in points in all three of NASCAR’s national series at the same time (Mike Wallace, 2003). Busch finished second in both the Craftsman Truck Series and Nationwide Series races.(NASCAR Statistics)(2-18-2008) Comment here

Kyle Busch to run at Iowa: Iowa Speedway announced that #18-Kyle Busch will compete in the July 20 ASA Midwest Tour Super Late Model race. "I enjoy going back to my roots to help promote Late Model events," Busch said in the release. "It gives me a chance to give something back to racing fans. The ASA super late model race in Iowa will likely be very competitive and, of course, I’d like to win it."(Des Moines Register)(2-8-2008) Comment here.

Kyle Busch stays to run at Lakeland: #18-Kyle Busch will spend an additional day at USA Speedway in Lakeland, Fla. after Saturday's SpeedFest was delayed until 1:00pm/et on Sunday by rain. Then he will head to Las Vegas to test his Sprint Cup cars.(Speed51.com)(1-27-2008)

Gibbs retires as coach of the Redskins: Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing [#11,#18, #20] resigned as coach and team president of the Washington Redskins on Tuesday. The Redskins said in a statement that Gibbs will remain part of the Redskins family and serve as a special adviser to owner Dan Snyder.(ESPN.com)(1-8-2008)

2007 News

Kyle Busch tests at New Smyrna ; Hopes to Run Rolex 24 with Stewart: Kyle Busch took a break from testing at New Smyrna Speedway with his new team, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing entry, to talk sportscar racing. The 22-year-old driver hopes to run the Rolex 24 At Daytona and battle his older brother Kurt. Kurt announced his 24 entry with another team earlier this week. "We're working on some stuff," Kyle Busch said. "I've got a couple of leads, actually one with a sort of Toyota team." Chip Ganassi Racing, to be exact, uses the Lexus engine in its Daytona Prototypes. Busch hopes to share a Ganassi DP car with Tony Stewart. Lexus is a brand owned by Toyota. Busch tested a Chevrolet stock car at NSS on Tuesday and Wednesday, but will arrive for Daytona International Speedway's stock car program in a Toyota Camry. (Daytona Beach News-Journal)(12-6-2007)

Kyle Busch and Steve Wallace Disqualified at Snowball Derby; Grill Wins: Steven Wallace and Kyle Busch's cars were both disqualified in post-qualifier tech after initially making it into the field. Kyle Busch wasn't too happy. He was tossed from the event due to a height infraction. Both Busch and Steven Wallace were very irate in the pit area and told Speed51.com that they are displeased with Ricky Brooks (head tech inspector) and his philosophies. Steven Wallace was found to be light when crossing the scales after tech. They let the team roll off the scales and roll back on. During that time he was caught trying to put sockets in his pockets.(Speed51.com)(12-2-2007)
UPDATE: A statement from Steve Wallace: “I just want to make it clear that although our car supposedly missed one of the inspection criteria in Pensacola, it was in no way done in an attempt to get around the rules. From day one, I have had a deep respect for the sport and its integrity. As far as I’m concerned, that respect carries over to any team for which I drive, as was the case with Richie Wauters Racing in this weekend’s race. We definitely had the car to beat in Pensacola, but for one reason or another, the officials were really hard on both of our teams all week long. We got disqualified because they claimed that we missed one of the inspection criteria by a razor thin margin; a margin small enough that it could have been due to almost anything.(Rusty Wallace Inc PR)(12-3-2007)
AND: Augie Grill has been around the Snowball Derby since the first time he was carried into Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL as a one-month-old son of Derby car owner Frankie Grill in 1976. He had been to victory lane in the Snowball Derby two times with family-owned cars, but both times as a crew member on Wayne Anderson and Butch Lindley’s efforts. But in the 40th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags on Sunday, December 2nd, it was finally time for the now-31-year-old Dolomite, Alabama native to make it to victory lane as a driver of the 300-lap race. Grill took the lead for the final time on lap 267 from defending Snowball Derby Champion Clay Rogers and checked out from the field late in the race, even despite front bumper cover damage suffered early in the going, to take the laurels as the 30th different winner of the prestigious short track event.(Speed51.com PR)(12-3-2007)

JGR 2007 Flag Football Champs: Joe Gibbs Racing successfully defended its 2006 championship in Bob Hubner’s Totally Racin’ Flag Football League presented by Race City Resumes & Marketing. It wasn't easy for JGR as the team had some tough competition to repeat what it did last season. This year’s format was a single elimination tournament, and JGR first had to get by last year’s main rival, the team fielded by Lowe’s Motor Speedway, to advance. And JGR beat LMS by only one point to reach round two. The Gibbs team then beat Team Red Bull to advance to the championship game against Roush-Fenway Racing. JGR and Roush-Fenway tied during their regular season game so the Gibbs players knew Roush would put up a good fight. The title game was in fact tied 13-13 at halftime. Then, with one minute left, Roush-Fenway scored a touchdown but missed the extra point to edge ahead 25-19. Gibbs Racing then got the ball with 53 seconds left, needing to get down the field and score a touchdown and extra point for the win. JGR got the touchdown as quarterback JD Gibbs passed to his center, Ross Port, in a surprise play with only 3 seconds left, bringing a 25-25 tie. For the extra point, JD Gibbs tossed the ball to Dave Alpern at the goal line, and Alpern caught the pass and reached over the goal line to give Joe Gibbs Racing another championship, 26-25. For League info visit racecityresumes.com/football.(11-15-2007)

Pilot Truck Driver Challenge Champion Named: On Saturday, Peter Jellen was awarded his own championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jellen was announced as this year's winner of the Pilot Truck Driver Challenge and the recipient of $50,000. The driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries transporter, Jellen said the $50,000 would become the college scholarship fund for his 20-month-old daughter, Jennifer. Second-place and a $15,000 check went to Bennie Stevens of Haas CNC Racing's Yellow Transportation transporter. Joe Wernert, driver of Roush Fenway Racing's Office Depot transporter placed third and collected $10,000. The competition focuses on safe and responsible truck driving. It includes driving tests, safety quizzes and equipment inspections.(AMS PR)(10-28-2007)

Yeley to test at Atlanta in the #96: on Monday and Tuesday next week, J.J. Yeley will work toward getting 2008 off to a good start by testing the #96 DLP HDTV Chevrolet for Hall of Fame Racing (HoFR) at Atlanta. Yeley will drive for HoFR beginning in 2008 and will test for the team during NASCAR’s two-day open test at Atlanta with the Car of Tomorrow (CoT). Teley tested the #96 recently at Kentucky Speedway.(JGR PR), Kyle Busch will test the #18 car for JGR, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will test for Hendrick Motorsports, could see other dirvers in their 2008 rides in the Atlanta COT test.(10-25-2008)

Earnhardt Jr. & Busch will test with new teams at Atlanta: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch will be allowed to test with their new teams at a car of tomorrow test at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Oct. 29-30. A Hendrick Motorsports spokesman confirmed Saturday that plans have been finalized to allow Earnhardt Jr. to drive one of that team's Chevys in the test following next weekend's Cup race at the Atlanta track.(Thats Racin)(10-21-2007)

M&M's to sponsor #18 car and Kyle Busch in 2008: Mars U.S. announced a three-year partnership with M&M’S Brand Chocolate Candies as the sponsor of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team and driver Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2008. “I can’t wait to climb behind the wheel of the M&M’S car next season,” Busch said. “M&M’S Racing has been a fan favorite for years in the sport and it’s an honor to drive for one of the most recognized brands in the world. My focus is to win, and I know that everyone at Mars shares that vision as well. I want to thank the associates at Mars U.S. for this opportunity and look forward to a winning relationship.” During the 2008 season, Mars U.S. brands will serve as the primary sponsor of JGR’s #18 Sprint Cup Series team for a total of 30 point races. Mars will feature the popular M&M’S Brand colors beginning with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17. Snickers and Pedigree also will serve as primary brand sponsors for several races. Additionally, Combos, Twix, Skittles, Starburst and Milkey Way brands will provide support as associate sponsors. Interstate Batteries will serve as a primary sponsor of the #18 Sprint Cup team for six point races. The 2008 season will mark the 15th year for Mars U.S. as a primary sponsor in NASCAR’s premier racing division. The famous candy maker joined the series in 1990, running its first three seasons under the Snickers Brand moniker. After serving as an associate sponsor for four seasons, the company returned with the Skittles Brand colors in 1997 before transitioning to M&M’S Brand Chocolate Candies in 1999.(Joe Gibbs Racing site)(10-3-2007)

JC Penney looking? UPDATE: hearing JC Penney, deptartment store chain, are considering sponsoring a Nextel Cup team in 2008 and some teams have even presented mockup cars, but no word which team may get that sponsorship or when anything would be announced.(9-29-2007)
UPDATE: hearing it could with Joe Gibbs Racing in some form.(10-2-2007)

M&M's looks to be heading to Gibbs #18 in 2008 UPDATE 2: Mars U.S. was finalizing a deal Thursday to use its M&M's brand to sponsor Kyle Busch when he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing next season. M&M's would replace Interstate Batteries, which has sponsored Gibbs' flagship #18 since its 1992 inception. J.D. Gibbs, president of the race team, didn't respond to a request for comment. But two people familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Mars was working on a deal to sponsor Busch that will be officially announced next month at M&M's World in New York City. They requested anonymity because the deal was not yet complete. Interstate is expected to stay involved with JGR in a smaller role. JGR is also ending its 16-year association with General Motors at the end of this season and will field Toyotas beginning next year. It will make the move with three lucrative sponsors as Mars moves its M&M's brand away from Robert Yates Racing and rookie David Gilliland. It's unclear what the company will do with its Snickers sponsorship on Yates' second car, but the move to JGR is troublesome to the Yates [currently #38 and #88] organization. The struggling team has been trying to restructure all season, and longtime owner Robert Yates said earlier this month that he plans to retire at the end of the season. He's handing over the company to his son, Doug, who plans to call it Yates Racing and field cars for Gilliland and Travis Kvapil.(in part from the Associated Press)(9-21-2007)
UPDATE: David Gilliland knows he'll likely need a new sponsor following this season since M&M's has emerged as a candidate to sponsor Kyle Busch's #18 Joe Gibbs Racing entry in 2008. Gilliland, the Robert Yates Racing driver who has driven with M&M's sponsorship since he entered the Nextel Cup Series in August of last year, said he's aware that M&M's is likely headed elsewhere in 2008. "I read it on the Internet," he said Friday at Dover International Speedway, site of this weekend's Dodge Dealers 400. "My understanding was we had a contract that went through next year, so I don't know what happened with that. Hopefully we'll find another sponsor who wants to be here and support us next year." M&M's has made a decision and will announce its future sponsorship plans on Oct. 3, spokeswoman Rhonda King said Friday.(SceneDaily.com)(9-21-2007)
UPDATE 2: on ESPN2's NASCAR Now, Angelique S. Chengelis said the announcement of M&M's sponsorship to the #18 Joe Gibbs racing team and Kyle Busch in 2008, will be announced Wednesday morning [Oct 3rd] in New York City.(9-28-2007)

Yeley doing the triple at Kansas: In addition to competing in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series events this weekend at Kansas, #18-J.J. Yeley will also jump back into a Silver Crown car and shoot for his third straight USAC Silver Crown win Saturday afternoon.(JGR PR)(9-27-2007)

Drivers May Test with New Teams at Atlanta: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and J.J. Yeley both know they'll be with new teams next year, and both know where they're headed, but they can't escape their contracts until season's end. There's a possibility they could get a chance to at least test with their future teams in a few weeks, when there's an open trial at Atlanta, though a series of dominos would have to fall if that's to happen. Yeley hopes to test the #96 car that Tony Raines currently rides, which would allow his eventual replacement, Kyle Busch, to steer the Interstate Batteries Chevy, but in order for that to take place Earnhardt would have to be allowed to take Busch's seat in a Hendrick Motorsports machine. Whether that'll happen, however, remains in question. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. president Teresa Earnhardt has already said Regan Smith will test with Junior's current team at Atlanta, but hasn't yet released her stepson to test with Hendrick, so the whole equation may break down and leave the lame ducks with their soon-to-be defunct teams. "The biggest domino is if Teresa will let Dale Jr. go drive for Hendrick," Yeley said. "If that'll happen, I think you're going to see next year's lineup four months in advance, but that comes down to Teresa." (Concord Monitor)(9-16-2007)

Gibbs to Toyota - Official UPDATE 4: been told that the Joe Gibbs Racing / Toyota announcement will be made at the JGR Headquarters the week before the Richmond race.(8-30-2007)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing is expected to announce next week it will join Toyota Motorsports beginning next season, sources told ESPN.com. A news conference has been scheduled for Wednesday morning at JGR headquarters. Expected to be in attendance are team drivers Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. A GM official reached Thursday in Detroit said the manufacturer would not comment. Toyota Motorsports officials were equally mum.(ESPN.com)(8-31-2007)
UPDATE 2: Kyle Busch confirmed that he has been told that Joe Gibbs Racing will race Toyotas next season. Busch said he is comfortable with the switch, which is expected to be announced next week by the team. Mark Cronquist, the team's head engine builder, is expected to spearhead the work on the engine. (SceneDaily.com)(8-31-2007)
UPDATE 3: SPEED will interrupt regular programming on Sept. 5 at 11am/et to present a live NASCAR press conference. It is expected to be an announcement from Joe Gibbs Racing regarding the 2008 season.(9-5-2007)
UPDATE 4: the press conference started just after 11:00am/et with JGR's J.D. Gibbs and Jimmy Makar; drivers Tont Stewart and Denny Hamlin; crew chiefs Steve Addington, Mike Ford and Greg Zipadelli; JGR's engine builder Mark Conquist; and Toyota officials Jim Aust and Lee White. Gibbs announced the team is switching from Chevy/GM to Toyota in 2008. Stewart says he is excited about the move and working on extending his contract. His USAC and WoO teams will stay Chevy and nothing will change there. Hamlin says he is working on his contract and is excited about the move.(9-5-2007)
PR: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) will campaign Toyota Camrys in the Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Grand National Series [and also will switch to Toyota in the Busch Series] beginning in 2008. "We look forward to partnering with Toyota in NASCAR in 2008. Toyota will be hands-on with us as we become an integral part of their long-term development in NASCAR," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. We have 420-plus families that are our number one priority, and taking care of them for the future is very important to us. Our people have made us as successful as we are today, and it's those same people who will ensure our success in the future. When our teams win, those families win. We're thrilled for everyone at JGR who will benefit from this."
"This decision was made by all of the key leadership at JGR," said Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing operations for JGR. "It was a decision made by the people in our competition department, who live by the one question whenever a decision is made regarding Joe Gibbs Racing: 'Will this make us more competitive on the race track?' The consensus answer was yes."(see full PR at the Joe Gibbs Racing site)(9-5-2007)

Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., and Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that the three-time championship-winning race team will campaign Toyota Camrys for drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR Grand National Series program will also utilize Toyota Camrys next season. Joe Gibbs Racing will be joining Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull as the teams that will be racing the ‘Most Popular Car in America’ when the 2008 season kicks- off next February at Daytona International Speedway. Assembled at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant, more than six million Camry models have been sold in the United States since its debut 23 years ago.(see full PR at the Toyota Motorsports site)(9-5-2007)

GM Statement of JGR moving to Toyota: Statement from Brent Dewar; General Motors North America Vice President of Vehicle Sales, Service and Parts Regarding Joe Gibbs Racing's decision to sign with another manufacturer: "General Motors has been associated with Joe Gibbs Racing for 16 years working together winning races and championships. While we understand the business nature of racing, we are disappointed in J.D.'s decision and announcement today. With our long-standing relationship and record of winning with them, we hoped they would remain with Chevrolet. We will continue to support our JGR drivers in this year's Chase for the Championship. We wish JGR well as they go forward, and Chevrolet will compete against them on the track next year to defend its title as the winningest name in racing."(GM Racing PR)(9-5-2007)

Hall of Fame Racing to name 2008 driver today....Yeley UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing hold a Driver Announcement for #96 Nextel Cup Series Team on Tuesday afternoon at their shop in Huntersville, NC. This press conference is CLOSED to the public.(PR)
AND hearing that J.J. Yeley will be named the driver.(9-4-2007)
UPDATE: Hall of Fame Racing has signed J.J. Yeley to drive for the #96 team in the Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2008. Yeley's debut in the #96 DLP HDTV car [rumored to be Toyota in 2008, now a Chevy] will come in February's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. His entry into the prestigious event came via his first career pole at Michigan International Speedway this past June. "In 23 years of being involved in professional sports, I have worked with many great athletes," said Jeff Moorad, owner of Hall of Fame Racing. "J.J Yeley's determination to succeed reminds me of many of the championship athletes that I have been around in my career. He is hungry and determined to win races and championships and to do it with class. We look forward to J.J. being an integral part of Hall of Fame Racing and to winning with him going forward." Yeley comes to Hall of Fame Racing from Joe Gibbs Racing, the team for which he drove full-time in the Nextel Cup Series beginning in 2006. Yeley will take over for Tony Raines, current driver of the #96 DLP HDTV Chevy, following the conclusion of the 2007 season. "After meeting with Jeff Moorad and Tom Garfinkel it was easy to see why both of them have been so successful with the Arizona Diamondbacks and their other past ventures," said Yeley, whose contract with Hall of Fame Racing runs through the 2010 season. "Both of them are very determined to be successful. They know you can't just come in and throw money at the team and expect to win races. The benefit of this team is that there's already a great history and foundation in place with equipment from Joe Gibbs Racing, which is equal to the best equipment in the sport. All those things added up to make me feel that Hall of Fame Racing and DLP will be the best fit for me."
"When you leave an organization like Joe Gibbs Racing, one of the top teams in NASCAR, you want to try to make the right step to be more successful," said Yeley, who finished a career-best second in May at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I've never had to make a decision this difficult in my life, but I'm confident that Hall of Fame Racing will be competitive week-in and week out and build the future team around me as their driver. The affiliation with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the great people in Phoenix was just an added bonus that makes it the perfect fit for me."
"We are very much looking forward to J.J. representing DLP and our retail partners," said Dave Duncan, sponsorship marketing manager for DLP Products and Texas Instruments. "We've had a relationship with J.J. the past two seasons as an associate sponsor on the #18 car and look forward to working with him in the future."
Yeley replaces Tony Raines, who has driven for Hall of Fame Racing the past two seasons and will drive the final 11 races in 2007. "I very much enjoyed working with everyone at Hall of Fame Racing and DLP," Raines said. "I can't thank them enough for everything they did for me and both companies are class organizations. We had some success, especially in the Car of Tomorrow (COT) races and I look forward to running the final 11 races, including the five COT races. We're going to do our best to finish out strong before we go our separate ways. I wish them the best of luck in 2008 and beyond."(True Speed Communication/Hall of Fame Racing PR)(9-4-2007)

Yeley Nearing Decision on Team: J.J. Yeley said Friday he should have a decision within two weeks about which team he will drive for next season. Yeley has spoken with Robert Yates about the opening in the #88 Ford. He also has talked to Richard Childress about the possibility of running a fourth car for RCR next season. Yeley also may be in the running to replace Scott Riggs in the #10 Dodge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. What happens with that car depends on what Valvoline officials want. Valvoline is the co-owner of the #10 Dodge and has a major input in who drives the car.(ESPN.com)(9-3-2007)

Kyle Busch Doesn't Expect Move to Toyota to Cause Problems with Hendrick: Kyle Busch says he doesn't expect the imminent change of Joe Gibbs Racing from Chevy to Toyota for next season to make things any more awkward for him as he finishes out the year at Hendrick Motorsports. It's been awkward since June when it was announced Dale Earnhardt Jr. would replace him in the seat. "We're still doing our job, we're still trying to make this Chase and make this championship happen," Busch said Friday. "It's a little bit of a difficult situation to go through, but in the end, you just know that it's business and you have to work together to make sure it doesn't happen.(SceneDaily.com)(9-2-2007)

Joe Gibbs Racing Forms Motocross and Supercross Team: Since debuting in the 1992 Daytona 500, Joe Gibbs Racing has won over 100 races in NASCAR and the NHRA. In 2008, the veteran racing organization will continue to add to its rich history, but in addition to winning races on four wheels, they'll also attempt to do it using only two. Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross (JGRMX) is the latest venture of the 16-year-old race team founded by Joe Gibbs. Gibbs' youngest son, Coy, will head up the operation, along with motocross industry veteran David Evans. The two have already secured the services of riders Josh Hansen and Josh Summey, as JGRMX will campaign both riders in the World Supercross GP and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Supercross Series, and also the AMA National Motocross Championship. (Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(9-2-2007)

Yeley to the #88? UPDATE: Ricky Rudd’s announcement this past weekend that he will depart from Robert Yates Racing at the end of the 2007 season has opened the door for JJ Yeley to take over the #88 Ford in 2008. JJ Yeley was recently released from the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy to make room for Kyle Busch in 2008. A team source at the newly formed Yates/ Newman Haas Racing [actually Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing] confirms that ‘all signs point’ to Yeley as their choice to take over the #88 Ford.(Cup Scene Daily)(8-20-2007)
UPDATE: #18-J.J. Yeley, Nextel Cup's latest free agent, has said he is in conversation with four teams, which he would not disclose, but Robert Yates Racing [Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing] president Doug Yates is happy to report his team is extremely interested in hiring Yeley. RYR will have a vacancy now that veteran Ricky Rudd has announced he is retiring from full-time Cup racing after this season. #38-David Gilliland also drives for RYR. "We're very interested in J.J.," Yates said Wednesday. "He'd be good for our company. He's very marketable, and he's a pretty good driver. We're talking to him. We are definitely interested." Yates said there is no timetable to get a deal done. He said he is convinced that with the right team chemistry, Yeley can succeed. Yeley currently is 20th in points, while his JGR teammates, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, are firmly in the Chase. "How can you say a guy two years into the sport is not making the cut?" Yates said. "He needs to be with a team that believes in him."(ESPN.com)(8-30-2007)

No Gibbs to Toyota announcement planned at Calif: Don't expect a Toyota announcement that Joe Gibbs Racing has joined the manufacturer's stable next week when the Nextel Cup Series heads to the backyard of Toyota's base in California. Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs said no announcement is planned for the Aug. 31-Sept. 2 race weekend at California Speedway and his team is still mulling whether to extend its contract with Chevrolet. "Nope - nothing there," Gibbs said Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway when asked if an announcement could come next week. "Nothing new ... We're not under huge pressure [to decide]." Gibbs wouldn't comment more on the situation, which has been the biggest question surrounding his organization now that Kyle Busch has opted to join the team next season.(SceneDaily.com)(8-26-2007)

Interstate Batteries to continue sponsoring #18: Interstate Batteries Chairman Norm Miller says that his company will remain the primary sponsor on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet next season. He is, however, open to other companies appearing on the hood from time to time. Kyle Busch was announced Tuesday as the driver of the Nextel Cup car for 2008. "We're on the contract for '08, and we are also open to develop some type of partnership," Miller said Tuesday. "We're hoping to get the best we can out of it all and come up with a good partner, but if push comes to shove we'd be delighted to ride with Kyle here the whole season. We're hoping we can work all that out." Miller said the company would consider sharing the primary sponsor spot on the car for anything from six to 15 races next season. Interstate Batteries has sponsored Joe Gibbs Racing since the team's inception in 1992.(SceneDaily.com)(8-15-2007)

Gibbs Racing signs Kyle Busch UPDATE 3: Kyle Busch will be formally introduced as the new driver at Joe Gibbs Racing on Tuesday morning at the team's Huntersville, NC shop. "Before I say anything I want to have a done deal," team president J.D. Gibbs before Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Watkins Glen International. "I feel good about it. Right now we feel good about it and the direction we're going." Gibbs said Interstate Batteries will remain at least a partial sponsor of the #18, but didn't rule out another sponsor coming in. He reminded the company gave up half of its races a few years ago. "Like we have in the past, they may choose to give up some races, move stuff around," Gibbs said. "They're the ones that have been there and started the deal."(ESPN.com), no word if the press conference will be televised.(8-12-2007)
UPDATE: SPEED will be covering Tuesday's LIVE press conference from Joe Gibbs Racing at 11:00am/et. At that time, JGR is expected to make an announcement on the #18 Nextel Cup Series entry.(SPEED PR)(8-13/14-2007)
UPDATE 2 - OFFICIAL: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has signed 22-year-old Kyle Busch to drive for the #18 team in Nextel Cup beginning in 2008. “We’re extremely pleased to have Kyle Busch as a part of the family here at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. “Kyle is extremely talented, as his track record has proven, and he had a lot of teams to choose from in determining who would give him the best chance to win. Obviously, we’re glad he chose JGR, and he’ll have all the tools and resources he needs to win races and contend for championships.” Busch comes to JGR a proven winner in each of NASCAR’s national touring series, with four Craftsman Truck Series victories, eight Busch Series wins and four Nextel Cup triumphs. “After talking with a lot of different teams and visiting their shops, Joe Gibbs Racing is where I want to be,” said Busch, whose contract with JGR runs through the 2010 season. “The Nextel Cup Series is filled with good teams and good people, but the moment I saw the shop and began talking with Joe and J.D. Gibbs, there was a level of comfort that made me feel like this is where I belong. I want to win races and championships, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s three-car/one-team philosophy gives me the best opportunity to do that.” Busch will take over for J.J. Yeley, current driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, following the conclusion of the 2007 season. He’ll begin pre-season testing as a teammate to two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and 2006 Nextel Cup rookie of the year Denny Hamlin. The 2008 season will mark Busch’s fourth full season in Nextel Cup. He currently competes for Hendrick Motorsports, where he ran a six-race schedule in 2004 before joining the series full-time in 2005. "While excited about my new opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing, I remain committed to finishing this year strong and running for the championship,” Busch said.(JGR PR)
UPDATE 3 - Toyota? During the Q&A portion of the Joe Gibbs Racing news conference announcing Kyle Busch's signing with the organization, Busch and J.D. Gibbs talked about the possibility of the team switching from Chevrolet to Toyota next year.
Kyle Busch: "I took it into consideration, but as I looked at it, you know, I thought about it. And I'm like, 'Well, you know, Joe Gibbs Racing, they've done pretty well at what they've done so far.' And I feel like they'll make the right decision... Do I feel like Toyota struggled a little bit this year? Sure, they have. But do I feel like Joe Gibbs and everybody here can try to turn that around? Certainly. And if they're looking in that direction, you know, more power to them, but I'm going to let the man over here answer all of those tough questions."
J.D. Gibbs: "Yeah, really for us, we haven't had much change in really the past several weeks. We had some great conversations with GM here. Obviously, we've had a great partnership with them over the past 16 years, and we've been great partners as well. I think going forward, we're just going to sit down really... I want... We're going through a process to have all of our technical guys figure out where we need to be. I think GM just got a verbal agreement from Hendrick, the first team to kind of re-sign for next year. So we're kind of in the same phase as I think lot of those teams are. I think in the next several weeks, we're going to really have to figure out where our future is and our direction."(FoxSports)(8-14-2007)

Drivers to the #8 team? on ESPN's NASCAR Now on Sunday, it was reported that David Reutimann's name [#00 Waltrip racing Toyota] has popped up as a driver who could end up at DEI and in the #8 Chevy, but that he cannot talk to other teams until Oct when his contract with MWR is up. Other drivers DEI are interested in include J.J. Yeley who will leave the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing ride at the end of the season, #01-Regan Smith, currently part time at DEI and without a ride, could stay. Plus, the team could switch Mark Martin and Aric Almirola from the #01 Army Chevy to the #8 next season.(8-12-2007)

Yeley says he will leave JGR at end of season: While Kyle Busch would not confirm reports that he has a deal to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, it became clearer that is the case when J.J. Yeley acknowledged he is out of the #18 car Busch is expected to drive. Yeley said he's leaving JGR but wouldn't go as far as to say Busch would be his replacement. Yeley acknowledged having talked to officials at DEI, RCR, Robert Yates Racing and the Wood Brothers, but wouldn't elaborate on how serious they are. RCR owner Richard Childress said Yeley is a serious prospect to be his fourth driver. "J.J.'s a good racer," he said. "He'd do a good job." Ganassi Racing, Hall of Fame Racing and Evernham Motorsports also could be in the mix. Yeley hopes wherever he lands the owner will give him more support than he got at JGR this season. "We never made huge changes to see if there was something out there that was going to help the program,'' he said. Yeley asked team president J.D. Gibbs a month ago if he was considering changes to bring the #18 up to par with the teams of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. "[He said] there were not going to be any changes,'' Yeley said. There could be plenty of changes for that team next season, from the switch to Busch to possibly a change in manufacturer and primary sponsor. "I think they're going to do everything that's in their best interest that they feel is right, and you know if they feel Chevrolet is their manufacturer of choice then more power to them,'' Busch said. "If they feel like Ford, Toyota or Dodge is their best interest, then more power to them. You know, they've got their own engine program, they've got a lot of great resources. I think they're still in that decision-making process. They're looking at all of the cars, laying them out. Just as I was to pick a team, they're doing it for a manufacturer.''(ESPN.com)(8-11-2007)

Yeley to the #21 Ford? UPDATE denied: Kyle Busch has finally decided where he will race next season, agreeing to a deal to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries machine for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 and beyond. Busch will replace J.J. Yeley, who will move to Wood Brothers/JTG Racing next season to steer the #21 Ford.(8-6-2007)
UPDATE: Yeley’s agent, Kyle Chapman, said there is currently no signed deal between his client and Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, and that Yeley is in discussion with a number of teams about possible rides for next season. But sources with knowledge of the situation say Yeley will indeed be out of the #18 next season, and behind the wheel of the #21 Ford.(Motorsports Soapbox)(8-7-2007)

Kyle Busch to Drive for Joe Gibbs Racing? UPDATE: Kyle Busch has finally decided where he will race next season, agreeing to a deal to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries machine for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 and beyond. Busch will replace J.J. Yeley. Busch made his decision after recently narrowing the field to three teams; Gibbs, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and Evernham Motorsports. An official announcement is expected within the next 2-3 weeks.(Motorsports Soapbox)(8-6-2007)
UPDATE: Kyle Busch chose to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing next season and began informing other teams Monday of his decision. A source close to Busch told The Associated Press that the driver had selected Gibbs after a seven-week search that began when Hendrick Motorsports released the 22-year-old driver to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. next season. The source requested anonymity because the deal was not finalized. "Kyle has made his decision and is in the process of informing the teams of his preference," said Jeff Dickerson, who represents Busch through Motorsports Management International. "As there are many details that still need to be worked out, Kyle will not be making that decision public at this time." Two car owners who had actively pursued Busch told the AP that the driver informed them Monday he had not selected their teams. They requested anonymity because they didn't reveal Busch's selection.(Associated Press)(8-6-2007)

More on Gibbs to Toyota..done deal? HOF to RCR engines? UPDATE 3 denied: hearing the decision has been made and that Joe Gibbs Racing [#11, #18, #20] will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2008 and the announcement should come in early September.(8-6-2007)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing still hasn’t announced whether it will switch to Toyotas next year, but the buzz is that it will. Some clues? Tony Stewart’s souvenir trailers were selling merchandise at 50% off regular price last week at the Brickyard, Stewart’s home track and a place where the Hoosier native is wildly popular. Also, a source at Richard Childress Racing said it has been approached by Hall of Fame Racing, a satellite Gibbs team, about buying engines from the newly merged RCR-Dale Earnhardt Inc., engine operation in 2008. Presumably, HOF is hedging its bets, if it ends up not being part of a Gibbs move to Toyota.(Ford Racing)(8-6-2007)
UPDATE 2: JGR will jump from Chevrolet to the Toyota camp beginning in 2008, joining Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull on the list of teams running Toyota Camrys. Neither Busch nor JGR have made any official comment on the move, but Gibbs officials have already informed Hall of Fame Racing that they will not continue to provide the team with engines next season, prompting Hall Of Fame to contact Richard Childress Racing about a similar engine-supply deal for 2008.(Motorsports Soapbox)(8-6-2007)
UPDATE 3: Hall of Fame Racing officials have not been told by Joe Gibbs Racing that JGR will not provide the HOF with engines next season, nor have HOF officials contacted RCR.(8-6-2007)

Chevy hopes to keep teams: Chevrolet officials remain hopeful that Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports will remain a part of the General Motors program in 2008. GM is in the process of renewing all of its deals, with JGR and HMS being the crown jewels of their program. Toyota has been linked with JGR in several news reports despite comments from team president J.D. Gibbs that re-signing with GM is his top priority. Rick Hendrick, the owner of HMS, also has ties to Toyota through his dealership business. Ed Peper, the general manager of Chevrolet Racing, said during a Thursday press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that he is very confident in negotiations to re-sign all teams currently under the Chevrolet banner. Terry Dolan, the marketing director for Chevrolet Racing, would not comment on specific organizations. "I am confident we will have strong teams continuing to represent Chevrolet, not only because we've got a pretty good track record of performance but because we've been dedicated to this sport for a long time," he said of the company that has won 15 of 19 Nextel Cup races this season with 12 of the wins coming from JGR and HMS. "We have some of the tools and assets they need to succeed in their business."(ESPN.com)(7-28-2007)

Kyle Busch to JGR? UPDATE 2: Larry McReynolds is hearing that the Kyle Busch deal at Joe Gibbs Racing is very close. Now, we don't have an answer on whether they're looking to put him in the #18 car, replacing J.J. Yeley, or if they are looking at Busch for a fourth team.(FoxSports)(7-26-2007)
AND captainthunderracing.com is hearing that Kyle Busch is very close to finalizing a deal that will make him the fourth driver in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. Sources said Busch has crossed Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. off his list of potential teams for 2008 and beyond. Speculation also had Busch going to DEI to replace Dale Earnhardt Jr., but it appears as though the DEI/Ginn Racing merger has taken up most of the executives time at DEI and Busch never felt any warmth from the organization. An announcement is expected sometime over the next week to week and a half, most likely after the big Brickyard 400 weekend. Sources said only the details of the contract remained to be worked out, but that both parties had agreed in principle to a five year deal.(captainthunderracing.com)(7-27-2007)
UPDATE: Kyle Busch says he still hasn’t decided which team he wants to sign with for 2008 and says it may be another two weeks before he makes the call. However, it’s looking more and more as if it may be Dale Earnhardt Inc. But according to NASCAR sources Budweiser may not be Busch’s sponsor.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-28-2007)
UPDATE 2: It was reported on ESPN2's NASCAR Now that Busch's agent, Jeff Dickerson, said the rumors are not true and that Busch has not narrowed down his selection of teams, has offers on the table and something should be known about Busch's future within two weeks or so.(ESPN's NASCAR Now)(7-28-2007)

Yeley's Fate for 2008 Still Undetermined: [Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D.] Gibbs said the team wouldn't add a fourth car "until it made sense". Though Gibbs said it was his hope the inconsistent J.J. Yeley would perform well enough to return to the #18 program next season, he "wouldn't say definitely," that would be the case.(St. Peterburg Times)(7-19-2007)

Yeley Wins USAC Race at Chicago: J.J. Yeley scored the win in Friday's USG Fiberock 100 at Chicagoland Speedway. On Friday the 13th, it was his 13th career pole and 13th career feature win in USAC's Silver Crown Series. The Nextel Cup Series regular, driving for A.J. Foyt, dominated the Weld Racing Silver Crown Series event. Yeley's win came in his second start of the season, coming after the being sidelined with trouble while leading at Darlington back in May.(Chicagoland Speedway PR)(7-14-2007)

Gibbs Would like to stay with Chevy: Joe Gibbs Racing's first choice is to re-sign with General Motors, not jump ship for Toyota. "We want to work this out [with GM]," team president J.D. Gibbs said before Sunday's race at New Hampshire. "I can't say a whole lot more than that. We've got a great relationship with GM. We've been partners with them for 16 years, ever since we became an organization." Gibbs said he's had several meetings with GM officials, the most recent last week. He brushed off a report that the organization had a "done deal" with Toyota. Gibbs reminded that none of the Chevy teams have re-upped with GM, but that he hopes the situation will become clearer soon so the organization can start preparing for 2008.(ESPN.com)(7-2-2007)

More on Gibbs to Toyota...done deal? Extending Stewart to 2011? UPDATE Toyota denied; Stewart possibly: Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota are “a done deal” for 2008, according to several sources, though team executives said otherwise. Apparently one hangup in the talks between the long-time Chevy operation (which features #20-Tony Stewart) and Toyota is a clause in Gibbs’ current GM [Chevy] contract which bars the team from negotiating with any other manufacturer until the contract is up. So sources said Gibbs has had to go through an agent in the talks. Gibbs has a major negotiating session scheduled with General Motors in the next two weeks, which should provide the ‘yea,’ or ‘nay’ on that side of the issue. One of the big reasons for Toyota’s intense interest in Gibbs Racing is Gibbs’ engine program, headed by Mark Cronquist, one of the best in the business. Gibbs is also renegotiating his contract with Stewart to extend it another two years. The contract runs through the end of 2009; the new package would run through the end of 2011.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-23-2007)
UPDATE: J.D. Gibbs would like to sign #20-Tony Stewart to an extension that will keep the two-time Nextel Cup champion at Joe Gibbs Racing at least through 2011. Stewart's contract at JGR runs through 2009. But with a talented stable of young talent in the developmental pool and Stewart joking about retirement several times this season, the president of JGR would like to find out just what his marquee driver wants. "Hey, we want Tony to be here for a long time,'' Gibbs said before Sunday's race at Infineon Raceway. "If he said at the end of '09 I'm done, officially done, hey, we understand that. Let's go get a plan. The reality is, I think he wants to go [on]. How long does he want to go? I want all of those guys on the same page.'' Gibbs denied reports that he has a deal to leave General Motors for Toyota. "I've got to be honest,'' he said. "That's just not true. That's speculation. We're sitting down with the GM guys [in a few weeks]. We've had conversations with them. I don't think any GM team has signed a deal yet. That was kind of frustrating.'' JGR has been with GM for 16 seasons between Pontiac and Chevrolet. While Gibbs plans to discuss a new deal, he never ruled out talking to Toyota. Gibbs also didn't rule out talking to driver Kyle Busch, who became a free agent when it was announced Dale Earnhardt Jr. would replace him at Hendrick Motorsports next season.(ESPN.com)(6-25-2007)

Yeley's fate with JGR? #18-J.J. Yeley’s fate is still up in the air with Joe Gibbs Racing after a star-crossed run at Michigan last week that saw him qualify on the pole but sink like a stone once the green flag fell en route to a 28th-place finish.(Ford Racing)(6-24-2007)

Gibbs evaluating manufacturer alignment: Having lost the Dale Earnhardt Jr. sweepstakes, Joe Gibbs Racing [#s 11, 18, 20] President J.D. Gibbs says his team is focused on its current lineup of drivers. Gibbs says it's too early to talk about any interest in Kyle Busch nor whether his team will switch to Toyota next season. JGR has been with General Motors for 16 years. "We wanted to wait and see what happened with the Junior deal," Gibbs said Sunday prior to the Citizens Bank 400 at Michigan. "And then we're going to sit down and evaluate. We've been a partner with them for 16 years. We're going to look at it and evaluate and make sure we're on the same page. "Obviously, is Toyota out there as a possibility? I think they have probably talked to a number of different groups... We just want to make sure, as the sport changes, how do we stay where we need to be at JGR to stay ahead of the curve? And a big part is manufacturer."(SceneDaily.com)(6-18-2007)

Chevy unveils paint schemes to commemorate 50 Years of the '57 Chevy: One of the most recognizable cars in American motoring history reaches a notable milestone this year, a milestone which NASCAR, Chevy and Motorsports Authentics proudly celebrate. The 1957 Chevrolet, a car which turns 50 years old this year, will be commemorated at August 19’s 3M Performance 400 Nextel Cup race at Michigan International Speedway by at least 11 Team Chevy drivers. Unveiled by Jimmie Johnson at MIS today, a Monte Carlo SS race car featuring decals with cues from the iconic 1957 design is similar to the ones Johnson and other Team Chevy drivers will race during the August event. On August 18, ’57 Chevys along with many other historic vehicles will hit the streets during Metro Detroit’s Woodward Dream Cruise. That same weekend, Team Chevy Nextel Cup Series drivers #4-Ward Burton, #8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr., #24-Jeff Gordon, #48-Jimmie Johnson, #14-Sterling Marlin, #01-Mark Martin, #15-Paul Menard, #96-Tony Raines, #1-Martin Truex, Jr., #78-Kenny Wallace and #18-J.J. Yeley will take to the track at MIS with their cars wearing special ’57 Chevy paint schemes. To commemorate this special event, Motorsports Authentics will replicate their cars with die-cast models and offer apparel and novelty items related to the event.(GM Racing PR), see an image of the #48 Scheme on my #48 Team Schemes page.(6-16-2007)

Latest Dale Jr. to 'news' MORE: Depending on who one believes in the Nextel Cup garage, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is headed either to Ginn Racing with sponsorship from Budweiser or Joe Gibbs Racing with backing from credit card giant Visa. Either way, expect an announcement next month. “We're trying not to comment too much on how things are going or what's going on until we can really have something to say, but I can tell you that things are positive,” Earnhardt said after qualifying on Friday. “I've just been overwhelmed with the personalities that I've met, with the owners and the individuals working at each company. There are certainly a lot of great people out there with good morals and good values and with great attitudes about the sport and about what they want to accomplish. It makes me feel good about where the sport's going to be in the next 5-10 years with some of these individuals I've met.”(SPEEDtv.com)
UPDATE: on FoxSports NASCAR pre-race from Dover, Jeff Hammond said sources tell him that Dale Earnhardt Jr, would sign with Joe Gibbs Racing and have sponsorship from VISA, with the announcement coming within the next 10-14 days.(6-3-2007)

Toyota: Gibbs? Penske merge with Waltrip? UPDATE: Toyota, sources said, has approached the Gibbs team with a proposal to leave Chevrolet, which would give it #20-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-J.J. Yeley. Gibbs’ management doesn’t appear to be that interested, but the offer hasn’t been rejected, according to team sources. Penske [#2, #12], who has been with just about every manufacturer in racing over the years and who is one of the world’s biggest Toyota dealers, could be making the move to Toyota for next year. According to sources close to the situation, Penske could be looking at a merger with Michael Waltrip’s struggling Toyota operation. And there is speculation that Robert and Doug Yates [#38, #88] may be willing to listen to Toyota offers, even though they have long-standing ties with Ford.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-31-2007)

UPDATE: Several sources tell SI.com that Toyota is going hard after Joe Gibbs Racing and that Gibbs is very interested. Officially, the Gibbs team denies any contact with Toyota: "It's news to us," team spokesman Mike Arning said. Toyota, as a matter of policy, does not comment on contract negotiations. The potential deal is a delicate subject for Gibbs and Toyota. Gibbs' contract with Chevrolet, which runs out at the end of the year, stipulates this is a non-negotiating period with other manufacturers. Is contact to determine interest negotiating? You'd have to read the fine print and then get a clarification from an arbitrator to determine that. But sources say there definitely has been communication between Toyota and Gibbs.(Sports Illustrated)(6-2-2007)

Newman to Gibbs? doubtful; Yeley controls his future: #12-Ryan Newman’s name has surfaced prominently in early Silly Season rumors, most notably in connection with a possible move to Joe Gibbs Racing. But Penske Racing officials have said Newman is under contract through the end of the 2008 season, and the driver said Saturday that neither he nor the team are distracted by the Silly Season rumors. “A lot of names are in the hat right now,” said Newman, who will make his 200th NASCAR Nextel Cup start on Sunday. “I guess it’s a good thing being in the hat, being considered. At least someone thinks you have talent, but I’m happy where I’m at and I’m happy doing what I’m doing. We’ll just play it like that. It doesn’t distract me. I don’t think it distracts the team. It’s all about confidence whether it’s confidence qualifying the race car and putting it on the edge or having confidence in me. That doesn’t change.” At Joe Gibbs Racing, #18-J.J. Yeley was told last week by J.D. Gibbs that he controls his own destiny, team officials said. Yeley, who is in the final year of his contract as driver of the #18 JGR Chevrolet, needs to improve his results if he wants to keep that ride next season, according to a JGR spokesman. But if he does that, he’ll be back.(SPEEDtv.com)(5-27-2007)

Junior Can't Bring Budweiser to Gibbs Team: If Dale Earnhardt Jr. ends up at Joe Gibbs Racing, team officials are adamant it won't be with sponsor Budweiser. Bobby Ginn, however, has no problem with a beer sponsorship and is still hotly pursuing NASCAR's most coveted free agent. And Richard Childress? He had nothing to say on the subject Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. With Hendrick Motorsports apparently out of the Earnhardt sweepstakes - Hendrick has four drivers under contract and claims he isn't looking to drop any of them - three other Chevrolet teams have emerged as the front-runners to sign NASCAR's most popular driver. JGR could be the leading candidate, but owner Joe Gibbs insisted Saturday night he won't accept a beer sponsorship at his family business. Earnhardt is closely associated with Budweiser, his longtime sponsor, and the company can leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. with him at the end of the season. "For me personally, and my background and everything that has happened to me, it wouldn't fit me," Gibbs said. "It doesn't mean it's not fine for everybody else." Gibbs officials also said they won't be expanding to four teams in 2008. That means they'd have to dump a driver to sign Earnhardt, and #18-J.J. Yeley could be on the hot seat. Ginn, meanwhile, has room for Earnhardt and has planned to expand to four teams since taking over majority ownership of the team known as MB2 Motorsports last season. Ginn said Saturday he's had "exploratory conversations" with Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, but has yet to speak to Earnhardt himself. He said he never would have taken it this far if he didn't think his organization was a perfect fit. Childress, who said Friday he had yet to speak to the Earnhardts, wouldn't give an update Saturday on any discussions. With three cars under the RCR roof, he said he'll be at four in 2008 with or without Earnhardt behind the wheel.(Associated Press)(5-27-2007)

Black scheme for Yeley at Nextel Open: #18-J.J. Yeley will participate in only his second Nextel Open. He is hoping to make his first All-Star Challenge by virtue of either finishing in the top two positions in the Open or by winning the Nextel Fan Vote. Yeley will be sporting a black paint scheme for All-Star weekend while still keeping the lightning bolt scheme introduced at the beginning of the 2007 season. The #18 will return to its familiar green theme for the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 and beyond.(JGR/True Speed PR), see an image on the #18 Team Schemes page(5-17-2007)

Gibbs: Dale Jr. yes; Budweiser...probably not: J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing [#11,#18,#20], answered questions from members of the media at Darlington Raceway on Saturday afternoon:
ON HIS REACTION TO DALE EARNHARDT, JR.'S ANNOUNCEMENT: "Really from our standpoint we're kind of watching stuff unfold as you guys were. I thought they did a great job on their press conference. I know that was hard for him. I think for us really we're just really focused on what we're doing now, our three cars. Would everyone want a chance to talk to Dale Jr.? Sure. Who wouldn't want a chance to talk to Dale Jr.? Right now it sounds like he and Kelley, whatever decision they come up with will be a good one. They just want a little time to think about it. When the time is right we'd love to sit down and talk to him and see what their plans are but right now we're just focusing on what we're doing."
WOULD YOU HAVE BUDWEISER AS A SPONSOR? "For us it would be hard. It'd be hard. They've been a great partner of the sport and do a lot for us but personally that would be a hard deal for us to do."
WOULD IT BE DEAL BREAKER HARD? "I'll just leave it at that right now. I'm not sure if that would fit for us. Even though we really appreciate what they're doing and they're a great group, it'd be hard for us to do."
WILL TONY STEWART AND DENNY HAMLIN'S CLOSE FRIENDSHIP WITH DALE EARNHARDT JR. PLAY INTO THAT AT ALL?
"You know I really don't know. Just from what I heard him say that might but for the most part he just wants to go and run well. I think he'll have a ton of opportunities and when the time is right, hey if the opportunity is there we'd love to sit down and talk to him but right now I think he's just focused on his deal and just we're focused on our deal."
SO YOU DON'T PLAN ON PROACTIVELY SEEKING HIM OUT AND TALKING ABOUT IT?
"I feel like right now he's got enough stuff going on and we'll just let stuff roll where it is. The best thing we can do in any situation is if we run the best we can week in and week out, no matter what happens down the road, I think that's our best plan. There's nothing really interesting. all I have to say is that I'm kind of watching it unfold like you guys are. Sounds like if he and Kelley, they're on the same page they'll make a good decision. I think they'll have a ton of opportunities. If the time is right, we could talk to them about that but right now, I think we're just going to focus on what we're focusing on and let that fall where it may."(in part from a GM Racing PR)(5-13-2007)

Fire-Dex Teams Up with Yeley as assoc sponsor: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced a partnership with Fire-Dex, LLC of Medina, Ohio, who will join the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by J.J. Yeley as an associate sponsor for the entire 2007 Nextel Cup Series schedule. Fire-Dex, a leading manufacturer of protective firefighting clothing and emergency response apparel, will be featured on the "B-post" of Yeley's car, which is the area between the side windows. The company is entering its second year of involvement with a Nextel Cup team. In addition to the B-post decal, the Fire-Dex shield will appear on Yeley's driver uniform, the #18 team transporter and the #18 team pit box. Fire-Dex will also use Yeley's #18 Chevy at its booth during two major fire industry trade shows, including the FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference) in mid-April and the IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs) conference in late August. For more information on Fire-Dex, log onto www.firedex.com.(True Speed Communication/JGR PR)(2-11-2007)

Starter partners with JGR: Starter, a leader in developing licensed and innovative team apparel and footwear, formally announced a partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing [#11, #18, #20] to develop footwear and apparel solutions for the NASCAR team's crews and drivers. The partnership is designed to provide a "Living Laboratory" for Starter to apply its experience working with world-class athletes in other sports to the needs of the drivers and crews of Joe Gibbs Racing's teams in the Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series. Starter and its parent company Nike Inc. already provide 70% of the footwear worn by NASCAR crews, but this partnership signals a deepening of the company's commitment to the sport. Starter is partnering with Motorsports Authentics, the leading consumer apparel provider in NASCAR, to build a line of merchandise for trackside sales and other distribution channels, providing consumers with the closest experience possible to being part of the team. Starter, which grew to prominence in the 1980s with its line of Starter athletic jackets, is aggressively building its presence in NASCAR by delivering performance apparel and footwear products valued for all consumers. Among the first products to be introduced in 2007 is an authentic race-day jacket to be worn by #'s 20, 18 and 11 Nextel Cup teams. All products will meet a mandate of expressive, authentic, cool, reliable, crafted and durable performance, while utilizing the latest fabric and technology advancements over the past few years.(JGR PR)(1-29-2007)

Gibbs struggling with grandson's leukemia diagnosis: A 2-year-old grandson of Washington Redskins head coach [and Nextel Cup team owner] Joe Gibbs has been diagnosed with leukemia and is currently undergoing chemotherapy, a development that has been "devastating" to the Hall of Fame coach. According to Gibbs' personal Web site [joegibbsonline.com], Zachary Taylor Gibbs -- the son of NASCAR [team] executive J.D. Gibbs -- was ruled to have leukemia two weeks ago. Zachary Taylor has already undergone surgery. "We got the news on Taylor, and it was really devastating to our whole family," Gibbs said on his Web site. "So I've kind of been going through a process here the last two weeks, and I'm probably like a lot of you, this is much more important than winning football games. And winning football games is important. That's the third most important thing in my life. God's first, family and loved ones second and then my occupation third. "So as we struggle with this news with Taylor, we did get a good report this week, and he's had a number of surgeries that he's been through, he's in chemo now, and so we sure appreciate your prayers," Gibbs said. The coach is about to enter the fourth year of a five-year contract, a deal he has vowed to complete, assuming his health holds up. He turned 66 last season and often talked about spending offseason time with his "grandbabies." J.D. Gibbs, his oldest son, serves as president of Joe Gibbs Racing in North Carolina, and Gibbs' other son, Coy, is an offensive quality control coach for the Redskins. Between them, they have six sons and one daughter. On his Web site, Joe Gibbs said that Zachary Taylor's leukemia "kind of threw us all for a loop" and added it "way overshadows anything like our occupation and me winning football games."(ESPN.com)(1-24-2007)

Almirola to run some Busch races and possibly some Cup: Aric Almirola estimates he will run 20 Busch Series races and possibly a few Nextel Cup events in 2007. Almirola, testing the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy during Busch Series practice at Daytona International Speedway, said Friday his 20 races will be split between the #18 and #20 JGR entries. Almirola, who added he is working on a truck deal for four or five races. Almirola has tested the "car of tomorrow" three or four times for JGR and that might lead to him running a few Cup events. He also might do other NASCAR test sessions. He said the Cup races will possibly be determined by sponsors and where they would want him to run. Almirola said the fourth team would be primarily used as a research and development team.(SceneDaily.com)(1-20-2007)

2006 News

JGR are NASCAR Football Champs: NASCAR Flag Football: Joe Gibbs Racing are the 2006 Champions of Bob Hubner's Totally Racin' Flag Football League presented by Race City Resumes.com. JGR led by quarterback J.D. Gibbs went 10-0 competing against 5 other NASCAR Teams for the title. Evernham Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Roush Racing and Team Red Bull.(Race City Resumes)(12-6-2006)

Almirola could make Cup debut in 2007: Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said Tampa product Aric Almirola is likely to make his Nextel Cup debut next season as part of a plan to enter him in up to 20 Busch Series races and test a research and development car for the team's three current Cup programs. NASCAR holds seven open test sessions for all Cup teams and a driver must try to qualify for a race after attending the first two. They must then try to qualify for a race for every subsequent test. "For our future, it's our best option to concentrate on Busch stuff with him," Gibbs said. "It's only five races (less than) a full truck season so he'll probably benefit more from working with our guys." Almirola will race in both JGR's #18 and #20 Busch Chevrolet entry, Gibbs said.(St Petersburg Times)(11-20-2006)

Sponsorship changes at the #18? The #18 Chevy of J.J. Yeley could see its sponsorship split among three companies — including Interstate Batteries — each of whom would be the primary sponsor for 12 races and an associate for the remaining 24.(Speed Channel)(8-5-2006)

Carmichael offer from Gibbs? UPDATE: As Ricky Carmichael soldiers on through his last full season on the AMA Motocross circuit, pieces are starting to fall in place as to what exactly his plans are for 2007 and beyond. Besides rumors circulating of Carmichael signing a three-year deal to drive in the ARCA Series for the Joe Gibbs race team starting in 2007, Carmichael is starting to leave hints as to which outdoor nationals he plans on racing next year.(racerxill.com)(7-20-2006)
UPDATE: If Motocross racer Ricky Carmichael wants to give NASCAR a try, Joe Gibbs Racing will find a seat for him. J.D. Gibbs said Sunday the team has had preliminary discussions with Carmichael, who many consider the greatest motocross racer of all time. "We're just talking to him, like a "Hey, if it ever comes up and you are interested in doing something, let's brainstorm,' " Gibbs said. Carmichael is expected to make the 2007 season his final one in Motocross, and Gibbs said he didn't think it would take him long to adjust to stock-cars if Carmichael wanted to give them a try.(FoxSports/AP)(7-24-2006)

Yeley to Drive VESIcare Scheme at Chicago: To bring attention to the condition of overactive bladder (OAB), Astellas Pharma US, Inc. (Astellas) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are working together with driver J.J. Yeley, who will be driving #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy at Chicagoland Speedway. The sponsorship is part of an ongoing promotional campaign to help raise awareness about OAB and VESIcare tablets, a treatment for OAB marketed by Astellas and GSK. The campaign goal for VESIcare is to help make sufferers aware that their condition may be treatable and to encourage a dialogue between patients and health care professionals. The logo for VESIcare will be displayed on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by Yeley. For complete prescribing information for VESIcare, go to www.vesicare.com.(True Speed Communication/JGR PR)(7-3-2006)

Gibbs teams up with Arena Racing: Arena Racing USA, which has been sanctioning indoor stock car races in Virginia since 2003 at the Hampton Coliseum and the Norfolk Scope, has partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing to expand arena racing to Charlotte, and eventually, cities across America. Arena Racing USA features half-scale stock cars capable of 100 mph, but are confined to a 1/10th mile banked, indoor race track. The track is portable and fits inside the confines of a hockey rink. Arena Racing USA's Charlotte home will be the Cricket Arena on Independence Blvd [NC 74]. Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing and head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins, and Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, are backing Arena Racing USA's Charlotte effort, along with Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley.(more info at Joe Gibbs Racing site/True Speed Communications PR)(6-13-2006)

Special Paint for Yeley at Dover; The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy of J.J. Yeley will be carrying a special paint scheme this weekend, featuring Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate), a prescription medicine for the treatment of migraine headaches. Sunday’s race will be the fourth of 11 events this season in which GlaxoSmithKline will be the primary sponsor of Yeley's Chevy.(JGR PR)(6-2-2006)

Husqvarna on the #18 at Pocono: The #18 Chevy of J.J. Yeley will be carrying special colors this weekend, featuring a blue and white Husqvarna paint scheme. Sunday’s race will be the second of three events this season in which Yeley will be sponsored by Husqvarna, the Official Lawn and Garden Equipment of NASCAR. The company’s final race of the year will be the Aug. 20 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway.(Joe Gibbs Racing), see images of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page.(6-9-2006)

Yeley to Drive Boniva Scheme at Darlington: Mother's Day is a time for everyone to salute their mom with gifts and good wishes. But perhaps the best gift a mother can receive is to ensure she has helpful information on how to achieve and maintain good health, including bone health. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Roche are presenting this message to moms all across America this weekend with a special delivery from NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley and the Joe Gibbs Racing team. A unique paint scheme will be displayed on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy, which will be driven by Yeley during the Dodge Charger 500 Nextel Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, May 13th. The sponsorship aims to help raise awareness about postmenopausal osteoporosis and once-monthly BonivaR (ibandronate sodium) tablets. It encourages women to take steps to protect themselves against fractures. Information about postmenopausal osteoporosis and Boniva can be found at www.boniva.com.(Camp & Associates/Joe Gibbs Racing)(5-9-2006)

Yeley to run ACT scheme at Talladega: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will display a unique paint scheme on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet to be driven by rookie J.J. Yeley during the April 30 Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The sponsorship aims to help raise awareness about the need for improved asthma control and motivate patients with asthma to take the Asthma Control TestT (ACT), and share the results with their doctor. The ACT consists of five simple questions that help patients understand how their asthma affects them. GlaxoSmithKline also will bring its AsthmaControl.com mobile exhibit to the Talladega Superspeedway on April 30 to allow race fans with asthma to take the ACT, learn their asthma scores on site and receive racing souvenirs.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(4-27-2006)
IMAGE: see an image of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page.(4-29-2006)

Toyota and...Jarrett? UPDATE 3 Allmendinger? Gibbs?: The new NASCAR Nextel Cup Toyota operation that is being backed by Red Bull "has opened the checkbook," according to one top Ford man, who points to Red Bull's hiring of John Propst, a top Ford Motor Company vehicle dynamics specialist, and the hiring of a top Dodge engineer from the Ray Evernham camp for its new stock-car racing team. General Motors executives are anxiously watching their own key engineers for any similar defections. Elsewhere on the Toyota-NASCAR front, Toyota has made a bid to sign a two-year contract with Dale Jarrett, the tour's 1999 champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. Jarrett's contract with car owner Robert Yates is up at the end of this season. While it has been unclear for several months if Yates and Jarrett could come to new terms, Ford officials said Yates is offering Jarrett a contract similar to the Toyota deal.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-8-2006)
UPDATE - Red Bull Drivers? When Red Bull Racing debuts their two Toyota teams at Daytona in February of 2007, rumor has it the organization is looking to pair a rookie with a veteran, taking an approached used by Evernham Motorsports with Dodge. Veterans on the Red Bull list are said to be Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett. No word on a rookie, but it could easily be an accomplished veteran from another of the Motorsports arenas.(CircleTrackPlus)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE 2 Allmendinger? Murmurs in Champ Car circles say Red Bull, which carries a personal services contract with AJ Allmendinger, might like to see the young American in Nextel Cup, where it hopes to strike big in 2007 in partnership with Toyota. With so much money and fame up for grabs in NASCAR, it has become a challenge to keep promising open-wheel drivers away from the France family circus. It could prove difficult for Owner Carl Russo and Champ Car to hold onto Allmendinger, especially if he starts winning.(Autoweek)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE 3 Gibbs? There is still no word on which drivers Toyota might back, but Toyota may be making a run at car owner Joe Gibbs, with hopes of persuading the veteran Chevy man, and his three-man team of #20-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-J. J. Yeley, to jump to the Camry brigade, according to sources. Chevy's Kevin Harvick continues to be a focal point of Toyota speculation. However, there is word that Harvick may be under consideration by Ford's Jack Roush for a driving job next season, though Harvick insists "I've not talked with Jack Roush, and I don't know Geoff Smith (Roush's contract attorney)." Smith was not here to discuss the situation, and Roush demurred: "I hear Toyota goes with Kevin Harvick, and there's not a Toyota in my future. What I do know, is Toyota just hired (engineer) John Propst from Ford, and that gives Toyota access to everything all the Ford teams have known about the engineering of the cars, and that's a cheeky move by Toyota, and it's certainly a coup for Toyota. The thing that is more distressing is Toyota is in position to make their own tires, with its relationship with Bridgestone....And I've heard Toyota has acquired 100 acres of land in Charlotte to put together a test track."(Winston Salem Journal)(4-10-2006)

Yeley to Drive AsthmaControl.com at Bristol: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will display a unique paint scheme on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by rookie J.J. Yeley during the March 26 Food City 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The sponsorship aims to help raise awareness about the need for improved asthma control, and to motivate patients with asthma to take the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and share the results with their doctors. The ACT consists of five simple questions that help patients understand how their asthma affects them. It can be found at www.asthmacontrol.com. GlaxoSmithKline will also bring its AsthmaControl.com mobile exhibit to Bristol Motor Speedway on March 26 to allow race fans with asthma to take the ACT, learn their asthma scores on-site and receive racing souvenirs. For company information, visit GSK on the World Wide Web at www.gsk.com.(JGR/Camp & Assoc)(3-21-2006)

Special scheme for Yeley at Atlanta: The Interstate Batteries Chevy will be sporting new colors for the first time this season in Atlanta. Husqvarna will be featured as the primary sponsor of J.J. Yeley's #18 Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Chevy.(Joe Gibbs Racing), see an image on my #18 Team Schemes page. The scheme is scheduled to run at two more not yet announced races.(3-17-2006)

Husqvarna to sponsor Joe Gibbs Racing teams: Husqvarna, a global manufacturer of forest, lawn and garden power equipment for all applications, has reached a sponsorship agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2006 season. The multi-car sponsorship further solidifies Husqvarna’s commitment to racing: The company already serves as the Forest, Lawn & Garden Equipment of NASCAR, and it features a NASCAR branded chainsaw in its product catalog. The contract includes primary sponsorship of Gibbs’ number #18 Chevy for three NASCAR Nextel Cup races. The blue, orange and white car will feature the Husqvarna logo on the hood, quarter panels and back sections. Husqvarna will also be listed on the car’s decklid as well as the transporter and pit box throughout the 2006 season, and the uniform of driver J.J. Yeley will include the Husqvarna name. Husqvarna’s agreement extends into the Joe Gibbs Racing Busch Series team as well. Husqvarna will be the primary sponsor of the number #19 Chevy for four races. Aric Almirola takes the wheel for three of those races. Husqvarna will utilize the Joe Gibbs Racing facility in Huntersville, NC throughout 2006 for dealer events, and will invite select dealers to Washington Redskins football games and pre-season training camp sessions, which are included as part of the sponsorship agreement.(husqvarna.com)(2-28-2006)

Timken teams up with JGR: The Timken Company announced that it has entered into an agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) to become an official technical partner of the NASCAR racing organization. The partnership, which provides product development and technical engineering support, will be leveraged across JGR's multiple team operations in the Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series and Truck Series. For the last two years, Timken has worked collaboratively with the JGR engineering team to develop and test technologies that improve the car's powertrain performance, delivering longer life, improved fuel economy and higher horsepower availability. Products like specialty steels from the company's Latrobe, Pa., operations and Timken RacePac, an integrated hub and bearing assembly specially designed for NASCAR teams, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to safety, reliability and high performance for the motorsports industry.(Timken PR)(2-8-2006)

2005 News

A Yeley Story: Now you know the rest of the story. It was announced last at Phoenix that Chris Yeley will take over the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy next season. Chris Yeley? Yes, that's J.J. Yeley’s given first name. J.J. stands for Jimmy Jack, a combination of his uncle’s name Jimmy and his father’s name Jack. Yeley says “The two of them went in when I was born and took turns being with my mom. It was a lengthy labor unfortunately so they took the initials of the two. I actually got “Chris” as my given name about a week later. I like J.J., it’s a good racing name.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(11-15-2005)

#18 Team wins Checkers Double Drive-Thru Challenge: The #18 Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Team with driver Bobby Labonte won the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge at the on November 13th at the Phoenix International Raceway with a pit-road-service time of 272.609 seconds. As the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, Checkers/Rally's recognizes the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team with the best pit road performance each week with a $10,000 prize. At the end of the season, Checkers/Rally's will award the $100,000 grand prize to the team that garners the most Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge wins throughout the race season. Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge takes place at all 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point races. To win, teams must finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time in pit lane. For details on the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge, visit checkers.com/nascar.(MARC PR)(10-21-2005)

Yeley to the #18 UPDATE It's OFFICIAL: been told that Joe Gibbs Racing's Busch Driver, J.J. Yeley will be named the driver of the #18 Chevy at a press conference in Phoenix.(11-9-2005)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that JJ Yeley will drive the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in 2006. He will continue to run in the Busch Series in 2006 with JGR; the amount of races in the Busch Series will be between 22 to the full season. Attending today's press conference was JD Gibbs (President), Jimmy Makar (President of Racing Operations) and JJ Yeley (Driver).
JD GIBBS: "We're excited. We obviously had a great relationship with Bobby Labonte for many years. We like doing things for a long, long time. That worked out. Obviously Bobby made his announcement for, as well as I could imagine, with a hard situation. For us to have JJ sitting here ready to go was obviously a big reason why we were able to make that decision with Bobby. JJ can go forward and win races and challenge for championships. We're excited about that. Jimmy is the technical one and he's been to a lot more testing than I have."
JIMMY MAKAR: "Yeah, I'll tell you, we're really excited about JJ. We've got a lot going on at JGR right now and from a technical standpoint, it's been a pleasure to work with JJ and see him and his ability to work with the car and understand the car and converse with the crew chiefs and the guys that work on the car. I think that's a big plus for him-to be able to understand that and to be able to converse with his crew chief and let's everybody know what the car needs. His driving talents are excellent and those abilities are something that's going to make him stand out for others as well. We're really excited to move forward and long relationship with him. Like JD said, win some races and challenge for a championship."
JJ YELEY: "I'm very excited to get the opportunity to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet out there. I've got some big shoes to fill out there with Bobby Labonte, past champion and a guy that's won 20 races. I'm just very proud to be a part of JGR. JD and Mr. Makar have given me an opportunity and obviously the equipment is there, Tony leading the points and Denny Hamlin doing very well here lately. So, I'm just very excited for the opportunity they've given me and proud that they have the confidence in me. I want to thank a lot of people-Vigaro and Home Depot have been with me in the Busch Series to get me to this point. My parents have obviously sacrificed a lot to get me to this point. There's a lot of people that have helped me get to this point and hopefully I can go out there for them and make them very proud."(More at the Joe Gibbs Racing site)(11-12-2005)

Bobby Labonte to the #43? UPDATE 3 It's Official: Bobby Labonte to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride Jeff Green would vacate [for the #0 Chevy].(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)
UPDATE 1 Announedment Sched: Petty Enterprises is scheduled to make an announcement on Friday, Nov. 11th at Phoenix International Raceway..........Bobby Labonte driver?(11-10-2005)
UPDATE 2: On Friday, November 10th at Phoenix International Raceway, Petty Enterprises will announce that Nextel Cup champion, Bobby Labonte, will drive the #43 Cheerios / Betty Crocker Dodge in 2006. Labonte won the NEXTEL Cup championship in 2000 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, has 21 career NEXTEL Cup victories and claimed the NASCAR Busch Series Championship in 1991. Labonte started racing quarter midgets at the age of five in his hometown of Corpus Christi, TX. His brother is NASCAR champion Terry Labonte.(11-10-2005)
OFFICIAL: Bobby Labonte, 2000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, will drive the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge beginning with the 2006 season, it was announced this morning by Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President of Operations, Petty Enterprises. Labonte, 41, joins Petty Enterprises from Joe Gibbs Racing where he won 21 Cup races and the 2000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship during his 10-year stretch with the team. He will be a teammate to Kyle Petty, and will also work first-hand with Loomis, who is rejoining the organization after a successful championship-winning stint at Hendrick Motorsports.
"Winning in our sport is a learned process," said Loomis. "The heritage of Petty Enterprises, coupled with a talented, successful driver like Bobby Labonte, will lead to some great things. There's a lot of work to be done, but we have some tremendous tools here and we're excited about the future."
"We're bringing some serious firepower to the #43 Cheerios Dodge next year and I am excited about having Bobby Labonte as a teammate," Kyle Petty said. "Bobby knows how to win races and how to win championships, as does Robbie Loomis."
"I'm really pleased to be part of Petty Enterprises," Labonte said. "When I first came into this sport, my heroes were Terry Labonte and Richard Petty. To have the opportunity to drive Richard Petty's #43 car is something I could not have imagined growing up. The #43 knows its way to victory lane, and we'll get it back there. I am looking forward to working with Robbie, Kyle, The King and the entire Petty team. And, I'm excited about working with households names like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, along with the entire General Mills team. I had a great run at Joe Gibbs Racing, and have the utmost respect for that organization and appreciate all they did for me. I am fortunate to be going to another high quality organization in Petty Enterprises," Labonte said.
"Just like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, Bobby Labonte is committed to winning, to family and to community," added General Mills Vice President Laurie Greeno. "We at General Mills are thrilled to have Bobby join the #43 team."(Williams Company)(11-11-2005)

Labonte to run Madagascar scheme at Phoenix: #18-Bobby Labonte will run the Interstate Batteries/Madagascar scheme on the #18 Chevy at Phoenix International Raceway's Cup race on Sunday.(Joe Gibbs Racing), Labonte was to drive this scheme the Coca-Cola 600 in May right after the movie premiered, but when the #11 FedEx car failed to make the race, FedEx moved to the #18 and the Madagascar scheme then ran in the June Pocono race. The movie is now being released on DVD, hence the promotional scheme, see an image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(11-9-2005)

Yeley to the #18: been told that Joe Gibbs Racing's Busch Driver, J.J. Yeley will be named the driver of the #18 Chevy at a press conference in Phoenix.(11-9-2005)

Bobby Labonte to the #43? UPDATE 3 Labonte parts ways with JGR: Bobby Labonte to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride Jeff Green would vacate [for the #0 Chevy].(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)
UPDATE: Speed Channel's Bob Dillner reported on Saturday's Speed News that he is hearing Bobby Labonte will go to Petty Enterprises and drive the famed #43 Dodge....while I WAS hearing he would go to Ganassi Racing in the #42, it seems that deal broke down and ALSO hearing Labonte could end up in the #22 Caterpillar Dodge....looks like the Dodge part is a lock.(11-6-2005)
UPDATE 2 - Yeley to the #18? #18-Bobby Labonte has refused for several months to talk about his future plans, and he has become increasingly testy when pressed on the issue. Labonte is being actively wooed by both Bill Davis and Kyle Petty for 2006, and Joe Gibbs, Labonte's current car owner, has been told that Labonte won't be back, according to sources. Gibbs has tentatively set a press conference for next week at Phoenix to announce J. J. Yeley as Labonte's replacement, regardless of which direction Labonte takes.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-7-2005)
UPDATE 3: Bobby Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing will conclude an 11-year relationship at the end of the 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series season, Labonte and officials from JGR announced Nov. 7. Labonte’s future plans, as well as a replacement driver for the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, will be announced at a later date. “I regret to say that this is the final year that I will be at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Labonte said. “One of the things that made this decision so difficult was thinking of all the fans that have supported me at JGR throughout the past 11 years. This relationship has lasted a long time, and I hate that it has to end. Joe Gibbs and his family gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I want to thank them, and all the employees at JGR, for 11 years of hard work. I will always cherish the times at JGR, and the only thing that I regret is that we didn’t win more races and or championships. I wish everyone at JGR continued success in the future and I want to thank J.D. (Gibbs, president of JGR) for giving me the chance to be released from my contract early and letting me pursue other opportunities.”(Joe Gibbs Racing)(11-7-2005)

Interstate Batteries Rewards Local Dealer: When Bobby Labonte competes at the Dickies 500 NEXTEL Cup Series event Nov. 6 at Texas Motor Speedway, the hood of his #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy will look a little bit different than most fans are used to seeing. Following a nationwide contest that Interstate conducted earlier this year, the car will carry the name of Main Street Getty, an Interstate Batteries dealer located in Tewksbury, Mass., a city of about 28,000 people, located about 20 miles north of Boston. In addition, IBS of Massachusetts, the Interstate Batteries distributorship that services Main Street Getty, will also adorn part of Labonte's hood. Both were winners of Interstate's '500 Miles of Fame II' promotion, a program designed to increase its dealers' focus on batteries and give them and Interstate's distributors a chance to be seen by millions of consumers both in person and on television in a location normally reserved for multi-million dollar corporate names. Winners not only receive an all-expense paid trip to the race, but will also get the opportunity to meet Labonte prior to the event. Interstate is one of the longest-running major sponsors in NEXTEL Cup racing having been associated with Joe Gibbs Racing since 1991.(Camp and Associates/JGR)(11-1-2005)
IMAGE: see image of the hood on my #18 Team Schemes page.(11-2-2005)

Labonte to the #42? UPDATE 4: Hearing Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy, is the top candidate to replace Jamie McMurray in the #42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge at Chip Ganassi Racing, which would allow #97-Kurt Busch to drive the #2 in 2006 and McMurray to head to Roush Racing and drive the #97. Both McMurray and Busch signed deals to go to those teams in 2007 and both are trying to get out of their contract to run with their new teams in 2006.(10-21-2005)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte could hold the key to the Jack Roush-Chip Ganassi-Roger Penske driver-swapping puzzle that has bedeviled the NASCAR garage area since July. Labonte's name has been circulating for months in the NASCAR rumor mill, though he has insisted several times he's not particularly interested in leaving Gibbs, his boss for more than a decade. However several car owners have said they are actively pursuing him, if he is available. Labonte's contract with Gibbs isn't up, but that would apparently not be a stumbling block if the two do decide to split.
The scenario under debate: Labonte moving to Ganassi, who would in turn free Jamie McMurray to join Roush as a replacement for Kurt Busch next season and then as a replacement for Mark Martin in 2007. In turn, Roush could then release Busch to join Roger Penske as a replacement for Rusty Wallace, who is retiring at the end of this season. Kyle Petty, meanwhile, said if Labonte is looking, Petty Enterprises wants to talk to him: "Oh, gosh, yes, if Bobby were available, his name would be in our hat." Petty is in the market for a driver to take over Jeff Green's ride in the team's 43 car.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND Queried about his plans for where he’ll drive in 2006, Bobby Labonte declined to offer any specifics. “It’s not in my best interest to tell you, so I’m not going to tell you,” said the 2000 NASCAR Cup champion. Labonte did confirm that he has two years left on his contract with Joe Gibbs, but he’s been rumored to be on his way out, possibly to drive for either Petty Enterprises or Chip Ganassi.(Speed Channel)(10-24-2005)
UPDATE 2: Native Texan Bobby Labonte laughed off a rumor that he is being considered for the driver's job with Hall of Fame Racing, the start-up Cup team co-owned by former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, has driven for Joe Gibbs Racing since 1995. Interestingly, Hall of Fame Racing's 2006 Chevrolets will be supplied by Gibbs, making the team a satellite operation of Joe Gibbs Racing. Labonte declined to divulge the duration of his current contract with Gibbs. "That's my business, not yours," Labonte said. "As far as I know, I'm driving their car."(Fort Worth Star Telegram), no mention of the #42 rumor........(10-26-2005)
UPDATE 3: hearing that Bobby Labonte has signed with Ganassi Racing for next season. Supposedly they are only waiting for the lawyers to finish up with the paperwork. There was no mention as to whether or not Interstate Batteries would be going with him.(11-1-2005)
UPDATE 4: Perhaps the final piece to the puzzle is Ganassi securing a new driver for McMurray. Bobby Labonte has been in the rumor mill however Labonte, who is attending the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, told PRN’s Garagepass “I figure if you don’t run good you might as well start some stuff. Until something happens there’s nothing to say about it because there’s only two people that hold the key to the situation and a lot of people can talk about it but they don’t know what they’re talking about.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)...clear as mud?(11-1-2005)

Dominos Should Fall this week - Busch-McMurray released? UPDATE 2 McMurray release DENIED:: This will be the crucial week for a decision, Roush Racing president Geoff Smith says, in the long-running driver-swap negotiations involving Jack Roush's Kurt Busch, Chip Ganassi's Jamie McMurray, and Roger Penske. If it does happen, McMurray would join Roush [#97], and Busch would join Penske [#2]. "In order for it to work, there has to be a driver for Chip," Smith said. "Ten days ago it wasn't working for Chip, but now it can work, so I presume he's got somebody." That could be Ricky Rudd, who isn't saying what his 2006 plans are, but who is reportedly very close to a decision simply to retire at the end of the season. Or it could be Bobby Labonte. Or Labonte could be headed to Bill Davis, according to sources. If Labonte leaves Chevrolet's Joe Gibbs to join the soon-to-be-Toyota Davis team as Michael Waltrip's teammate, that would be a major pick up by Toyota, expected to join the Nextel Cup tour for the 2007 season. If Davis doesn't get Labonte, he will likely get Dave Blaney, according to sources. Blaney once drove for Davis. Penske officials, saying that Rudd isn't one of their options, agree that this is the week that will tell the tale, and they agree with Smith that the complicated deal will in fact be completed.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-31-2005)
UPDATE: ESPN's Mike Massaro is reporting that Roush Racing has released 2004 Nextel Cup Champ #97 Kurt Busch from his 2006 contract obligations, allowing Busch to go to the #2 Miller Lite Dodge that Rusty Wallace will be retiring from at the end of 2005. ALSO Massaro is reporting that Jamie McMurray has been released from his 2006 Ganassi Racing contract to drive the #42 Texaco Dodge, allowing him to go to Roush Racing, taking over for Busch in the #97/#28 car or whatever number they will use with Crown Royal as the primary sponsor. So......who goes to the #42 Texaco Havoline Dodge? I am still hearing it'll be Bobby Labonte, and other reports have Ricky Rudd taking the #42 ride over.(10-31-2005)
UPDATE 2: Jamie McMurray has not been released from his 2006 contract commitments at this time.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(11-1-2005)

More on Labonte looking: #18-Bobby Labonte apparently is on the short list of "proven winners" NASCAR legend Richard Petty plans to consider as driver of the famed #43 beginning in 2006. Labonte, the 2000 Nextel Cup champion, has a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2008. But a source said Friday that Labonte had informed some crewmen two weeks ago that he would not be returning to the #18 Chevrolet in 2006. The team's primary sponsor is Interstate Batteries. A team spokesman said Labonte has been "noncommittal" about his plans for next season. The source added that though Labonte respects Gibbs and his organization, he wants a change of scenery.(Fort Worth Star Telegram), still hearing Labonte to the #42 Texaco Dodge.(10-29-2005)

Special Scheme for Labonte at Atlanta: GlaxoSmithKline will display a unique message paint scheme on the #18 Chevrolet that Bobby Labonte will drive at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The sponsorship is to help raise awareness of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and to motivate asthma patients to assess their level of control and encourage them to talk with their doctor about their asthma symptoms.(Joe Gibbs Racing), the ACT scheme was run at Calfornia in Sept., see an image of teh scheme on the #18 Team Schemes page.(10-26-2005)

Addington Wins Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race Award at Martinsville: #18-Bobby Labonte may have received two speeding tickets in this week's Subway 500, but they never slowed him down. With help from crew chief Steve Addington, Labonte overcame his pit road infractions to land a top-five finish, his best since the Coca-Cola 600. For leading his driver from the back to the front, Addington was voted the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. "We had a really good car today," said Addington after the race. "Bobby (Labonte) knows how important track position is here (Martinsville) and was trying to get as much as he could on pit road. It ended up costing us twice. Fortunately our car was strong enough to get it back. We had the longest green flag run of the day after one of our penalties and that was a huge help. Our car was great on long runs and that allowed us to make up a lot of distance. If we didn't have to start in the back, we probably could have been battling the leader." The panel of voters, including Mike Mulhern of the Winston-Salem Journal, a Wypall Wipers representative and Robbie Reiser, split their votes on the crew chief of the race. Mulhern cast his vote for Pat Tryson, who overcame a brake problem on the #6 Ford. The Wypall representative and Reiser both voted for Addington.
Doug Richert leads the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year standings with five wins. Alan Gustafson and Greg Zipadelli are tied for second-place with three wins. Bob Osborne, Jimmy Fennig, Robbie Reiser, Chad Knaus, Steve Addington and Robbie Loomis are tied for third-place with two wins. Tommy Baldwin, Scott Miller, Fatback McSwain, Steve Hmiel, Greg Erwin, Slugger Labbe, Pat Tryson and Pete Rondeau are tied for fourth place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000. Fans can also vote for their choice at wypall.com.(SMC 500)(10-24-2005)

Green to the #0? Labonte to the #43? #18? Mike Bliss is the latest driver to learn he's out after the season finale at Homestead. Jeff Green appears to be the top candidate for Bliss' #0 Haas CNC ride. If he gets it, the dominoes really would start to fall. The most curious possible replacement? Bobby Labonte for the Petty Enterprises ride Green would vacate. Labonte, who drives the #18 for Joe Gibbs Racing, has been less than thrilled lately, and his name was mentioned earlier as a candidate for the Penske Racing #2 and Richard Childress Racing #29. Gibbs is auditioning Busch drivers Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley for the #11 Chevrolet. Hamlin finished eighth in Saturday night's crashfest at Charlotte, so give him the nod. But should Labonte leave, it would open the door for both drivers to move up to Cup in 2006.(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)

Labonte track to have a promo day [trying again:: NCQMA (Bobby Labonte's race track) is having a promotional day at the track this Sunday Oct. 16th [it was rained out on the 8th]. Info at ncqma.com(10-13-2005)(

Harvick rumors won't die....to #11? UPDATE: #29-Kevin Harvick and car owner Richard Childress have said they intend to team again next season, the last year of their current contract, but that hasn't stopped speculation that car owner Joe Gibbs has been looking at Harvick for a full-time ride with his #11 FedEx-sponsored team.(Winston Salem Journal)
BUT been told that there was a 'trade' discussed not too long ago, Harvick to Gibbs and Bobby Labonte to RCR, but it all fell thru and was never really serious.(9-26-2005)
MORE: hearing talk was pretty strong that the Harvick-Labonte trade was moving along until the night of the Bristol race, and Gibbs decided he didn't want Harvick. Think both drivers are still looking to go to other rides but Harvick's comments at Bristol ended the Gibbs possibilities. So don't expect Harvick to go to the #11 car.(9-27-205)

NASCAR Race Points scheme: #18-Bobby Labonte will run a MBNA NASCAR RacePoints scheme at the Dover International Speedway, for Sunday’s MBNA Race Points 400. MBNA has added the Red Cross logo to the trunk deck. Labonte will be wearing a white fire suit with the American Red Cross logo on the front and 1-800-help-now on the back. The #11 FedEx Chevy of Joe Gibbs Racing will also carry the Red cross logo on the trunk. Fed Ex and MBNA are teaming up to take credit card and cash donations at the track on Saturday and Sunday to help with the Hurricane relief., see an image of the car and suit on my #18 Team Schemes page.(9-20-2005)

WIX Filters Extends Joe Gibbs Racing Sponsorship: WIX Filters has announced that it will extend its associate sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing through 2007, taking the mutually beneficial relationship into its 15th year of NASCAR competition. The Joe Gibbs Racing associate sponsorship is the cornerstone of WIX Filters' involvement in NASCAR - more teams use WIX Filters than any other filter, making WIX the #1 filter in NASCAR - and the filter manufacturer leverages its relationship with JGR in marketing communications efforts. Joe Gibbs Racing's NEXTEL Cup #18 car, driven by Bobby Labonte, and its #20 car, driven by Tony Stewart, offer powerful visuals and voices in WIX Filters advertising; WIX uses its track-side research in its public relations efforts; and customers benefit from at-track events, racing-related promotions and the assurance that thanks to teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, the filter they are buying has succeeded on the toughest testing ground around. In addition, Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs will make personal appearances on behalf of WIX Filters - a benefit that WIX shares with its customers, giving them a chance to bring a taste of NASCAR to their own events. WIX has been a partner with Joe Gibbs Racing since 1993, just two years after Gibbs launched the race shop, and have continued a strong partnership ever since. Since 1939, WIX Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX also has the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award, which recognizes the drivers leading the most laps in each race. For more info on WIX Filters' go to wixfilters.com.(PR)(9-13-2005)

GlaxoSmithKline and Labonte Fight Asthma with ACT at California: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will display a unique message paint scheme at California Speedway during the Nextel Cup Sony HD 500 race on September 4. The sponsorship is to help raise awareness of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and to motivate asthma patients to assess their level of control and encourage them to talk with their doctor about their asthma symptoms. GlaxoSmithKline will also bring an AsthmaControl mobile exhibit to the California Speedway on Sunday, September 4th to allow asthma patients to take ACT on site and to learn more about their asthma.(JGR), see image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(8-30-2005)

No Decision on 2006 #11 driver; No FedX to #18: Joe Gibbs Racing Team Manager Jimmy Makar said no decision has been made yet on a driver for the team’s #11 FedEx-sponsored Chevrolet for next season. Makar said the team’s Busch drivers, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley, will each get seat time in the Cup car before the end of the year and are both in contention for the ride “if they show promise.” Makar also said the team definitely will run three cars in 2006, adding there was no truth to the rumors that FedEx could move to Bobby Labonte’s #18.(Speed Channel)(8-29-2005)

Gibbs lands Logano despite Roush interest: For years, it seemed like a lock that teenage driving phenom Joey Logano would wind up at Roush Racing because of the interest that Mark Martin, Roush's veteran driver, has shown in the youngster, who sometimes competes against Martin's son Matt. But Logano, a 15-year-old, recent signed a driver development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. Tom Logano, who handled the negotiations for his son, said he had hoped to work a deal with Roush, but he and team officials couldn't work out a contract so he called Gibbs. Four business days later, he said, the paperwork was signed, and his son will race under Gibbs' banner. "It looks like I tried to shop Joey, but the chemistry at Roush just wasn't there," he said. Roush's team has been reluctant to hire drivers under legal age since Kyle Busch reneged on an agreement to race for the team and moved to Hendrick Motorsports after he turned 18.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(8-19-2005)

LeBron James Paint Scheme on #18 at Bristol: Coca-Cola will test LeBron James' crossover appeal when the company puts the Cleveland Cavaliers guard on Bobby Labonte's hood next Saturday night. A comic book character resembling the 20-year-old NBA marketing icon will be plastered on the hood of the No. 18 car for the Sharpie 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway to promote POWERade's new James-inspired flavor, SourMelon. Coca-Cola officials say that recent data shows that 74% of all NBA fans are also NASCAR watchers. Coca-Cola will be flying in James to see his first live NASCAR race. "I really like the look of the race car," James said in a statement. "But I'm thinking we need to add some new rims." Coca-Cola will hand out commemorative comic books, with James and Labonte as characters, to fans at the track. The flavor, which is scheduled to hit shelves in 32-ounce bottles on Oct. 1, is the second in the line called FLAVA23. Sourberry, which matched the colors of his Cleveland Cavaliers jersey, hit supermarket and convenience store shelves last September. James helped chose the flavor, which is colored an emerald green, the color of his jersey at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Coca-Cola signed James two years ago to a six-year deal worth $2 million annually. Per the contract, James endorses both the POWERade and Sprite brands. Sources with knowledge of the contract told ESPN.com that James receives a bonus if POWERade's market share grows. La Kier would not confirm details of the contract. For every four Gatorade bottles sold in the United States, one POWERade bottle is sold, but the Coca-Cola sports drink brand is doing extremely well. La Kier said that total volume sold has increased 23 percent year-to-date. POWERade is an official sponsor of NASCAR, but in recent years has battled for placement with Gatorade, which owns victory lane at some tracks and has individual deals with drivers.(ESPN.com)(8-17-2005)

More Labonte rumors...to Evernham? Fed-Ex to the #18, Interstate Batteries? what might happen next at [Joe] Gibbs' [Racing] is uncertain. While #18-Bobby Labonte insists he has no plans to leave Gibbs, that has not quieted the NASCAR garage, with the talk continuing, focused on the possibility car owner Ray Evernham would like to hire Labonte for his new third team [#10 Valvoline] next season. Gibbs may be moving his FedEx sponsorship from his new third team, with #11-Jason Leffler, to the team for which Labonte currently drives, which has been sponsored for years by Interstate Batteries, according to sources close to the team. And there could be more to the change, though it's not at all clear just what [Jimmy Spencer reported this last week on NASCAR This Morning]. And it's not clear just how Gibbs' Interstate Batteries sponsorship might be aligned next season. Interstate boss Norm Miller is a close friend of Gibbs and is the man whose sponsorship helped launch Gibbs in NASCAR more than a decade ago. But over the years, the Texas battery maker has watched bigger and bigger companies join NASCAR as sponsors.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND rumors have Michael Waltrip possibly being aligned with Interstate Batteries somehow in 2006.(7-25-2005)

Claification of Labonte/Gibbs Racing rumors: See all the rumors below. Some updates to claify some of those rumors:
1. Joe Gibbs Racing is not planning a sports car team for 2006 and while Bobby Labonte enjoys the Rolex races, he is still a full-time Cup driver and is signed with JGR through 2008.
2. Interstate Batteries will be back on the #18 Chevy in 2006, as they have been since 1992, one of the longest running primary sponsors/team relationships in NASCAR.
3. And, as pointed out through various articles and in Bobby Labonte's comments. The rumors are untrue and that's about all that can be said.(JGR team spokesman)(7-19-2005)

Gibbs to four teams? Not looking at Sorenson: Joe Gibbs Racing [#11, #18, #20] is contemplating an expansion to a four-car effort next season, according to team sources. However, J. D. Gibbs, who runs the team for his NFL coaching father, insists the company isn't looking at hiring Busch hotshot Reed Sorensen, despite reports.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-18-2005)

Gibbs to kill the #11 team? Jimmy Spencer stated on Speed Channel's NASCAR This Morning that he expects Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Fed-Ex team to go away, Gibbs teams to go back to a 2 car team with Fed-Ex going to the #18 Bobby Labonte team as it is not well funded with Interstate Batteries.(Speed Channel's NASCAR This Morning)(7-17-2005)

Labonte not back with Gibbs? UPDATE 3: CBS Sportsline story reports: Although a former series champion, Bobby Labonte might not be back in the #18 in 2006. Stay tuned.(CBS Sportsline), however back in 2003, Labonte signed an extension with Joe Gibbs Racing thru the 2008 season.(7-14-2005)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte and team manager Jimmy Makar were noncommittal about reports that Labonte may be leaving car owner Joe Gibbs at the end of the season after 11 years, including the 2000 championship run. Labonte, according to other team owners, has been checking out the marketplace, and he is being mentioned for three possible rides: with Roger Penske, replacing retiring Rusty Wallace; with Ray Evernham, as a teammate with Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield; and with Nelson Bowers [MB2 Motorsports], if Scott Riggs leaves.(Winston Salem Journal)
MORE Car owner Joe Gibbs is interested in hiring Busch series hotshot Reed Sorensen for a Nextel Cup ride next season, according to sources close to the situation. While Tony Stewart is Gibbs' hot driver at the moment, teammates #18-Bobby Labonte and #11-Jason Leffler have had disappointing results. Makar, while enjoying Stewart's dominating performances these last few weeks, has been struggling to right the staggering other two teams in the Gibbs stable. The Leffler team, new this season, has struggled to get its sea legs, despite new crew chief Mike Ford taking over two months ago. The Labonte team, on the other hand, has struggled since losing crew chief Michael McSwain last summer; those close to Labonte say that the relationship with Gibbs may have "grown stale."(Winston Salem Journal)(7-16-2005)
UPDATE 2: #18-Bobby Labonte said Saturday that it bothers him when people put his name in the rumor mill without even asking him whether anything's going on. So, Bobby, is there anything going on? "The real deal is there is no real deal," Labonte said at New Hampshire International Speedway, where he'll start 10th in Sunday's New England 300. "I have got a contract and I am driving the snot out of our car." Labonte's name first appeared in the NASCAR rumor mill during the Nextel Cup weekend at Infineon Raceway, with Labonte supposedly looking to leave the #18 Chevrolets despite having a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing that goes through 2008. The rumors surfaced again this week as discussion about who'll go where in 2006 picks up speed in the Cup garage. "Anytime you're not running good and there are things changing, people include you (in rumors)," Labonte said. "In some people's situations, sometimes they do help. But you don't know how bad it screws up a race team when people write something with no facts at all. You don't realize how bad it can screw up an organization when you're all trying real hard to make things work."(ThatsRacin.com/David Poole)(7-17-2005)
UPDATE 3: Even though Bobby Labonte has a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing through the 2008 Nextel Cup season, CBS Sportsline reports Labonte might not be back in the #18 car he's driven since the beginning of the 1995 season and in which he won the 2000 Cup Championship. What didn't get reported by CBS is a persistent rumor that Labonte, tired of the Nextel Cup grind but enamored with his Rolex Series Daytona Prototype ride, will swap to that series with Gibbs in 2006.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(7-17-2005)

#18 Scheme for Chicago: Boniva (ibandronate sodium), a new medicine for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, will serve as primary sponsor for Bobby Labonte on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy at Chicagoland. The primary car for the USG Sheetrock 400 is Chassis No. 91, which has never been raced before. The car was involved in an accident in May during practice for the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR/Site)(7-7-2005)

Hard to beileve....OOPS and CORRECTION #20-Tony Stewart’s victory gave owner Joe Gibbs a new distinction. It was the first time Gibbs-owned cars had ever won two races in a row. Stewart followed up his victory at Infineon Raceway with his first official victory in a restrictor-plate race. “First time in 14 years,” said Gibbs. “It’s hard to do. And it’s been a hard, tough year for us. This is a big deal for Joe Gibbs Racing as a whole.”(Gaston Gazette), Gibbs also owns the #18-Bobby Labonte and #11-Jason Leffler teams.(7-5-2005)
CORRECTION: Stewart's back-to-back triumphs at Sonoma and Daytona marked the fourth time in his seven-year Nextel Cup career that he has logged back-to-back wins. In 1999, Stewart's second career Nextel Cup win at Phoenix in November was followed one week later by his win at Homestead. And twice in 2000 Stewart scored back-to-back wins - in June at Dover and Michigan and again in late September and early October with wins at Dover and Martinsville.(True Speed Communication)(7-5-2005)

Bank of America buys MBNA: Bank of America Corp. will buy MBNA Corp. in a stock and cash deal valued at $35 billion, combining the third- and fifth-largest credit-card companies in the country into what could be the largest.(Charlotte Business Journal), no word how this will effect the MBNA sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing or the MBNA Halfway Leader program.(6-30-2005)

Daytona USA to sponsor Labontes: DAYTONA USA, the Official Attraction of NASCAR, will sponsor the #44 Doran Racing Pontiac Doran driven by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champions Bobby and Terry Labonte in the June 30 Brumos Porsche 250 Rolex Sports Car Series race at Daytona International Speedway. In the Rolex 24 At Daytona earlier this year, Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Series champion, and Terry, the 1984 and 1996 NEXTEL Cup champion, co-drove the #44 Daytona Prototype with Jan Magnussen and Bryan Herta to a ninth-place overall finish. The Brumos Porsche 250, which features the Daytona Prototypes as well as GT class machines, will kick off the Pepsi 400 Weekend on Thursday, June 30 with a new starting time of 7:15pm/et.(DIS)(6-25-2005)

Gibbs FanFest returns: The annual Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Fall FanFest returns in 2005, where from 9:00am to 2:00pm/et on Fri., Oct. 14, JGR’s drivers from the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Weekly Racing Series will be available for autographs at the team’s recently renovated race shop in Huntersville, North Carolina.(JGR Site), see more on my Racing Charities page.(6-25-2005)

FedEx, Interstate Batteries Team Up for Coca-Cola 600: Due to Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 race car failing to qualify for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Charlotte, officials from Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx and Interstate Batteries agreed that FedEx would become the primary sponsor of the #18 Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola 600, replacing Interstate Batteries. Bobby Labonte will remain as the driver of the #18. Crew chief Steve Addington and the entire #18 crew will also retain their normal duties. The #18 Chevrolet was to have run a Madagascar paint scheme in the Coca-Cola 600. However, DreamWorks and Action Performance Co. have graciously agreed to postpone the Madagascar promotion until the June 12 Pocono 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. “We can’t thank Interstate Batteries and FedEx enough for enabling us to deal with this setback in the most positive manner possible,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We stress teamwork throughout Joe Gibbs Racing. To have Interstate Batteries, who has been with us since day one, and FedEx, our newest sponsor, and Bobby Labonte and the #18 crew work through this bit of adversity so seamlessly speaks volumes about the quality of our sponsors and the character of our team.”(Joe Gibbs Racing site)(5-27-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page, thanks to Cup Scene Online for the image.(5-28-2005)

Gibbs undergoes heart procedure...last month - back to work and fine: Joe Gibbs Racing owner [#11,#18,#20] Joe Gibbs was hospitalized for a heart procedure to open a clogged artery last month, The Washington Post reports. Gibbs, who is 64 and who coaches the Washington Redskins football team, said doctors placed a small, spring-like wire tube known as a stent in the artery at a Washington hospital in mid-April. Gibbs said he remained overnight but returned to work the next day and was back to his regular workout routine, which includes a 45-minute run, within several days. "I understand the public interest, but it has no effect on my work, or my tenure with the Redskins," he said. "I considered it a private matter."(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-12-2005)

Bobby Labonte To Drive Boniva Car at Richmond: GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, and Joe Gibbs Racing, plan to help raise awareness of Boniva(ibandronate sodium), a new medicine for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Boniva will be the primary sponsor for the #18 Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte at the Chevy American Revolution 400 May 14 at Richmond International Raceway. In addition to the Richmond race, which is during Osteoporosis Awareness Month, Labonte will drive a Boniva-sponsored car at a second race later this summer. The sponsorship comes in the wake of the Surgeon General'sReport elevating osteoporosis to a major public health threat on par with smoking and obesity.(Camp and Associates/Joe Gibbs Racing)(5-6-2005)

Labonte to make some Demo laps at Talladega: Labonte will drive demonstration laps in the #44 Doran Labonte Racing DORAN JE4 Pontiac Grand American Rolex Series car prior to NEXTEL Cup drivers’ introductions Sunday morning at Talladega. Labonte, along with brother, Terry, IRL IndyCar Series standout Brian Herta and road-racing star Jan Magnussen finished ninth with the car in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in February. Bobby Labonte will drive the car in three more Rolex events in 2005: the Brumos Porsche 250 June 29-30 at Daytona International Speedway, the 400-kilometer event July 29-31 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and the Watkins Glen 200 Aug. 11-12 at Watkins Glen International. Events at Daytona and Watkins Glen are in conjunction with NEXTEL Cup Series events, while the Birmingham event is during the off-week between the Pennsylvania 500 and the Brickyard 400.(JGR)(4-27-2005)

Joe Gibbs Racing Drivers Make History on Saturday: With three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers winning their three respective races, April 9 marked yet another milestone in Joe Gibbs Racing's ongoing 14-year history. Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series undercard race at Martinsville Speedway. Following Labonte's Saturday triumph were Joe Gibbs Racing's diversity drivers Chris Bristol and Aric Almirola. The two Late Model drivers competing in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series won their respective races at Hickory Motor Speedway and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA. Bristol, in his #92 MBNA Chevrolet with associate sponsorship from Rockwell Automation and Cintas, started fifth in Hickory's 50-lap Late Model race and ended the race in first, becoming the first African-American driver to win in Hickory's 55-year history. The win also placed the 27-year-old Bristol in a three-way tie for first in the track's championship point standings.
Almirola, in his #92 Home Depot Chevrolet with associate sponsorship from Rockwell Automation and Cintas, started sixth in the Motor Mile's 150-lap Late Model feature and finished first. It was the 20-year-old's first win of the 2005 season and his second top-three finish at Motor Mile. The Hispanic driver from Tampa, Fla., finished third in the March 19 Doughton Racing Products 300. Both cars are carrying the number 92 in tribute to the late Reggie White, co-founder of Joe Gibbs Racing's diversity program. The #92 is the number White wore throughout his football career, playing at the University of Tennessee before becoming a Hall of Fame defensive end in the National Football League. Also of note on Saturday was the seventh-place finish of 23-year-old Woody Howard in Saturday night's USAR Hooter's Pro Cup race at South Boston Speedway. Howard, Joe Gibbs Racing's recently signed development driver, started his first career Hooter's Pro Cup race in his Dean Motorsports entry from the outside pole before finishing a solid seventh in the 250-lap race. (True Speed Communication/Joe Gibbs Racing)(4-11-2005)

Labonte Golf Tourney Raises over $130k: The Bobby Labonte Celebrity Golf Classic presented by ConAgra Foods raised more than $130,000 for the Bobby Labonte Foundation, officials from the foundation announced April 10. The Bobby Labonte Foundation supports numerous charities and non-profit organizations, including the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the North Carolina Quarter-Midget Association. The event took place over two days at the prestigious Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte, N.C., with dinner and auction on April 4 followed by golf on April 5. In addition to Labonte, NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte, Tony Stewart, Jason Leffler and Johnny Benson participated, as did J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, Steve Addington, Labonte's crew chief and Greg Zipadelli, Stewart's crew chief. Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel, Marty Roe, lead-singer for Diamond Rio and Larry Ziegler from the PGA Champions Tour also participated.(Camp and Associates)(4-10-2005)

Bobby Labonte wins at Martinsville: #47-Bobby Labonte won the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, becoming the 12th driver to win at least one race in the three National Series [Cup, Busch, Trucks]. Not only has Labonte won a race in all three series but he did it at the same track: Labonte has won a Cup, Busch and Truck Series at Martinsville [which has to be rare since the Busch Series hasn't raced at Martinsville since 1994].(4-9-2005)
AND - Labonte Truck Stuff: Labonte became the 50th different driver to win the truck series and, he and brother, Terry, became the first set of brothers to win in the series. Terry Labonte won at Richmond in Sept. 1995. The Labonte brothers have a combined eight starts in the Craftsman Truck Series (Bobby with five and Terry with three, all in 1995) and have two victories and six top-three victories.(JGR PR)(4-9-2005)

Bobby Labonte to run Alabama Grand Am race: #18-Bobby Labonte has added the July 29-31 [an off Cup weekend - the last one of the season] Grand American Rolex Series race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., to his 2005 Grand American Rolex Series race schedule. Barring unforeseen circumstances it will be Labonte's third race start -- two in a span of just one month -- of the four now-scheduled 2005 races in the #44 Pontiac-powered Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype. He will also have raced the car the previous month in the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona International Speedway with brother Terry Labonte during the Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race weekend. An Aug. 12 Rolex Series race, part of NASCAR's Aug. 14 Sirius at the Glen weekend, also is on the brotherly duo's Rolex Series' schedule. Terry Labonte, with whom Bobby will pair for the other two remaining scheduled Rolex Series races, is expected to be with son Justin Labonte for a Busch Series race scheduled for the same weekend. Also, word has it that Bobby Labonte will take a demonstration spin in the #44 Pontiac-Doran in pre-race ceremonies at the May 1 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Motor Speedway. However, his tight, pre-race schedule must first be massaged to allow him to undertake it.(Motorsport.com)(4-6-2005)

Woman killed at JGR Construction site UPDATE: A woman was killed Wednesday afternoon while helping finish construction on an addition to a race team's facility. Authorities were called about 2:30pm/et about an injury at Joe Gibbs Racing on Reese Boulevard in the Huntersville Business Park, about 15 miles north of uptown Charlotte. The woman, whose identity was being withheld until authorities notify her family, died on the scene. Although officials with the company and the police released few details, preliminary reports suggested a joist had struck the woman, said Juan Santos, a N.C. Department of Labor spokesman. The woman worked for the general contractor at the site, not the race company, according to a statement released by Joe Gibbs Racing. Officials with Precision Walls Inc. declined to comment as they left the site, while officials from Shelco Inc., the general contractor, could not be reached. Huntersville police and state officials are still investigating the incident.(Charlotte Observer)(3-31-2005)
UPDATE: Huntersville police on Monday released the identity of the woman killed last week while helping finish construction on an addition to a race team's facility. Asia Mena Diez, 42, of Charlotte died Wednesday afternoon when the platform lift she was in slammed her into the rafters in a Joe Gibbs Racing building in the Huntersville Business Park, Lt. Ken Richardson said.She worked for Queen Drywall, a subcontractor under general contractor Shelco Inc., he said. There were no signs of foul play, Richardson said. It appeared she had hit a button on the lift, he said.(Charlotte Observer)(4-6-2005)

JGR's Diversity Program Ready for 2nd Season: After scoring three wins, three poles, 15 top-five finishes and 34 top-10 finishes in its first season of NASCAR Weekly Racing Series competition in 2004, Joe Gibbs Racing's (JGR) diversity program hit the ground running in 2005 as second-year drivers Aric Almirola and Chris Bristol finished third in their respective early-season races. Almirola drove his #92 Home Depot Chevrolet to a strong third-place finish in the March 19 Doughton Racing Products 300 Late Model stock car race at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. Bristol equaled his teammate's mark a week later, piloting his #92 MBNA Chevrolet to third in the March 26 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series season-opener at Hickory Motor Speedway. In 2005, Almirola moves from being a regular Late Model driver at Ace Speedway to campaign his Home Depot Chevrolet at big Late Model races throughout the Southeast. Bristol, meanwhile, moves to the .363-mile Hickory oval to compete regularly in that track's Late Model program. Both cars will carry the number 92 in tribute to White, the number he wore throughout his football career.(Joe Gibbs Racing/True Speed Communication)(4-1-2005)

Bobby Labonte to run Truck at Atlanta: Even though Bobby Labonte has more wins than any other full-time driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he’ll be a rookie on Friday, March 18. That’s when Bobby Labonte will compete for the first time at Atlanta in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. It will be his fourth career truck race and third in the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado, which he will try to drive to victory in the World Financial Group 200. Labonte will be pulling double duty that weekend, also driving his usual #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the March 20 Golden Corral 500 NEXTEL Cup race. But Labonte was focused entirely on his Chevy truck on Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, when he was preparing for his Craftsman Truck Series debut at the fast track. His first few laps didn’t set any speed records, but Labonte said he was just getting warmed up when he turned a lap around the 1.54-mile speedway in 31.19 seconds (177.749 mph). Great seats are still available for all three days of racing action. Weekend ticket packages start at just $65 and are limited in quanity. For more information call Ticketmaster, or the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, or visit www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.(AMS PR)(3-2-2005)

Special Schemes for Gibbs #18 and #20: DreamWorks Animation, Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries, The Home Depot and Action Performance Companies Inc. announced details about their latest NASCAR racing special centered around the upcoming animated feature film, Madagascar. The film follows the story of four "wild" animals who are treated to a pampered existence in the zoo until they accidentally are shipped to the island of Madagascar. The four principle characters - Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippopotamus - provide the basis for paint schemes that will decorate the #18 Interstate Batteries and #20 The Home Depot Chevrolet race cars owned by Joe Gibbs Racing. DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar opens nationwide in theaters on May 27, 2005. Tony Stewart will drive the #20 The Home Depot/Madagascar Chevrolet during the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge on May 21. Bobby Labonte, Stewart's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, will pilot the #18 Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Chevrolet during NASCAR's longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, on May 29, 2005. Both races will take place at the NASCAR track near Charlotte, N.C.
The cross-promotion marks the second time that DreamWorks Animation has teamed with Joe Gibbs Racing in as many race seasons. Last year, the organizations teamed to showcase a pair of Shrek 2-themed stock cars that also saw action during the all-star and Memorial Day weekend races. Action Performance Companies, the leader in licensed motorsports merchandise, designed the Madagascar machines, including a limited edition program car. Action also will create die-cast replica versions of both the #18 and #20 Madagascar-edition race cars. In addition to the specialty paint scheme, each collectible comes in its own unique Madagascar-themed packaging. The collectibles will be available through Action's standard distribution channels.
DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar is a computer-animated comedy starring four civilized animals - a lion, a zebra, a giraffe and a hippo - who have lived their entire lives in blissful captivity, growing up as best friends at the Central Park Zoo...until the day they are put on a boat to Africa and suddenly find themselves washed ashore onto the exotic island of Madagascar. Now, these native New Yorkers must learn to survive in this strange land and discover the true meaning of the phrase, "it's a jungle out there."(Action Performance PR), see images on my #18 Team Schemes page and #20 Team Schemes page.(2-26-2006)

Coca-Cola Racing Family New Anime Ad to Debut During Daytona 500: In the first-ever NASCAR-themed Anime ad, Coca-Cola Racing Family members Tony Stewart, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte and Kevin Harvick are seen as animated superheroes engaging in adventurous activities such as scuba diving with sea monsters and flying fighter planes before they return to the track for a Coke and a bit of racing. Breaking during the broadcast of the Daytona 500 on February 20 -- a growing showcase for new advertising -- the 60-second ad, entitled "Fantastic Four," is the only animated spot in the new Coca-Cola "Make It Real" campaign. It will also run in more than 10,000 movie theaters across the country and a 30-second version of the spot will be featured on NASCAR broadcasts throughout the season. The spot concludes with one word -- 'Adrenaline' -- followed by the campaign tagline, 'Make It Real.' The word 'adrenaline' underscores the drivers' energetic attitude both on and off the track. Created by Berlin Cameron / Red Cell, the new 'Make it Real' campaign also includes print and outdoor executions. Additional ads are planned for later in 2005.(Coca-Cola PR)(2-15-2005)

Labonte's to run Watkins Glen road race: Kevin Doran, president of Doran Racing, and Bobby Labonte announced yesterday that they will join forces and plan to field a car in three Grand American Rolex Series races in 2005, including the race at The Glen during the SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen August 11-14. This weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Raceway will be Doran Labonte's first event. They will also participate in the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona June 29-30 and will run a third time at Watkins Glen International on Friday during the Grand American Rolex Series race on August 12. The two races will be held in conjunction with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events. Bobby Labonte drives the Interstate Batteries Chevy for Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR. His older brother, Terry Labonte, a two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, is doing a limited NASCAR schedule in 2005 and 2006 with Hendrick Motorsports in the Kelloggs Chevy. The Labonte brothers along with endurance sports car superstar Jan Magnussen, will comprise the driver roster for the two races this summer. The Rolex Series Daytona Prototype will be registered as a Doran Labonte Racing entry. It is a bright red DORAN JE4 powered by a Pontiac engine, and carries #44. Doran Racing also fields the gold Crown Royal Special Reserve DORAN JE4 Lexus #77 of Didier Theys, Matteo Bobbi and Fabrizio Gollin. All of the Grand American Rolex Series races will be televised on Speed. For more information, please see www.doranracing.com and www.bobbylabonte.com. For tickets and additional information, including pricing, please contact the Watkins Glen ticket office at 866-461-RACE, log on to the official Watkins Glen website at www.TheGlen.com(Watkins Glen PR)(2-5-2005)

Labonte's buy a sports car for the Rolex 24 at Daytona...UPDATE: hearing that Bobby and Terry Labonte bought themselves a Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype and will be running in the Feb. 5-6 Rolex 24 At Daytona and will additionally run two other races in the Rolex Series: the Thursday-night June 30 Paul Revere 250 at Daytona and at the Friday Aug. 12 Watkins Glen Cup race weekend. I'm hearing they MIGHT also run July 31 at Birmingham's Barber Motor Sports Park, which is a free date between Cup's Pocono and Brickyard dates. Their Pontiac-powered Doran JE4, built by Doran Designs, will be maintained by the car's constructor, Kevin Doran, through another company, Doran Racing. The Brothers Labonte have actually tried to get a Rolex 24 team together for the last two or three years. So it's something they've wanted to do but, for one of any of the myriad reasons that racing deals can fall apart, just weren't able to get an effort off the ground until this year.(12-17-2004)
UPDATE: Past Nextel Cup champions Bobby and Terry Labonte will be teaming with IRL IndyCar Series' star Bryan Herta of Andretti-Green Racing and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen for the Feb. 5-6 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The four will be one of two team cars fielded by Doran Racing. "Bobby tested the car at Homestead the second week of December,' team owner Kevin Doran said of the 2000 Nextel Cup champ. "He put in a couple of 10-12 laps stints and he was completely comfortable with the car by the second stint.' While the upcoming Rolex 24-Hour will be Bobby Labonte's first such race, older brother Terry ran in five 24-hour races at Daytona in the early to mid-1980's. Indeed, the two time Cup champion Terry Labonte scored his first Cup championship in the same year in which he had earlier scored a GTO-class victory and a sixth-place overall finish in the classic twice-around-the clock race. Interestingly, in that Rolex 24 victory, Labonte teamed with his Cup car owner of that year, Billy Hagan. Gene Felton rounded out the driving team. Doran's second car will be driven by Italians Fabrizio Gollin, Matteo Bobbi and Doran Racing veteran Didier Theys. As a car owner, Doran won the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in 1998 and 2002 and Theys went on to win the Grand American Sports Racing Prototype championship in 2002.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-1-2005)

2004 News

Gibbs announces own oil: on Dec 9th at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Joe Gibbs Performance announced the introduction of Joe Gibbs Performance Brand Racing Oil, the same synthetic racing oil used by Joe Gibbs Racing and two time Champion engine builder Mark Cronquist. "Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil delivers un-compromised power, protection and performance for our race cars at every level of competition," said J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing. "Over the past five years we have invested substantial resources in developing our own racing oil and now racers at every level can use the oil we use in all our race engines." Used in every Joe Gibbs Racing engine since 1999, Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil puts five years of R&D and championship proven performance in the hands of professional engine builders and local racers throughout the United States. "We looked for a product that could provide the wear protection we needed without sacrificing horsepower," said Mark Cronquist. "We were not pleased with the performance of the racing oils that were on the market, so we contracted a world leader in lubrication technology to custom blend synthetic oils to meet our extreme needs. We designed Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil to control valve train wear in our flat tappet Nextel Cup engines. Before we developed Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil, we were seeing wear in the valve train that kept us from being as aggressive as we wanted to be. Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil solved our valve train wear problems, and we've seen significant horsepower and torque gains when we've tested Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil against other race oils." Now, engine builders and racers across the United States can now use the same racing oil that Cronquist himself relies on to power Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart's NASCAR Nextel Cup race cars. Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil will be available for shipment in mid December and can be purchased direct from Joe Gibbs Racing or through CV Products. For more information or to place an order, visit www.joegibbsracingoil.com. Orders can also be placed by calling 866-611-1820 or contact CV Products.(JGR PR)(12-17-2004)

New Crew Chief for Bobby Labonte: Steve Addington has been named Bobby Labonte's crew chief on the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for the 2005 season. Addington comes to the #18 Interstate Batteries car after one year as crew chief for the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Busch Series car for JGR, which was driven by Mike Bliss in the 2004 season and finished fifth in the final Busch point standings. "Steve brings a great deal of racing knowledge and leadership to the Interstate Batteries team," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. "He did a great job with the #20 Rockwell Automation car in the Busch Series last year, and we look forward to a lot of success with him in 2005." During the 2004 season, Addington helped Bliss to his first career Busch Series victory Oct. 15 at Charlotte and 14 top-10 finishes. Prior to working with JGR, Addington was crew chief for Jason Keller in the Busch Series, first at KEL Racing from 1990-96 and then at ppc Racing from 1999-2003.
Addington, 40, from Spartanburg, S.C., becomes only the fourth crew chief in the illustrious 13-year history of the #18 Interstate Batteries team. Jimmy Makar served as crew chief for Dale Jarrett (1993-94) and then Labonte (1995-2002) until being promoted to senior vice president of racing operations for JGR. Michael "Fatback" McSwain served as crew chief for the 2003 season and 18 races of the 2004 season when Brandon Thomas took over as interim crew chief for the final 18 races of the season. Thomas will continue with JGR in the engineering department. Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion, has 21 career victories and finished 12th in points in 2004. The 2005 season will be his 11th season with JGR and his 13th full-season of NEXTEL Cup competition. "Steve brings a lot of experience to the #18 Interstate Batteries team," Labonte said. "He had a good year with the #20 Rockwell Automation Busch team last year, and I think he'll be able to helps us get back to Victory Lane and into the championship hunt."(JGR PR)(12-1-2004)

An Evening with Bobby Labonte: Former Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be honorary chairman and the featured guest for an American Lung Association benefit on Dec. 8. "An Evening with Bobby Labonte" is scheduled at the Speedway Club ballroom at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Sponsorship opportunities remain available and tickets and keepsake prints are limited. More info on my Racing Charities page.(11-28-2004)

National D-Day Memorial Foundation

Bobby Labonte's car to be at D-Day memorial: The National D-Day Memorial will host NASCAR star Bobby Labonte’s #18 D-Day show car on Friday and Saturday [Oct 29, 30]. The car’s appearance comes following a D-Day-themed NASCAR race in Delaware in June during the Normandy invasion’s 60th anniversary. The car will be on display from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Regular admission fees to the memorial will apply. Miniature replicas of the car will be on sale, with a portion of sales benefiting the memorial. A drawing will be held for a replica signed by Labonte.(Lynchbug NewsAdvance), see images of the car on my #18 Team Paint Scheme page.(10-26-2004)

Bobby Labonte to run first Truck race since 1996: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy, will attempt to start his second career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, almost eight years to the day of his first. Labonte started 24th and finished 34th in the #77 Rotary Lift Chevrolet on Oct. 26, 1996 in the GM Goodwrench 300 at Phoenix International Raceway. Labonte completed only 31 of the 186 laps after a valve problem ended his day.(JGR PR)(10-19-2004)

Personnel Chnages at JGR? Pink slips were handed out to several crew members at Joe Gibbs Racing last week, leading some to wonder where the manpower to run three [#11,#18,#20] teams in 2005 will come from.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(10-18-2004)

MBNA Primary Sponsor of #18 at Dover: MBNA is the primary sponsor of the #18 Chevrolet for Dover. The company, which is based in Wilmington, Del., has sponsored races at Dover since 1995 and is a long-time sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(9-22-204)

Benson Beats Labonte and wins at Berlin: Johnny Benson Jr. outran the field in Wednesday night's The Chet Late Model Invitational, a 125-lap feature race at the Berlin Raceway in Marne. Benson held off the T.A. Gentry cars of Joe Bush and Lee Anderson, just as he did in June when his NASCAR buddy, Michael Waltrip, made the trek up to Marne. Bobby Labonte finished 14th after qualifying 26th in the No. 1 Late Model he borrowed from former track champion Randy Sweet of Kalamazoo. It was Labonte's first Berlin appearance, and he was never in the hunt for the $5,000 first-place cash prize. Labonte arrived on the Berlin Fairgrounds around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, and fans were already waiting to meet the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup champion. Labonte, who is ninth in Nextel Cup points, signed autographs and posed for pictures throughout the afternoon and early evening while acclimating himself to the car and race track. He said he hadn't raced a Late Model since 1989. Wednesday's program drew 6,277 spectators, and he signed the usual items, from caps, T-shirts, diecast cars and photos. He headed to his souvenir hauler outside the track after the race and continued to sign. Labonte's race was nearly cut short when he was tapped from behind on lap 97. Labonte bobbled, drifted up and pushed Billy Shannon of Kalamazoo around and hard into the frontstretch wall. Shannon was transported to the hospital to treat his injured arm, while Labonte was able to continue.(Michigan Live)(8-19-2004)

Makar, Busy Guy: Jimmy Makar is just back from a few weeks of missionary work in South America, and he may now wish to return, given the headaches on his desk as general manager at Joe Gibbs Racing. Talk about being in the eye of the storm. Look at it this way - the boss is about to embark on a return to the NFL, and attempt to revive those glory years with the Washington Redskins. But it's been 10 years since Gibbs last played that game, which he quit then for health reasons. The never-ending Tony Stewart saga is playing out more chapters, and Stewart found himself dodging debris-throwing fans after winning in Chicago the last time out. Two days after that Makar and J.D. Gibbs, Joe's son and Makar's immediate boss, found themselves faced with a major shakeup on Bobby Labonte's team, dealing out crew chief Michael "Fatback" McSwain and plugging in Brandon Thomas, the new crew chief. On top of all that, Makar and J.D. Gibbs are under the gun to put together a third Nextel Cup for FedEx, a $24 billion company, certain to want its money's worth and not willing to wait out a long-term investment. "Want my shoes?" Makar asked with a laugh.(see full story at the Winston Salem Journal)(7-25-2004)

New #18 Crew Chief: Brandon Thomas, a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing engineering department, will serve as interim crew for Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Series, team officials announced July 15. Thomas takes over for Michael McSwain, who was released from his duties as crew chief July 14 after severing as crew chief for the 2003 season and 18 races in the 2004 season. Team officials have not set a timetable for when a permanent crew chief will be hired. Thomas, 30, from Kingsport, Tenn., spent the 2003 season as the engineer for Labonte and served as crew chief for Mike Bliss' JGR-prepared No. 80 Slim Jim/Act II Chevrolet July 11 in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Bliss was the top-qualifying JGR car at Chicago, starting seventh and finishing 31st after an accident on Lap 205. Thomas began his JGR career in December 2001 in the shock department, before leaving in June 2002 to serve as John Andretti's crew chief at Petty Enterprises for the remainder of the 2002 season. After his stint at Petty, Thomas returned to JGR for the 2003 season as Labonte's engineer. During the 2004 season he has served as the head of Superspeeedway research and development for JGR. Prior to coming to JGR in 2001, Thomas served as engineer for Rusty Wallace at Penske Racing South from Aug. 1999-Nov. 2001. During that time, Wallace scored six wins and finished seventh in points in 2000 and 2001. From 1998-July 1999, Thomas was the assistant race engineer for Dan Gurney's All-American Racers and driver Alex Barron in CART. Thomas earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech University in 1997. Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing, will assist Thomas and the team until a permanent crew chief is announced. Makar served as crew chief on the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet from 1992-2002, winning the 1993 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett and the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Championship with Labonte.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(7-15-2004)

Crew Chief Change coming at the 18? Denied...UPDATE 3 Yep: Insiders say that a crew chief change on the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Chevy of Bobby Labonte is imminent. Current crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain was involved in an altercation with a crew member at Pocono. Rumor mill has Jimmy Makar returning as crew chief.(Motorsport.com)(7-11-2004)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing has informed me that this is NOT true, no changes planned.(7-13-2004)
UPDATE 2: been getting this memo sent to me all day......Joe Gibbs Racing has decided in their Chase for the Championship with Bobby Labonte and the Interstate Batteries race team to make a crew chief change effective immediately. Michael "Fatback" McSwain is officially released from his position, and a new crew chief will be announced in the next few days. While McSwain has been a successful crew chief, Joe Gibbs Racing is looking for an individual who will better fit the Interstate team's style and personnel. As soon as the new crew chief has been selected, we will communicate that to you. Supposedly it will be announced tomorrow [Wed]
AND Been told by sources, this is true.(7-13-2004)
UPDATE 3: Gibbs Racing released Michael McSwain from his duties as crew chief of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy in the NASCAR NEXTEL Series, team officials announced July 14. McSwain joined Joe Gibbs Racing in December 2002 and served as Bobby Labontes crew chief for the 2003 season and the first 18 races of the 2004 season. "Over the past two years, Michael McSwain has worked extremely hard for Joe Gibbs Racing," J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR, said. "This was a difficult decision, but it was time to go in a different direction. We appreciate all that he has done for the team and wish him the best of luck in the future." McSwain, 37, scored victories with Labonte in 2003 at Atlanta (spring) and the season-finale at Homestead-Miami, en route to an eighth-place finish in the point standings. "Joe Gibbs Racing and I had a successful relationship," McSwain said. "I wish them the best the remainder of the year and in the future." An interim crew chief will be named in the near future. Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing, will assist the team as the interim crew chief while team officials search for McSwains replacement. Makar served as crew chief on the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet from 1992-2002, winning the 1993 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett and the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Championship with Labonte. "We hope to make the decision on a permanent crew chief in the near future, but we are going to take our time to find the best person for the job," Gibbs said. "Michael did a great job when he came in and took over for Jimmy Makar after the 2002 season," Labonte said. "We won a couple of races in 2003 and won some poles. He works hard, and I wish him success down the road." Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, fielding two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams for drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart, and two NASCAR Busch Series teams for drivers Mike Bliss and J.J. Yeley.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR/Site)
McSWAIN Surprised: McSwain plans to take a week off to further evaluate his options and determine why he was let go. He says he simply doesn't know. "It's no different than anybody else -- we've had good weeks and bad weeks, but it was a big surprise, I'll give you that," he said. "It really was. I can't say we didn't do good together, because we did. We had some success together. Sometimes, though, things work out and sometimes they don't. It was as big a shock to me as it was the rest of the world. If we were 25th in points I probably wouldn't be so disappointed. But being in the position we were in (sixth), it's disappointing."(see full story and quotes at NASCAR.com)(7-14-2004)

Fatback Interview: Michael "Fatback" McSwain, former crew chief for Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, has agreed to an exclusive interview with radio show NASCAR Performance Live to discuss his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing. The radio show will air from 7:00-8:00pm/et on XM Satellite Radio (Channel 144) as well as on some MRN (Motor Racing Network) radio affiliate stations across the country. The show also airs on WFMX-FM (105.7) in Charlotte, at a delayed time from 8:00 - 9:00pm/et. McSwain, who is expected to grant no other interviews in the near future, will be interviewed by Steve Post, MRN's Pit Road Reporter and the show's regular host, along with in-studio guests Doug Richert, Crew Chief for Greg Biffle and Tony Eury Jr., a member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team. The interview will provide more insight for fans on McSwain's sudden, mid-season, dismissal.(NASCAR PR)(7-14-2004)

Different look for Bobby Labonte at Daytona: Wellbutrin XL, a medicine indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder in patients 18 years and older, will serve as the primary sponsor for the #18 Chevrolet that Bobby Labonte drives this weekend at Daytona. Wellbutrin XL served as primary sponsor March 28 at Bristol and April 25 at Talladega and will serve as the main sponsor at Chicagoland (July 11), Michigan (Aug. 22), California (Sept. 5), Richmond (Sept. 11) and Atlanta (Oct. 31). The car is blue and yellow, not purple as it was ay Bristol and Talladega.(JGR Site)(7-2-2004)

WIX working JGR on a cabin air filtration system: WIX Filters Inc., is working with Joe Gibbs Racing to develop a cabin air filtration system that can remove everything from carbon monoxide to dust, rubber and noxious fumes from the air breathed by drivers. "A few teams have tried to come up with their own (air filtration) system, but the deal for us was the safety of our drivers," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, which employs top drivers #18-Bobby Labonte and #20-Tony Stewart. "We want our drivers to be alert and feeling good throughout the race." While the WIX system is a complicated piece of engineering, its operation in a race car is relatively simple. Air enters through an intake in the passenger side window and passes through a hose into the filtration system. The air is scrubbed to remove most of the carbon monoxide, and then passed through another air filter that removes soot, debris and fumes. The cleaned air is cooled and sent into the driver's helmet. NASCAR has been trying to find a way to filter the air drivers breathe during races - which can last five hours with cars approaching speeds of 200 mph - for the last 18 months, since veteran driver Rick Mast announced he would retire at 45. Mast, who made 364 starts at NASCAR's top level, said years of exposure to toxic fumes in his car gave him acute and chronic carbon monoxide poisoning, a feeling he described as "the worst hangover in your life. You wake up feeling nauseated and you want to throw up and you can't," he said at the time. "Your head is pounding all the time and you just feel awful." When Stewart began complaining of similar symptoms, Joe Gibbs Racing approached WIX about a filtration system that could be installed in their race cars. "Tony is particularly sensitive to carbon monoxide fumes," Bruce Johnston, brand manager for WIX Filters, said in an interview at the company's headquarters in Gastonia. "They wanted to see if we could provide them something to make it easier for him to run at tracks like Martinsville and Bristol." J.D. Gibbs became a believer after blood tests on Stewart and Labonte following races showed the drivers had been exposed to potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. "In racing, you are always looking for small advantages," he said. "We think this is a big advantage for our drivers. And both of our guys told me it was a good move." Greg Rhyne, a WIX product designer, said improved aerodynamics in NASCAR cars have exacerbated the carbon monoxide problem in recent years. "These cars are so aerodynamic that almost no air flows into them," he said. "Essentially, the drivers are breathing the same air for 500 miles." Carbon monoxide's effects on the human body are cumulative, building up each time a driver is exposed to it. Some drivers have undergone oxygen treatments after races to decrease the effects of breathing the fumes. NASCAR's research and development center has developed a device, called a catalyst, that reduces carbon monoxide in cars and is encouraging teams to design filtration systems around it. The WIX filter uses NACAR's catalyst, as does a system developed by Penske Racing South and NASA. The Penske system uses two filters - one containing carbon and the other the catalyst developed by NASCAR - to convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. In May, during a Nextel Cup race in Richmond, #12-Ryan Newman and #77-Brendan Gaughan tried the Penske system in their cars. Johnston said WIX will offer its system to all racing teams that want to use the technology. After Stewart used the system in his car for the first time at Martinsville last year, he emerged from his car saying: "I could have run 500 more (laps)."(AP/Fox Carolina)(7-1-2004)

Chris Bristol claims first win for Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing: Chris Bristol qualified second and led every lap to claim his first win at Caraway Speedway in his MBNA - Rockwell Automation sponsored Chevrolet. It is the first win for the Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing diversity program.(JGR PR)(6-6-2004)

Special D-Day scheme and diecast deal: MBNA is the primary sponsor of the #18 Chevy for Dover, and Labontes car is painted in a style reminiscent of World War II military equipment. A 1:24 scale die-cast replica of Labonte's MBNA D-Day car is available and a portion of the royalties from sales of the die-cast will be donated to the D-Day Memorial Foundation and to the Armed Forces Family Scholarship and Assistance Fund (AFFSAF), administered by the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation (MCLEF).(JGR PR), check out the die-cast at www.full-victory.com.(6-4-2004)

#18 Wins Pit-Crew Challenge: The #18 Interstate Batteries Racing Team won the POWERade Pit-Crew Challenge in front of Coca-Cola Stage on Speed Street May 28 in Charlotte, N.C. The eight-man crew changed four tires and simulated a refill of Sunoco gasoline in 15.93 seconds to defeat #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team in the final round. The team, which performs pit stops for the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, collected a check for $15,000. "It's a great accomplishment for them," said crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain. "They've had some ups and downs this year, but they've worked really hard. I think by winning the competition, they're seeing that hard work pay off. I'm proud of them. Hopefully, this will give us some great momentum for not only the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, but for the remainder of the year." Members of the Interstate Batteries Racing team over-the-wall crew are: Mark "Hollywood" Armstrong (front-tire changer), Barry Cook (rear-tire changer), Alan Copley (rear-tire carrier), Jason Lee (jackman), Tom Lampe (gasman), Tom McCrimmon (catch can), Todd Meredith (front tire carrier), Adam von Olhausen (windshield). Paul Alepa is the team's trainer and pit-stop coordinator.(JGR PR)(5-30-2004)

Fed-Ex to Gibbs? UPDATE or DEI? Federal Express, which once was in the running to be the title sponsor of NASCAR's top series before Nextel came on board, has been in talks with both Joe Gibbs Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. Word in the garage: Fed Ex will end up on a third Cup car for the 2005 season at JGR with J.J. Yeley, a Busch rookie this season, behind the wheel. But Gibbs says it's too early to commit. "Right now, we're in the process of moving through things, and we can't announce anything because the deal isn't done," Gibbs says. "We've been in conversations for a long time but right now it's just a work in progress."(FoxSports/Sporting News)(5-24-2004)
UPDATE: On the sponsorship front, Federal Express is being wooed again by both DEI and Joe Gibbs.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-29-2004)

Interstate Batteries to Re-up with Gibbs and the #18: Interstate Batteries will announce today a three-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet.(The State)(5-14-2004)

Bobby Labonte to run Busch race at MIS; Bliss to run 2 Cup races: Bobby Labonte and his long-time sponsor ConAgra Foods, Inc. announced that Labonte will return to the Busch Series for the Cabela's 250 Race on August 21, 2004 at Michigan International Speedway. He will be driving the bright red #19 Banquet Chevrolet featuring the Banquet brand and logo. This car was unveiled at the 2004 Food Market Institute Show (FMI) at McCormick Place in Chicago. This extended partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) highlights ConAgra Foods' growing involvement in the sport of NASCAR. Having recognized the power of NASCAR to reach families nationwide almost a decade ago, the company was an early supporter of Labonte's racing team. Under this new agreement, Labonte will appear in advertising and promotions as well as provide personal appearances and publicity for Banquet and ConAgra Foods. The Cabela's 250 Race marks Bobby's return to the Busch Series [JAYSKI NOTE: Actually Labonte ran the Texas Busch race in the #29 ESGR/Army Nat'l Guard-Reserve RCR Chevy and finished 11th]. "I'm excited to run the #19 Banquet Chevrolet in the Busch series later this summer," said Labonte. "My goal is to take Banquet and ConAgra Foods to the winner's circle at the Cabela's 250." ConAgra Foods will continue to maximize its association with NASCAR in 2004 with a series of sponsorships and promotions. Banquet's title sponsorship of the Banquet 400 Nextel Cup Series race at Kansas Motor Speedway in October continues for the second year, and the partnership with JGR will offer several ConAgra Foods brands in the snack and grocery categories the opportunity to appear on the #80 car driven by Mike Bliss during two Nextel Cup Series races. Bliss will race the #80 Slim Jim Chevrolet at the Tropicana 400 in Chicago this July and he will run the #80 Hunts Chevrolet at the Chevy Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International Raceway in September [NOTE: Gibbs would get to use the car #80 over the #80 Hover Motorsports team and driver Andy Hillenburg as that team is listed as #280 in Owners Points]. This summer Banquet will be rolling out a retail promotion called "0 to Dinner with Banquet," which gives fans the opportunity to collect five proofs of purchase from frozen and grocery products and receive a die cast #19 Banquet Chevrolet. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.(Ketchum PR)(5-3-2004)

Labonte Track close to completion: The North Carolina Quarter-Midget Association Speedway, which #18 driver Bobby Labonte initiated with members of the NCQMA, is nearing completion. A webcam located at www.ncqma.com provides a live look at the construction taking place in Rowan County, NC.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(4-30-2004)

Jessica Lynch Booksigning - Labonte in line: Roughly 200 people came to Barnes & Noble to meet Army veteran and former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch and get signed copies of "I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story," written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book Tuesday will be used to buy books for Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem. Before the event, Lynch met in the children's section of the bookstore with a group of kids from the More at Four prekindergarten program at the Clara Cox Children's Center operated by Developmental Day Care.....Others waiting in the book-signing line that snaked through stacks of books -- including NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte -- were equally anxious to meet Lynch.(News and Record)(4-15-2004)

#18 Rotating Sponsors: Hearing Interstate Batteries will 'share' primary sponsorship of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by Bobby Labonte. Glaxo [Wellbutrin at Bristol] will be the sponsor at eight races: Bristol [last week], Talladega (Apr), Daytona, Chicago, Michigan (Aug), California (Sept), Richmond (Sept) and Atlanta. MBNA will be the primary sponsor at both Dover races. Interstate Batteries will be an associat sponsor for the 10 races. Interstate will retain full sponsorship for most of the Chase for the Champoinship playoff, which covers the last 10 races of the season.(4-1-2004)
PLUS Shrek II will be on the car at Lowe's Motor Speedway race in May.(4-2-2004)

Labonte back to the Busch Series in 2005: Bobby Labonte says he and Joe Gibbs Racing are talking about running around 10 Busch Series races in 2005. Labonte says if they can land the right sponsor they'll "dabble in that a little bit."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show), Labonte is running the Busch race at Texas this weekend in the #29 RCR Chevy - the PR in part Bobby Labonte will slide behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) NASCAR Busch Series entry sponsored by the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) this week at Texas Motor Speedway in the first of a five-race program with an all-star lineup of drivers. The program's driver lineup, announced in February at Daytona International Speedway, also includes Tony Stewart (California), Ricky Craven (Chicago), and RCR drivers Kerry Earnhardt (Dover-Sept) and Kevin Harvick (Homestead). ESGR is a Department of Defense agency whose mission is to gain and maintain employer support from all public and private employers for the men and women who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR operates through a network of more than 2,000 volunteers throughout 55 committees located in each state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Europe. Labonte will drive the #29 ESGR Chevry with a paint scheme honoring the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. RCR's #2 ACDelco Chevrolet, driven by Ron Hornaday, is carrying This week's paint scheme will honor the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. the ESGR logo on the rear deck lid for the entire 2004 NASCAR Busch Series season. For more information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and ESGR volunteer opportunities, please call 800-336-4590 of visit our website at www.esgr.com.(RCR PR), see my 2004 Busch Series Paint Scheme page for images of the cars(4-1-2004)

Gibbs Late Models Team to run Sat: the Joe Gibbs Racing Late Model teams are racing now. The #18 MBNA team with Chris Bristol will be in their third race this Saturday at Caraway Speedway [Asheboro, NC] and Aric Almirola will be making his debut in the #20 Home Depot Chevy at Ace Speedway [Altamahaw, NC] on Friday night. This is the Joe Gibbs Racing - Reggie White Racing diversity program teams.(4-1-2004)

Bobby Labonte, Michael McSwain, J.D. Gibbs To Visit "Racing For Life" Mobile Health Unit: Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion, his crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain and J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing will visit the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), "Racing For Life" Mobile Health Unit outside of Bristol Motor Speedway at 10:00am Friday, March 26. Wellbutrin XLT (bupropion HCl extended-release tablets), a medicine indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder in patients 18 years and older produced by GSK, will serve as the primary sponsor for Labonte's #18 Chevrolet at Bristol and seven other races in 2004. In addition to their sponsorship, GSK officials announced in February at Daytona that they would be offering free health screenings to fans across the nation at 23 races in 2004. The unique "Racing for Life" mobile health unit expands into a patient education and health-screening center, and provides screenings and information on such health topics as hypertension, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, asthma, men's health, smoking cessation, migraine, and depression. Labonte, McSwain and Gibbs will each be screened in the unit as part of the "Green-flag Ceremony," which helps kick off Wellbutrin XLT's primary sponsorship at Bristol.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(3-25-2004)

Seven Cup Drivers to run Special Chevy Trucks: The Chevrolet Silverado All-Stars, pairing NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers with superstar musical celebrities in the Truck Series. Michael Waltrip will be the first of seven different drivers to pilot the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado in individual races during the 2004 NCTS season. His musical partner, Sheryl Crow, will be featured in the special paint scheme for the first All-Stars race - the Charlotte Tailgate 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 21. Following the program debut at Lowe's Motor Speedway with Michael Waltrip, the following Chevy drivers with their specific musical partners will pilot the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado: Robby Gordon, Bristol (August 25); Tony Stewart, Richmond (September 9); Ricky Craven, New Hampshire (September 18); Bobby Labonte, Martinsville (October 23); Driver To Be Announced, Phoenix (November 5); and Ward Burton, Darlington (November 12). Serving as primary sponsor of the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado is Acxiom, a worldwide data services company. This Silverado entry will be campaigned by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with whom Acxiom has been partnered since 1998 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.(GM PR)(3-13-2004)

Special D-Day Scheme for Labonte at Dover: hearing that #18-Bobby Labonte wil run a D-Day scheme as this year marks the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, Labonte and Dover race sponsor MBNA will re-paint the Joe Gibbs NEXTEL Cup #18 with a vintage war plane design. The car will carry the decals and the insignias of this war-time in America. June 6 Dover.(3-5-2004)

BEN-LA? [not BEN-LO] Bobby Labonte and actor Ben Affleck met and raced in a Daytona 500 simulator at Daytona USA on Feb. 14, one day before Labonte will compete in the Daytona 500. Affleck will serve as grand marshal for the Daytona 500 and has starred in movies such as Good Will Hunting, Daredevil and Armageddon [Jayski could watch Arenageddon over and over]. “He was a nice guy,” Labonte said. “I actually watched Daredevil the other night, so it was cool to meet him.” Affleck raced using the simulator representing Jeff Gordon’s car, while Labonte used his #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet. “I wrecked him early in the race when I was trying to draft him,” Labonte said. “We talked afterward, and I explained to him about the ‘bump draft.’ We talked a lot about racing, and he really knows the sport.” Labonte will start 13th in the Daytona 500, driving the No. 18 “The Passion of the Christ” Interstate Chevrolet.(Camp and Associates PR)(2-15-2004)

Gibbs OK: Redskins coach [and owner of the #18, #20 and #80 Cup teams, and #18 and #20 Busch teams] Joe Gibbs, 63, was taken to the emergency room at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, Fla., for a diabetic reaction due to an insulin imbalance during his visit with Jags quarterback Mark Brunell. Gibbs, who was treated and released that night, returned to work Tuesday. Gibbs started to feel poorly on his Monday afternoon flight from Washington and was given some M&Ms on the plane to boost his sugar level. When Brunell met Gibbs at the airport in St. Augustine, Gibbs asked the quarterback to drive him to a hospital. Gibbs, diagnosed several years ago, revealed his diabetes during his introductory press conference when he returned to the Redskins last month. "He had an imbalance in his insulin, they gave him the required dosage to correct the imbalance and he went on his way," Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson told the Washington Post. "They didn't keep him there. They gave him what he needed and he left."(ESPN)(2-10-2004)

Gibson Movie on #18 Hood: Norm Miller, chairman of Dallas-based Interstate Batteries, replaced his own company's hood-sized logo with an ad for "The Passion" on NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte's #18 Chevrolet. The car will carry the ad during the Daytona 500 race Feb. 15. Miller said he feels "privileged" to offer the giveaway publicity. Miller is yet another volunteer in an effort to turn "The Passion" into a success of biblical proportions. Many think a successful opening will encourage more Christian-themed movies — and win more souls. "We need this film to have the biggest opening on record," said the Web site catholicexchange.com.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(2-5-2004)

Guard and Reserve Busch Grand National cars schemes: The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a government-funded program that enlists the support of America’s corporations to procure employment of American military service men and women. The ESGR will sponsor 5 Busch races, with Richard Childress in an attempt to create awareness and to promote the 5 Freedom Award recipients selected in 2003. Here are 3 of the drivers that are available for preorder. All cars will be #29, so far three drivers:
Tony Stewart Coast Guard scheme to be run at Homestead in November
Bobby Labonte Army scheme to be run at Texas in April
Jimmie Johnson Marines scheme to be run at California in May.(1-20-2004)

Gibbs/Reggie White Diversity Update: North Carolina A&T graduate Chris Bristol is expected to be one of two minority drivers selected to drive a Late Model for a team owned by NASCAR owner and NFL coach Joe Gibbs and former NFL player Reggie White. The announcement is expected to take place later this month. Gibbs and White announced last year plans to create their own driver diversity program. Steve de Souza, vice president of Busch operations and special projects at Joe Gibbs Racing, said the organization received more than 200 resumes for the two openings. de Souza declined to name the two drivers but said Bristol was one of five who tested for the program last month. Bristol, a Greensboro resident, graduated from A&T in 1999 with a mechanical engineering degree. He finished second in the Late Model Super Truck division last season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, winning rookie of the year honors, along with three races. Bristol, an African-American, first began racing six years ago in A&T's motorsports program and has been trying to race fulltime since. He was one of 13 candidates selected to try out earlier this week for the NASCAR-backed Drive for Diversity program -- which will put at least four minority drivers with Late Model teams in the Southeast. Bristol called program officials before the tryout to say he had other plans and wouldn't need to take part in the program. Bristol and his new team are expected to race regularly at Caraway. The other team is expected to compete regularly at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw.(News and Record)(1-8-2004)

Gibbs back to the NFL? UPDATE 2 It's Official - He is Back: Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs could make a surprise return to the Washington Redskins. The Washington Post, citing sources with connections to Gibbs, reported late Tuesday on its Web site that Gibbs was in serious discussions about returning to the team that he led to three Super Bowl titles. The 63-year-old Gibbs coached the Redskins from 1981-92 before resigning to pursue a career with his own NASCAR team. He has been adamant over the years about not wanting to coach again, although he has retained NFL connections. He is currently a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. The Redskins are seeking a replacement for Steve Spurrier, who resigned last week. Calls to the Redskins and to Gibbs' racing team were not immediately returned. Gibbs' racing teams have been among the most successful in NASCAR with two Winston Cup championships in the last four seasons. #18-Bobby Labonte took the title in 2000 and #20-Tony Stewart in 2002.(CNNSI/AP)(1-7-2004)
UPDATE: The Washington Redskins [Go Eagles] expect to name Joe Gibbs their coach Wednesday, a source within the NFL told The Associated Press. The Hall of Fame coach has been negotiating a surprise return to the team he led to three Super Bowls, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The source said the team hoped to complete the deal and make an announcement later Wednesday. The negotiations were first reported by The Washington Post and CBS Sportsline.com. Gibbs' oldest son, J.D., is president of Joe Gibbs Racing. The former coach's youngest son, Coy, finished 14th last season in the Busch Series standings [but is not racing in 2004 and is supposedly 'retired'.(ThatsRacin.com/AP), no word on how this effects the team, but Gibbs has his son's in place running most of the day-to-day operation already.(1-7-2004)
AND from the Joe Gibbs Racing site: Joe Gibbs, former head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), announced today his return as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Gibbs retired as head coach of the Washington Redskins following the 1992 season after leading the Redskins to three Super Bowl victories in four appearances. In 12 seasons, Gibbs' record with the Redskins was 140-65 with a 16-5 playoff record.
"The desire to coach has always been with me, even after being away from the game for 11 years," said Gibbs, whose contract with the Redskins will run for five years. "After speaking with my wife Pat, we both agreed it would be a thrill to go back. I appreciate Daniel Snyder giving me the opportunity to coach again. But rest assured, I remain personally committed to Joe Gibbs Racing and each and every sponsor who supports the many employees of Joe Gibbs Racing."
JGR, winner of two NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championships and 40 Nextel Cup victories since its inception in 1992, will not be affected by Gibbs' return to the NFL sideline. Key management remains in place, with Gibbs' oldest son - J.D. Gibbs - continuing his role as team president. All of the drivers and key sponsors have long term deals, and the management structure will not change, with Jimmy Makar and each team's respective crew chiefs directing the racing operations. Joe Gibbs will remain as the race team's CEO.
"I am real excited for my Mom and Dad," said J.D. Gibbs. "I think this move gives our sponsors added value in terms of getting national exposure. JGR is a strong organization and it's in capable hands. I feel great about the state of this race team and its future success on the race track."
Prior to making his decision to return to the NFL, Joe Gibbs met with the race team's key corporate sponsors, most notably The Home Depot and Interstate Batteries. "Joe Gibbs is an integral part of The Home Depot family, and I speak for the more than 300,000 company associates in support of his new challenges as coach of the Washington Redskins," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and CEO, The Home Depot. "Given Joe's success at building teams, it comes as no surprise that he would add NFL coach to his current responsibilities for the #20 Home Depot car driven by Tony Stewart. We look forward to a successful 2004 season with Joe Gibbs Racing."
"All of us at Interstate are extremely excited for Joe and look forward to the Cowboys - Redskins rivalry heating up again". said Norm Miller, chairman, of Interstate Batteries. "Joe Gibbs has been terrific for racing, leading Interstate and Bobby Labonte to the 2000 Winston Cup Championship and I know he will quickly return the Redskins to Super bowl form." In addition to meeting with the race team's sponsors, Joe Gibbs also visited with his two NASCAR Nextel Cup Series drivers, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte.
"I'm very happy for him," said Stewart. "He's always been a coach, and football has always been very close to him. After working with Joe for a number of years, I know his commitment to winning is unmatched. Fans of the Redskins should be very happy."
"I'm thrilled for Joe" said driver Bobby Labonte, who has driven for Joe Gibbs since 1995, "Donna and I think this is the coolest thing we've heard in a long time. The race team will be just fine, and all of us on the #18 team will work just as hard to win another championship in 2004 "(JGR site)(1-7-2004)

2003 News

Driver tests with Gibbs: As the 2004 season starts NASCAR's big push for the "Drive for Diversity" has started. Enter "Chewy" Jesus (Pronounced heysus) Hernandez. Chewy Hernandez has run over 36 NASCAR sanctioned events in 2002 and 2003. The last three years he has finished in the top five every year in the Grand American Modified Championship, securing a fourth place in championship points for the 2003 Season. "Chewy" or Chuy is a first generation Mexican American. He is also the ONLY true diversity Winston Racing Series champion in the series having won at Madera Speedway.
Hernandez tested for Joe Gibbs Racing the third week of December at Concord Speedway [NC]. He was one of 6 drivers that were chosen out of hundreds in a national driver search for Joe Gibbs late model Program [have not heard who the other five were]. Hernandez was given a choice to drive a Chevy or a dodge and he chose the Chevy. "Everything fit really well in the car. The driver before us who shook down the car set up the car pretty good. Curtis Markham who is the spotter for Joe Gibbs Busch cars was also the spotter for this session.
While NASCAR is gearing up for 2004 and their diversity program, G&G Motorsports Marketing and KWK Motorsports have been working for a while on this program. The program was started over a year ago when Kenny Kinchen spotted Hernandez and has been grooming and mentoring him ever since. "He is a diamond in the rough, he has natural talent and ability, he is the real deal, but most importantly he is the full package, "stated Kenny Kinchen. "We are excited that Chewy had this opportunity to test for Joe Gibbs and hope for the best but in the interim we are continuing to work on our program. We are in the process of securing sponsorship for Chewy for the 2004 season which will include a full season of NASCAR Winston West series along with 4 Craftsman Truck races.(G&G Motorsports Marketing PR)(12-30-2003)

#18 and #20 Shrek 2 Paint Schemes at Lowe's: In this DreamWorks sequel to the $267 million dollar original SHREK movie all the original characters are back for yet another adventure and are also joined by a few new faces. To continue the hype of the movie release, on May 21, 2004, #18-Bobby Labonte will drive a SHREK 2 themed racecars during the Coca Cola 600 Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
AND #20-Tony Stewart will drive a SHREK 2 themed racecar during the Nextel All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on May 22nd, 2004.(12-28-2003)

Labonte wins at Homestead as Elliott cuts tire down with lap to go: #9-Bill Elliott led 189 laps and was on his way to his 45th career win when, with about an half lap left, cut down a right rear tire, allowing 2nd place #18-Bobby Labonte to scoot by and win the Ford 400 at the New Homestead-Miami Speedway while only leading one lap, the last and most important lap. Elliott ended up 8th. #29-Kevin Harvick finished 2nd, followed by #48-Jimmie Johnson, #10-Johnny Benson [in his last race with the #10 and the last race for Pontiac] and #24-Jeff Gordon. #97-Kurt Busch was involved in a lap 5 accident, the team repaired the car and he limped to a 35th place finish, but still fell to 11th in drivers points. #5-Terry Labonte, who finished 15th, got the 10th place in points and will head to the banquet in NYC on Dec 5th. Rookie #42-Jamie McMurray, who started on the pole, finished 9th and officially was named 2003 Rookie of the Year. #14-Larry Foyt had his best career finish with a 16th on the lead lap.
More info including my race rundown, Race Results Links, Top 10, lap leaders, cars off track, cautions/why a caution, the Lucky Dog list, notes on the race and other assorted stuff on my JAYSKI's Homestead Race Rundown/Info page. #17-Matt Kenseth officially celebrated his 2003 Winston Cup Championship by doing a smokey burnout.
Scheduled Race Re-Air: on Speed Channel:
one-hour recap/Fast Forward on Wednesday, November 19th at 7:00pm/et and again on November 20th at 1:00am/et;
and a full three-hour race show will re-air at 3:00pm/et on Thursday, November 20th.(11-16-2003)
For race results, awards standings, see my Ford 400 Race Results page
and for finals Drivers/Owners standings, see my Jayski's Drivers/Owners Points (after Homestead/the Ford 400 page.(11-18-2003)

Bobby Labonte Wins Ford 400; Matt Kenseth Celebrates Championship: Ford Championship Weekend at the new Homestead Miami Speedway came to a close on Sunday with Bobby Labonte capturing the Ford 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race and Matt Kenseth celebrating his 2003 Winston Cup Series championship in front of a sell-out crowd. Bill Elliott's cut right rear tire on the last lap of the Ford 400 opened the door for Labonte, who captured a 1.749-second victory. The victory was Labonte's 21st of his Winston Cup career and the fourth time he has won a Winston Cup season finale. Elliott dominated the 267-lap race, leading six times for 189 laps, and appeared on his way to victory before his car started to get loose on Turns 1 and 2 on the last lap of the race. "He came off of Turn 2 and (his car) started to get loose," Labonte said. "I was hoping he wasn't running through oil. Evidently his tire was going down and we were able to get by him. Obviously my emotions on that lap went low to high pretty quick because I didn't think I had any chance to beat him. His misfortune was our fortune. Said a disappointing Elliott: "We had a great race car. Our Dodge ran so well today. You win them sometimes like that, although I don't know if I've ever won one like that but I've sure lost them." While Labonte was rejoicing in Gatorade Victory Lane, Matt Kenseth was celebrated his 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship with a Victory Lap. Driving alongside Kenseth in a 1971 Plymouth Super Bird was Richard Petty, the first NASCAR champion under the Winston sponsorship in 1971. The Ford 400 was the last Winston-sponsored event for NASCAR's top series. "That's beyond cool," said Kenseth about celebrating with Petty. "Richard Petty is the first Winston Cup champion and it's amazing to think we're the last Winston Cup champion. It's just a huge honor to even get to talk to the King and somebody that you idolized growing up as a stock car racer. I'm just happy to be here." Kenseth's day was cut short after his engine expired and he finished 43rd.(Homestead-Miami Speedway PR)(11-16-2003)

Special Logo on the #18: Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Maryland) is proud to announce that NASCAR and MBNA America Bank are teaming up to support our troops and have joined "Operation Hero Miles". Two race cars sponsored by MBNA will proudly display the "Operation Hero Miles" logo and website, www.heromiles.org, this weekend at the NASCAR races at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The #18 Interstate Batteries/MBNA Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte will display the logo at Sunday's Ford 400 Winston Cup race and the #18 MBNA Chevrolet driven by Coy Gibbs will display the logo at Saturday's Ford 300 Busch race.(PR)(11-15-2003)

A Labonte in Office: Political newcomer Robert Labonte knocked off an incumbent and another challenger in Trinity's [CN] Ward 3 City Council race, according to incomplete and unofficial returns Tuesday night. Labonte, father of NASCAR drivers Bobby and Terry Labonte, captured 605 votes. His nearest challenger was incumbent Carlton Boyles, who received 313 votes. A third candidate, Buddy Maness, received 151 votes.(New and Record)(11-5-2003)

Yeley and Gibbs close to a deal? It's looking more and more as if JJ Yeley may have found a home at Joe Gibbs Racing. Yeley, a Phoenix native now living in an Indianapolis suburb, could sign a contract with NASCAR Winston Cup Series team owner Joe Gibbs by week's end. Yeley, 27, is on the verge of becoming only the second driver in U.S. Auto Club history to capture the circuit's "Triple Crown," which encompasses winning Silver Crown, sprint car and midget championships in the same season. He visited with Gibbs on Sunday at the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. If a deal is consummated, team President J.D. Gibbs, Joe's son, said it likely would include a 2004 season of mostly Automobile Racing Club of America and Busch Series races. Yeley also could be entered in a few Winston Cup events, J.D. Gibbs said. "We think he can wheel a car pretty good," J.D. Gibbs said. "We've tested him, and we're hoping to put something together. We think we have a good chance to sign him. I think he's got a great future, and I'd love for it to be with us. Tony (Stewart) and Jeff Gordon came over from open wheel, and what JJ has done in USAC leads you to believe he could do the same thing. We think the world of him."(Arizona Republic)(11-3-2003)

Baldwin to Gibbs...not Evernham? UPDATE 2 1/2: now hearing that #7 Ultra Motorsports [Jimmy Spencer driver/Sirius Satellite Radio sponsor] may not be a lock to go to Evernham Motorsports to crew cheif the #9 Dodge in 2004. Hearing he is also talking to Joe Gibbs Racing about the third Cup team that Gibbs plans to start to run full time in 2005. The team supposedly will have J.J. Yeley as the driver, doing an ABC [ARCA/Busch/Cup] program in 2004.(10-24-2003)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs' planned third Winston Cup team may no longer be on the fast track, at least not with Sprint star J. J. Yeley. Jimmy Makar, general manager, says that it might be a 10-race deal for next season, or a 20-race deal. Yeley, who has tested for Gibbs, is sometimes difficult to deal with, according to those who have worked with him. "A lot depends on who we pick for the driver," Makar says. "Best-case scenario we could go to Daytona with an ARCA car."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-25-2003)
UPDATE 2: Lots of talk and speculation have surrounded crew chief Tommy Baldwin’s future during the past several weeks and time has brought little closure to the talk. Baldwin has been rumored to be moving to Ray Evernham’s operation and more recently to Joe Gibb’s shops. “The only reason that Tommy left is because other teams were pressuring him,” says Baldwin’s current employer, Jim Smith. Making the statement all the more interesting is Baldwin’s presence here at Atlanta with Smith’s team as their crew chief. “He’s got a family to feed. And you know what? That’s a difficult position to be in. You can’t blame a guy for securing his family’s economy,” Smith said. TFR asked Joe Gibbs Racing technical honcho, Jimmy Makar, about Baldwin and learned that there’s been no talk between the two parties, as of yet. That might change down the road if Gibbs moves on his tentative plans for rookie J.J. Yeley. Evernham refused to talk about Baldwin, saying during yesterday’s press conference, “This is about Jeremy and Bill,” said the team owner of the press conference.(TFR/Ford Racing)(10-26-2003)
UPDATE 2 1/2: Joe Gibbs' new third team could well be headed by veteran crew chief Tommy Baldwin, according to sources. If the driver is sprint star J. J. Yeley, the 2004 schedule could be a mix of ARCA, Busch and Nextel Cup events. The prospect of Yeley on the Cup tour has some car owners and drivers, and some of Gibbs' own crewmen, shaking their heads because the 26-year-old Yeley is considered high-strung.(Winston Salem Journal - little condradiction between the two WSJ posts)(10-27-2003)

More on Diversity: General Motors officials are trying to step up their own diversity program and trying to find a Busch ride for Shante Rhodes, 27. Car owner Joe Gibbs, who is expanding to a third Cup team, is being courted by GM to put together a team for Rhodes.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-18-2003)

Short Track Success: Bobby Labonte has earned 757 points in five short-track races, more than any other driver. He also has three top-five short track finishes, more than any other driver. Kurt Busch is the only driver with two short-track victories (both Bristol races) this season. Winston Cup points leader Matt Kenseth is second in short-track points earned (724). Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 711 laps led in five short-track races. Busch is a distant second leading 254 laps.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-15-2003)

3rd Cup team for Gibbs in 2005 UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing [#18-Labonte and #20-Stewart] will add a third full time Cup team in 2005.(XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio - Subscription Required). Assume the team will run part time in 2004 [has attempted/run a few 2003 Cup races in the #80 with Mike Bliss], so who drives? Mike Bliss? Coy Gibbs? J.J. Yeley?; Bliss and Gibbs run full time for Gibbs in the Busch Series now and Yeley supposedly will run Busch for Gibbs in 2004.(10-11-2003)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing was so impressed by J.J. Yeley's tryout at Lakeland (Fla.) Speedway last week that he is expected to run an ABC (ARCA, Busch, Cup) schedule with the organization next year. Yeley, a protege of Tony Stewart, is attempting to win the USAC Triple Crown (Silver Crown, Sprint, Midget).(Sporting News/Yahoo Sports)(10-13-2003)

Yeley tests car for Gibbs: J.J. Yeley, 27, will test a NASCAR Busch Grand National car for Joe Gibbs Racing today in what should be a step toward signing a multiyear contract with the team. Yeley is on his way to becoming the second driver in U.S. Auto Club history to win all three major divisions in the same season, following Tony Stewart in 1995. He has clinched the Silver Crown and sprint-car titles and leads in midgets by 75. Stewart drove for Joe Gibbs' team in 1998 before moving to Winston Cup the next year.(Indianapolis Star), hearing the test will be at Lakeland - USA International Speedway in Lakeland, FL where Bobby Labonte is testing the #18 Cup car.(10-7-2003)

#18 Crew Wins Award at Kansas: The #18 crew for Bobby Labonte's Interstate Batteries team notched its third victory in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade by taking first-place honors at Sunday's Banquet 400 in Kansas City, Kan. Labonte's crew narrowly defeated its Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and last week's winner (in Talladega) - the No. 20 Home Depot crew for Tony Stewart. Labonte's Chevrolet spent 178.515 seconds on the Kansas Speedway pit road compared to 182.148 for Stewart's Chevrolet. "That's awesome," said Paul Alepa, team trainer and pit crew coordinator for Joe Gibbs Racing. "We were just talking earlier today how cool it would be to someday have the No. 18 and the No. 20 teams finish one and two, so to find out it happened in Kansas is just great. It's a tribute to the guys and how hard they are working. They practice every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as a lot of Wednesdays and all the hard work is paying off." Labonte's pit crew, which scored back-to-back victories earlier in the season at Martinsville and California, has now earned $60,000 ($20,000 for each win) and is within striking distance for the season championship and the $200,000 bonus that goes with the title. With six races remaining, Michael Waltrip's No. 15 crew continues to lead the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade with 1047 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr's crew is second, 36 points behind at 1011. Kurt Busch's team is third (1002) and Labonte's crew is fourth (1001). Labonte's team got back into the mix by picking up 24 points on Waltrip's team in Kansas. Labonte's crew earned the maximum 43 points while Waltrip's crew earned 19 points for finishing 25th. "We have a deficit to overcome (46 points), but it's still possible to grab that title and the $200,000 purse," said Michael "Fatback" McSwain, crew chief for the No. 18 team. "The McDonald's/POWERade championship has sure been a great incentive for our pit crew." Labonte's over-the-wall crew consists of: Jason Lee (jackman), Todd Meredith (front tire carrier), Mark Armstrong (front tire changer), Alan Copley (rear tire carrier), Barry Cook (rear tire changer), Tom Lampe (gasman) and Tom McCrimmon (catch can). The car chief is Scott Zipadelli and the windshield duties are handled by Adam von Olhausen.(DMF PR), see top 10 results at Kansas and the full standings on my Pitcrew News and Links page.(10-9-2003)

UPS Not Happy? Robert Yates squelched rumors about selling his team, but buzz persists regarding driver Dale Jarrett and the UPS sponsorship. With a yearly investment of $16 million, UPS isn't taking the recent turmoil on the #88 team lightly, and there has been talk that if Jarrett leaves Yates, UPS will go with him. That would make for an impressive package for an organization looking for a sponsor. Some believe Jarrett, the 1999 Winston Cup champion, will finish his career with Joe Gibbs Racing and team manager Jimmy Makar, his brother-in-law.(Sporting News)(7-28-2003)

Yates to Gibbs? REWORDED: Charlotte's WSOC-TV Channel 9's Harold Johnson reported on Wednesday that Robert Yates Racing RYR #38/88] would merge with Joe Gibbs Racing or another organization. The report was taken so seriously by RYR that Robert Yates supposedly met with the team this morning to let them know there was NO truth to the rumor.(100% reported by XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio - Subscription Required)(7-24-2003)

Black Flag from ThatsRacin.com - the #18 Fire: Even though Newman did win, the "something huge" he talked about nearly happened on Lap 215 when Bobby Labonte's Chevrolet caught fire when it backed into the wall and had its fuel cell erupt during a seven-car crash. Labonte allowed his car to roll down the banking to the apron and immediately began scrambling out of the cockpit. He squeezed out just as track safety crews arrived. "I'm fine," he said after the scary incident. "I smell like a barbecue pit, but I'm OK."
The Black Flag: How many more times do we need to see drivers scrambling out of burning race cars to get things moving? Hey, NASCAR, hire a traveling safety team already and end the madness of racing back to the yellow flag so the safety vehicles can get rolling when a wreck happens. And, while you're at it, get those escape hatches in the cars' roofs, too.(ThatsRacin)(7-14-2003)
AND The most frightening moment came when Bobby Labonte's #18 car burst into flames when he backed into the wall after getting tagged by #10-Johnny Benson, caught up in a tussle with #41-Casey Mears on the 215th of 267 laps. "I thought I had it made," Labonte said of his dramatic crash. "And then we had this problem with the fuel cell blowing up, and it made for a bad scene. It looked worse than it was. I smell like a barbeque pit, but I'm fine." NASCAR confiscated his car for further examination.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-14-2003)

Gibbs/Labonte extend contract thru 2008: Even though his current contract did not run out until the end of the 2004 season, Bobby Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing wasted little time in renegotiating their existing contract to keep Labonte in the #18 Chevrolet Monte Carlo through the end of the 2008 season. With the new contract signed, the goal of course for Labonte and Gibbs is to bring more victories and more championship rings home to Joe Gibbs Racing in the years to come. "I feel great that I know where I am going to be driving for quite a few more years," said a very happy Labonte. "Joe, Pat, J.D. and Coy have all been wonderful to work with and work for and they have made me feel like a part of their family since day one. I am very blessed to have been able to drive for Joe and be a part of such a great organization. He has taught me a lot over the nine years I have been here, not only about myself, but also more importantly about being a good Christian, a good husband and a good father. The wins we have shared and the championship are really incredible, but I appreciate those life lessons he has taught me more than anything else. For Gibbs, the feelings are mutual. Having seen the good, the bad and the ugly in professional sports, Gibbs knows how lucky he is to have Labonte representing him and all of JGR's sponsors. "Bobby is a class act," boasted Gibbs. "He is a guy that every kid in the country can look up to and every parent can feel good about. He has done a superb job for us and I don't think I could ever thank him enough for what he has meant to Joe Gibbs Racing. We are happy to be able to make this announcement about Bobby staying with us for a while and we hope that shows our level of commitment to the fans, our employees and most importantly our sponsors that we will continue to field the most competitive teams in the industry."(Camp & Assoc./Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(6-26-2003)

Part of an interview with Joe Gibbs: a recent interview with Cup/Busch car owner Joe Gibbs at the Sports Business Daily where he discussed a new business venture he's got with his son Coy:
THE DAILY: One of your latest business ventures is a company called Joe Gibbs Performance, which is the brainchild of your son COY. What's that all about?
Gibbs: We're working with GM, and we'll be coming out with a truck. Basically, it's going to have a different look to it. It'll be a Joe Gibbs Performance look, and then it's going to have a performance enhancement to it. We're going to be putting out 1,000 Silverados and hopefully 1,000 Tahoes ... over the next 2 1/2 to three years. We're in the car business, and we think that we have a feel for looks — what people like — and performance. It's a new venture for us, and we're excited about kicking it off.(Sports Business Daily, need subscription to read)(6-13-2003)

Bliss in a third Gibbs car? UPDATE #80: Mike Bliss reportedly will drive a third Winston Cup car for Joe Gibbs Racing at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona and the EA Sports 500 at Talladega in September. Bliss currently drives for Gibbs in the Busch Series.(Winston Cup Scene - need subscription to read)(5-29-2003)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing announced Saturday that they will field a third car out of their Huntersville, NC shops for the Daytona and Talladega races this season. Piloting what will be the #80 Chevy is 2002 Truck Series champion Mike Bliss. Sponsorship for the team will be coming from one of Joe Gibbs Racing's major associate sponsors. GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder), a leading asthma maintenance product, will be the primary sponsor of the #80 car. Earlier this year, GSK and Joe Gibbs Racing announced a joint asthma education initiative, Racing Against Asthma, designed to help raise awareness of Advair and help bring information about asthma and effective asthma management to the public. As part of the education initiative, fans attending the Daytona and Talladega races will have the opportunity to visit the Racing Against Asthma trackside education center, which offers free lung function testing and interactive displays that provide fans with an engaging way to learn more about asthma. In his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing, Bliss, the driver of the #20 Rockwell Automation Chevy in the Busch Series sits in seventh-place in the current point standings. With 30 NASCAR Winston Cup career starts under his belt, Bliss is no stranger to the big leagues of NASCAR, but admits this opportunity is the best he has ever had in his career and something he is very excited about. "It's a great opportunity for me and I hope I can contribute to this whole effort," said an elated Bliss. "I have always said in the past that I never wanted to go back to 'Cup' unless the opportunity was right or it was with a capable team, so it's easy to see why I'm excited. I am looking forward to working with Jimmy Makar and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing to make this project successful." In light of the current environment within the Winston Cup garage and the level of competition on the track, Joe Gibbs Racing felt as though the time was right to add a third car to an already successful program. It will be a big undertaking with a lot of extra man-hours for all involved, but the thought behind the program is that the benefits will far outweigh any negatives. It will also allow the entire Joe Gibbs Racing operation to gain extra information that would otherwise be unattainable without the addition of the third car at these particular events. "With as tough as the competition has become in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, we felt the timing was right to add a car for a couple of races to benefit our overall race program," said J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing. "We owe it to all of our sponsors to make sure we are as competitive as possible every week on the track. Adding this car at Daytona and Talladega will allow us to continue to do that. We are every excited that Advair Diskus has agreed to be the primary sponsor for this special initiative.. Our relationship with Advair Diskus has been great for Bobby Labonte and the '18' team this year and we look forward to having them play a bigger role in the sponsorship of that team next year." Heading up the program will be veteran crew chief and Joe Gibbs Racing's first employee, Jimmy Makar. After serving as crew chief of the Gibbs owned #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for 11 seasons, Makar made the move up to Team Manager at the conclusion of the 2002 season to help manage the continually growing race operations. With 13 years experience behind him and considered by his peers as one of the best ever, Makar is excited at the opportunity to get back to the track and call the shots again. "This is something we have been discussing for quite some time and I am excited to be able to be a part of it," admitted Makar. "Looking at what's going on in the garage area today, we felt like the time was perfect to give this a try. This will also be a great opportunity for Mike. I have great confidence that he will do a good job for us and it will enable us to gather a lot of information we have otherwise not been able to obtain. It will also give us a chance to try some things we wouldn't normally try."(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(6-14-2003)

Former Philly Eagle to be involved in NASCAR former Philadelphia Eagle [Jayski team] and Green Bay Packer [booo] Reggie White and one of his old rivals announced a partnership on Saturday they hope will increase minority involvement in motorsports. With the financial backing of Joe Gibbs Racing, Gibbs and White said they will start looking for promising young minority drivers, mechanics and crew chiefs to run Late Model Sportsmen races at Charlotte-area tracks in 2004. "Black kids haven't had a chance to get into this sport," said Gibbs. "We want to do what's best for young people and for the sport." NASCAR hasn't traditionally been a large draw to blacks - either as fans or participants. A team that was to be owned by former NFL player Joe Washington and the NBA's Julius Erving never got off the ground. The late Wendell Scott won a race and a pole in the 1960s and was followed by Willy T. Ribbs, who experienced limited success. Bill Lester was the first black to win a pole for a modern-era NASCAR race when he qualified first for Friday's inaugural Truck Series event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Gibbs said he has already identified a few young black drivers and is looking for more. He also said that while he will concentrate on finding black drivers, he won't ignore other minorities. "That's our push," he said. "But we're not restricting it (to blacks)." Gibbs said he hoped to begin with two to five teams in 2004. His team will fund the operations - each costing between $50,000-$100,000 a year - whether sponsors step forward or not. "I'm intrigued by this," said White, who lives in the Charlotte area and got interested in racing after he played for the Carolina Panthers in 2000. "I think it boils down to black children not being able to afford getting into the sport. Look at golf, where there was the same situation. Tiger Woods helped there, and maybe we'll find the next Tiger Woods in NASCAR." Said Gibbs: "I think it's coming. This should be a sport for all Americans, for everybody. When you go to a race track, there should be huge following of all kinds of cultural backgrounds, I think. Because everybody loves cars."(in part from ThatsRacin.com)
AND Former NFL rivals Joe Gibbs and Reggie White announced yesterday they will field several Late Model cars at short tracks in the Charlotte, NC, area next season in hopes of fostering minority involvement in NASCAR. White and Gibbs had talked over the past 18 months about White's hopes to form a NASCAR team. But because sponsors were difficult to find, Gibbs decided on a grass-roots approach. "This will be good for Reggie because he'll get in on the ground floor," Gibbs said. "We're looking for sponsors, but it isn't subject to it. We'll start immediately, spend our own money and go full speed ahead." White became hooked on NASCAR only recently but is interested in being an owner. "I'm really intrigued by the opportunity to get into sport and help minorities," said White, a star defensive end who played for Green Bay, Philadelphia and Carolina. "I know it's been a big concern for NASCAR. One of the things I'm excited about is it also gives inner-city kids a chance to make contacts with corporate America. We could raise up a kid who could be the next Tiger Woods in NASCAR." Gibbs and White are soliciting applications from potential drivers and crew members who are at least 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Resumes should be mailed to Joe Gibbs Racing Diversity Program, c/o Steve de Souza, 13451 Reese Blvd. W, Huntersville, NC 28078.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-18-2003)

Bobby Labonte's Pit Crew Scores Second Straight Win: The pit crew of Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy made it two-in-a-row by winning the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway in Fontana. Labonte's car, which finished second in the 500-mile California race, spent 216 seconds on pit road, edging the cars of race winner Kurt Busch (218 seconds) and John Andretti (220 seconds). With the back-to-back wins, the Joe Gibbs Racing Interstate Batteries crew has earned $40,000 ($20,000 for each pit crew win) and has moved into seventh place in the overall pit crew point standings. The season champion of the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade will receive a $200,000 bonus. See my Pit Crew Info Page for race rundown, standing and past news, along with the Pit Crew Chart.(4-30-2002)

Parker to be Jarrett's new crew chief? Makar NOT leaving Gibbs: Shawn Parker could become Dale Jarrett's new crew chief, according to sources close to the Robert Yates team. And crew chief Greg Zipadelli says that there is nothing to the rumors that his own boss, General Manager Jimmy Makar, might move on to join the Yates team to work with Jarrett. Parker is a chassis specialist for the Elliott Sadler-Raymond Fox half of the Yates team. Parker was once a key member of the Jack Roush operation before moving on.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-26-2003)

Fuller to test for Gibbs: Busch Series veteran driver, Jeff Fuller, is scheduled to test the Winston Cup Chevrolets of Joe Gibbs Racing {#18 and #20] at the General Motors proving grounds April 25-27.(Jeff Fuller site)(4-23-2003)

Makar to the #88? still hearing rumors that Jimmy Makar, former crew chief of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy and current team manager for Gibbs is trying to work out a deal so he can crew chief the #88 Robert Yates Racing team and driver Dale Jarrett.(4-21-2003)

Tiebreaker Gives Bobby Labonte's Pit Crew First Place Prize in Martinsville: The crews of #18-Bobby Labonte and #38-Elliott Sadler tied for the top honors in the Virginia 500 among participating teams in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by Powerade, but Labonte's squad took the $20,000 prize by virtue of a tiebreaker.. Each car spent 292 seconds on pit road, but Labonte's Joe Gibbs Racing crew was named the winner by virtue of having a higher finishing position in the race. Labonte finished second, while Sadler was fifth in Robert Yates Racing's No. 38 Ford. In the race for the year's $200,000 top prize, Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s #15 team for Michael Waltrip's Chevrolet leads the #8 squad of teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. by a margin of 325 points to 317.(PR), see full press release and standings on my Pit Crew page.(4-15-2003)

Pemberton to Yates? UPDATE Makar? Robert and Doug Yates have been silent since putting Brad and Todd Parrott on the sideline this week, but the two car owners said they will talk about their team shakeup today and their plans for the future of Dale Jarrett's half of their two-car team. Robin Pemberton is the subject of speculation for a possible to move to the Yateses' team. Pemberton worked about 10 years with Rusty Wallace and Roger Penske, after a long run with Jack Roush. Last season Pemberton worked with Kyle Petty at Petty Enterprises, but he left at the start of the season to take a role with Ford Motor Company as the field director.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-11-2003)
UPDATE Makar? One name that came to the surface quickly was Jimmy Makar. Makar would be an interesting choice since he and Dale Jarrett have raced and won together when Jarrett was with Joe Gibbs, prior to his joining the Yates organization. Makar couldn’t be found at Martinsville and the Yates camp is holding their cards close to the vest, so no discussions took place regarding the viability of that rumor.(from Ford Racing)(4-12-2003)

Extra $$ for Labonte: Bobby Labonte "maxed" out at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as far as the MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award program was concerned. Labonte was the race leader at the halfway point, getting $10,000. But since he also ended up winning the race, he got another $15,000 via the MBNA Mid-Race Leader Bonus. The bonus starts as $5,000, and rolls over to the next race if the mid-race leader award winner doesn't also win the event. After four races this season, there have been four different MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award winners: #15-Michael Waltrip, #2-Rusty Wallace, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Labonte.(NASCAR PR)(3-13-2003)

Bobby Labonte wins race at Atlanta: #18-Bobby Labonte won the MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his 6th career win at the track and 20th career win. #24-Jeff Gordon ended up 2nd, followed by #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr, #17-Matt Kenseth (new points leader) and #20-Tony Stewart. It was Labonte's first win since Martinsville last April, 31 races ago and it extends Labonte's streak of winning a race every year to 9 years. See my MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500 Race Info page for my race rundown with lap leaders, cautions and some notes.(3-9-2003)
Re-Air: the race will be re-aired on Speed Channel, Wed, Mar 12th, 8:00pm/et (enhanced) and Thurs, Mar 13th, 1:00am/et and at 3:00pm/et.
Result Links at: Jayski, ThatsRacin.com, NASCAR.com or Motorsports One.(3-9-2003)

Fatback gets the Boat: #18-Bobby Labonte already owns a boat, so he won't be keeping the one he won for taking Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. But he announced during a postrace interview that he would keep the bonus prize within Joe Gibbs Racing. "He gets the boat," Labonte said, motioning toward crew chief Michael McSwain. He then turned to McSwain and said, "I'm going to talk to your wife, and she's going to let you build that garage."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(3-11-2003)

New Assoc for Gibbs UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing has signed a deal with GlaxoSmithKline, which makes Advair, an asthma maintenance treatment, an associate sponsor on the team's #18 and #20 cars. Driver Bobby Labonte, who has asthma, will be a spokesman for the program and will encourage fans to visit an educational trailer to be located trackside at NASCAR events.(ThatsRacin)(1-24-2003)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte's car will switch from green to purple for the Food City 500 at Bristol next month. The color-scheme change is being used to promote Advair, an asthma treatment that Labonte has started using. Labonte's primary sponsor, Interstate Batteries, is taking its name off the car for that race to let him promote the medication. "It's helping me get off the quick-relief (inhalers)," Labonte said of Advair. "I was racing a car at Martinsville, Va., and saw a guy beside me that had quick-relief taped to his helmet in case he had to use it. I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, that guy's got it worse than I do.'" Part of Advair's season-long promotion includes testing for lung problems at most of the race tracks. Stan Hull, a representative of GlaxoSmithKline, which makes the product, said that more than 1,400 people underwent lung testing during Speed Weeks.(Fayetteville Observer) AND the #18 Chevy will also have Advair on the hood for the races at Rockingham, Atlanta, The Winston, Dover, Chicago, Pocono, Darlington, Kansas and Phoenix. See images of both schemes on my Paint Scheme Gallery.(2-22-2003)

The Hulk scheme(s): looks like #18-Bobby Labonte will run a Incredible Hulk scheme at Michigan in June to help promote the movie 'The Incredible Hulk', supposedly this will be a 3-4 car promo, with other cars part of it, like the Muppet's/Looney Tunes last year. See an image of the car on my Paint Scheme Gallery.(2-22-2003)

Gibbs on TV: #18 and #20 team owner. Joe Gibbs, along with Interstate Batteries Chairman Norm Miller, will be appearing on a.special race/product promotion on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network), Wednesday. Feb 5th at 10:00pm/et. Matt and Laurie Crouch host, Joe Gibbs, Norm Miller, Pastor Ed Young, Jr. & Randy Phillips (of Phillips Craig & Dean) and The Awakening.(2-5-2003)

Aikman and Staubach plan a Cup team for 2004 UPDATE 2: Former Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach plan to become owners of a NASCAR Winston Cup team in time for the 2004 season, Aikman confirmed Thursday. Aikman, 36, retired after the Cowboys released him following the 2000 season. He led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships and was voted to the Pro Bowl six times. Aikman now is the lead color analyst for NFL broadcasts on the Fox network. He has been a regular visitor to Texas Motor Speedway since the facility opened in 1997, and has attended most of the NASCAR events at the track. Staubach, 60, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles and made the Pro Bowl six times. He won the Heisman Trophy while playing at Navy in 1963. Staubach now is the CEO of The Staubach Company, a diversified commercial real estate company headquartered in Dallas. Both Aikman and Staubach are discussing their plans with Winston Cup team owner Joe Gibbs, a former rival when Gibbs was the coach of the Washington Redskins. Gibbs will advise Aikman and Staubach on how to go about the process of starting a NASCAR team.(Dallas Morning News - need to register to read)(1-16-2003)
UPDATE: Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach quarterbacked the same NFL team. Now they're part owners of the same team - planning to enter a car in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series in 2004. The former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks are partners in Hall of Fame Racing, which will be directed by former Trans-Am driver Bill Saunders, who will act as managing partner. "Roger and I have discussed this for a while, and all the pieces just came together. We're not naive going into this thing. We recognize it will be a real challenge," Aikman said in a telephone interview Thursday with The Associated Press. So far, Aikman said, the team has no shop, no equipment, no employees other than the three owners, no driver and no sponsor. The latter will be a priority, the three-time Super Bowl winner added. Aikman said Joe Gibbs, former coach of the Washington Redskins and now owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, which won Winston Cup championships in 2000 and 2002, has helped get the team off the ground. He also said it's premature to be talking about a driver. The team will be headquartered in Dallas while maintaining a race shop in Charlotte, N.C., where most of the Winston Cup teams are based.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)
UPDATE 2: The partners plan to tackle the Winston Cup schedule in February 2004 beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 -- NASCAR's Super Bowl -- and a single-car team. A two-car team is planned for 2005 for an organization that will be headquartered in Dallas but operate out of the NASCAR hub of Charlotte, N.C. Hall of Fame Racing will spend this season hiring a director of racing operations, pursuing primary and associate sponsorships, courting manufacturers and compiling a list of prospective drivers and crewmen. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who pulled out of a deal that would have seen him buy into the Cup team owned by Andy Petree in August, is not involved in this venture. The partners have not decided if they will buy an existing Cup team, merge with one or start from scratch -- as Gibbs did.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(1-17-2003)

2002 News

Cronquist Surgery: Joe Gibbs Racing head engine builder, Mark Cronquist, the 2002 AE Clevite Engine builder of the year, had surgery performed on his ankle, which prevented him from attending the Winston Cup Awards Banquet in NYC.(Speedway Scene Magazine)(12-17-2002)

Labonte helps school: Donning lightweight construction helmets and sporting gold-painted shovels, High Point [NC]Christian Academy students, staff and supporters broke ground on a $4 million secondary school building Monday. The approximately 40,000-square-foot building, which will eventually house grades nine through 12, is to be located on the west side of the campus, across Phillips Avenue from the West End Park playing field. Construction could start as early as next month and the project is expected to be completed by August 2004. The construction contract has not yet been firmed up, said High Point Christian Academy Headmaster Richard Hardee, but Georgia firm CCL & Associates is overseeing project management. More than $1.25 million has been raised to fund the building, said Michael Gay, who chaired the capital campaign committee. The High Point Central High School class of 2006, approximately 40 students, were on hand for the ceremony. The class of 2006 will be the school's first graduating class, as well as the first class to graduate from the planned building. NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte, father of two High Point Christian Academy students, served as honorary chairman of the capital campaign committee. "It's a great day to be part of," said Labonte, "I look forward to one day standing here with a key to open the door."(High Point Enterprise), see pictures of the event at www.hpcacougars.org.(11-12-2002)

Well..that was fast - McSwain named #18 Crew Chief: Almost one month ago, Joe Gibbs Racing announced the search was to begin for a new crew chief to handle the duties for driver Bobby Labonte and the #18 Interstate Batteries Racing Team. Through a very determined and deliberate process the search is over. Beginning with the 2003 season, Michael McSwain will take over the reigns of one of the most successful teams in NASCAR Winston Cup racing in recent years. “We are all very excited that we are able to announce Michael joining our organization,” said team owner Joe Gibbs. “We feel as though he will be a good fit with everyone else we already have in place here. And most importantly, we all think he will be able to work very well with Jimmy (Makar) in his new role, along with Bobby (Labonte) and Zippy (Greg Zipadelli).”
“I am excited about the chance I am being given to join Joe Gibbs Racing,” said McSwain. “All of this is happening so fast and it probably hasn’t quite sunk in yet. I know what I am being brought into to accomplish and I am looking forward to working with everyone to get Bobby and the #18 car back to the head table in New York. I especially need to thank Ricky (Rudd) for giving me an opportunity back in 1999 and then bringing me with him over to Robert Yates Racing,” added McSwain. “I also need to thank Robert and Carolyn (Yates) for everything they did for me. Without those people, I would not have the opportunity I do today.”(Joe Gibbs Racing PR) NOTE: Jimmy Makar will finish the season as the crew chief of the #18 car. McSwain will be in an observatory role listen and watching Labonte and Makar interact with one another.(10-30-2002)

Latest on McSwain to the #18 UPDATE released - Fox to crew chief #28: Expect an announcement within a day or so that Michael McSwain has left Robert Yates Racing to become #18-Bobby Labonte’s crew chief in 2003. Apparently, a deal has been struck between Yates and Joe Gibbs to get McSwain out of his contract.(Gaston Gazette)(10-30-2002)
UPDATE: Michael "Fatback" McSwain has been released from Robert Yates Racing. McSwain, who had been the crew chief for Ricky Rudd and the #28 Havoline Ford since 1999, was released from his contract on Wednesday. The move, the latest by Yates in a progression that has included purging himself of driver Ricky Rudd and Yates' longtime sponsor Chevron/Texaco, frees McSwain to pursue other career options. Yates had previously said that, due to McSwain's contract, which ran through next season, he did not anticipate him leaving. "We've negotiated a release for Michael from his contract," said team owner Robert Yates. "This will allow him to pursue other opportunities and allow us to look at our options for the future. We wish him the best in his future endeavors." For this weekend's race at North Carolina Speedway, car chief Raymond Fox will take over the crew chief duties for the #28 Ford.(NASCAR.com)(10-30-2002)

Labonte to build track: Bobby Labonte along with the North Carolina Quarter Midget Association and members of the Rowan County Board of Commissioners unveiled plans for a state of the art racing facility to be built in Salisbury, N.C. The facility, which will be the first of its kind in North Carolina, will play host to quarter midget racecars. Quarter midget racing events are held throughout the United States at venues as large as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, all the way down to mall parking lots. For Labonte, the opportunity to help build this facility is a chance for him to be able to give something back to the sport of auto racing which has been very good to him over the years. As plans started to move forward, he knew it was going to have to stay centrally located and easily accessibly in order to be successful. The location in Salisbury is exactly what Labonte was looking for and he couldn’t be more excited about making the announcement. Plans for the facility are still being worked on and finalized.(see fulls tory and quotes at ThatsRacin.com/AP)(10-29-2002)

McSwain to the #18? Baldwin to RYR #38? UPDATEs: hearing that current #28 Robert Yates Racing crew chief Michael "Fatback" McSwain will go to the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing team (to take over for Jimmy Makar who is assuming team manager of the Gibbs operation).and that former #22 crew chief, Tommy Baldwin will replace him at the #28 (will be #38 with Elliott Sadler in 2003).(10-25-2002 - 8:00am/et)
UPDATE: Michael "Fatback" McSwain has emerged as a top candidate for the crew chief job with Joe Gibbs Racing's #18 team and driver Bobby Labonte. Labonte's current crew chief, Jimmy Makar, who will move into a team manager role next season and is leading the search for his replacement, acknowledged Friday that McSwain was among "four or five" candidates with crew chief experience who have expressed interest in the job. McSwain, 35, has worked with driver Ricky Rudd at Robert Yates Racing since December 1999 and was expected to remain with the team next season with the team's new driver, Elliott Sadler. Among the other candidates the #18 team is considering are Todd Berrier, crew chief for #30-Jeff Green, and Gil Martin, crew chief for #29-Kevin Harvick, sources said. Both Berrier and Martin work for Richard Childress Racing. McSwain declined to comment on his future Friday. "I can't talk about it right now," he said. Makar said the search has narrowed to those with crew chief experience and the team is no longer looking at "in-house" candidates.(ThatsRacin.com)(10-25-2002)
UPDATE 2: McSwain wasn't saying much, and team owner Robert Yates wasn't around to take questions, but team sources said that the veteran crew chief has told Yates he'd like to move on at the end of the season. Other sources indicate that he's applied for the same role with Bobby Labonte at Joe Gibbs Racing. Other Yates team sources say that Baldwin has interviewed for the job with Yates, who has also been interested in trying to hire crew chief Robbie Reiser. When pressed on the McSwain option, Jimmy Makar, Gibbs' team manager, played it all with a very good poker face. Makar was also asked about reports that he might be taking a TV role of some sort next season while continuing as boss of Gibbs' two teams. Makar wasn't offering many hints or and confirmation on any of it. However, Makar says he may have a new crew chief signed sooner rather than later. Todd Berrier is also on Makar's list, according to team sources.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND Michael McSwain, crew chief for #28-Ricky Rudd and Robert Yates Racing, interviewed with Joe Gibbs Racing and could be in line to become Bobby Labonte's new crew chief. Current crew chief Jimmy Makar will move into a management role with the team next season. "I can't deny that he's one of the guys we talked to," Maker said. "There's five guys we've talked to, all qualified and all potentially good candidates. We're excited there's that many people with an interest in our team." Makar wouldn't identify the others he had interviewed. He said a couple of them, including McSwain, were under contract for next season with their current team. All the final candidates would come from outside of Joe Gibbs Racing, Makar said. McSwain declined comment, but Yates said he expects him to stay. "That's what we're signed up to do," Yates said. "It's nice to have people after you, it means you're doing something right. But I think we can put that (rumor) to bed."(Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(10-26-2002)
UPDATE 3: Sources close to Robert Yates Racing say crew chief Michael McSwain's decision to begin a job search came after he tested with 2003 driver Elliott Sadler recently at Kentucky Speedway. Sadler, who was endorsed by McSwain to replace Ricky Rudd, ran four-tenths of a second slower than Rudd ran in a similar test earlier at the track. Sadler says McSwain told him things weren't going to work out. "I was surprised more than anything, but if his heart isn't in it, then he needs to go somewhere else," Sadler says. Rumors are that somewhere else for McSwain might be as crew chief for Bobby Labonte because Jimmy Makar is moving into a different role after the season. The question is whether McSwain would be a good fit with Labonte, who is generally more reserved.(Sporting News)(10-28-2002)

3M Scheme: hearing (and found an image) that the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac will feature 3M on the hood of the car at Atlanta, celebrating the company's 100th birthday.(10-23-2002)

Berrier to Gibbs? Richard Childress may be losing a crew chief to the Bobby Labonte-Jimmy Makar team, according to team sources, and there has been speculation that it could be Todd Berrier [#30 AOL Crew Chief/driver Jeff Green], who has been Childress' top performing crew chief this year. But Childress says no, because Berrier has two more years on his contract. If the Joe Gibbs operation can't make a deal for Berrier, then the team is expected to look to the Indy-car ranks.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-21-2002)

IRWIN Rough to Finish Award #18 Team: In a season marked by disappointment and heartache, Bobby Labonte' s second-place finish in Sunday's UAW-GM 500 was the lift that the #18 Interstate Batteries team needed. After wrecking two cars two weeks ago in Kansas City, the Jimmy Makar led crew worked tirelessly to prepare one of the team's older cars for this weekend' s race and their hard work paid off, helping to earn Makar this week's IRWIN "Rough to the Finish" award. Labonte' s second-place finish was his best finish since he won the Virginia 500 at Martinsville earlier this season. Labonte also led three times for a total of 53 laps during the event, marking the first laps Labonte has led since the Coca-Cola Racing Family 600 in May. In addition, this was his ninth top-five and 13th top-10 in 20 career starts at Lowe's. "This is an old race car with a new setup and it worked pretty good for us tonight," explained Makar. "I know Bobby still would have liked to win, but this is one of our better racetracks and we like coming here, so second place isn' t bad. This whole crew deserves all the credit for tonight' s effort."
Each week throughout the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season, Irwin, makers of professional power tool accessories like Marathon Plus saw blades and Speedbor flat bits, is partnering with Performance Racing Network to honor the crew chief who had the toughest day in the pits, but still managed to help his team to a strong finish. The IRWIN Rough to the Finish Award includes an assortment of tools for the crew chief and a $250 check donated to the Ellerbe, NC Educational Fund in the racing team's name.. The year-end winner of the crew chief points standings will win a $5,000 check donated to the Fund.. Race fans wanting to make a contribution to the Fund may do so by sending it to the Ellerbe, NC Educational Fund, PO Box 443, Ellerbe, NC 28338. In addition to the crew chief award, Irwin is also sponsoring the weekly nationally syndicated radio show, "Fast Talk with Benny Parsons", throughout the upcoming year.(Golin Harris PR)(10-16-2002)

NAPCM Pit Crew of the Week - #18: High-performance pit stops all day led the #18 Interstate Batteries team to an impressive 2nd place Lowe's Motor Speedway finish from a 18th place start. Congratulations #18 Interstate Batteries Crew on earning this week's NAPCM "Pit Crew Of The Week" award, sponsored by Toxabsorb www.toxabsorb.com), "Instant non-skid pit stall prep, creating grip for faster pit stops" and "Official Spill Response Agent of the National Association Of Pit Crew Members". Check out the latest Mechanix Wear "Pit Crew Of The Year" standings and latest, NEW NAPCM member benefits, available at the National Association Of Pit Crew Members website(www.napcm.com).(10-15-2002)

Elledge to the #18? Jimmy Makar's search for a crew chief for #18-Bobby Labonte for next year continues, and one of the men he's talked with, according to team sources, is Jimmy Elledge [presently with the #55 team].(Winston Salem Journal)(10-14-2002)

Will Baldwin go to Joe Gibbs Racing? Tommy Baldwin probably will be one of the top candidates to take over the crew chief duties for the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac, which will be a Chevrolet next season. Joe Gibbs Racing announced Tuesday that Jimmy Makar would step down as crew chief for Bobby Labonte and concentrate on his duties as team manager. (Dallas Morning News)(10-3-2002)

Makar to steps down as Crew Chief of #18 at end of 2002, will be full time Team Manager for Gibbs: Over the last several years, Jimmy Makar has maintained two very important roles within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization. He has not only served as the crew chief for the # 18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac, currently driven by Bobby Labonte, since the teams inception in 1991; but he has also been the Team Manager of the racing program at Joe Gibbs Racing. Given the demands on a crew chief within the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, due to schedule length and the amount of testing needed to be a championship caliber team, everyone agreed that Makar’s management and leadership skills would be best suited solely in the role of team manager. “As a result of our continued expansion at JGR and the magnitude and scope of racing today, Jimmy will be focusing his full-time attention on his role as Team Manager in 2003,” added team owner Joe Gibbs. “Jimmy will be initiating the search for his replacement as crew chief on the # 18 car for the 2003 season and while that is on going, he will continue to handle both roles through the end of the 2002 season.” For Makar, the announcement of a change from the role of crew chief to that of team manager is something that had already been planned. Though not expected to make the change for a couple of more years, Makar decided it was best to make the transition now in order to help ensure the continued success of Joe Gibbs Racing for many years to come. For driver Bobby Labonte, the upcoming change is bittersweet, as he and Makar have become very close friends over the years. They have shared many of the highs and lows the sport of auto racing has to offer and have always been able to find a way to see the positive in any situation. “This is a tough one,” admitted Labonte. “Jimmy has been more than a crew chief for me the past eight years. He has become a best friend. We have been through a lot together, both good and bad. We have lost a championship together and we have won a championship together. We lost races that we should have won and we won races that we should have lost. Eight years is a long time to be in our position.”(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(10-1-2002)

Gibb's Testing Chevy's: Bobby Labonte said his Joe Gibbs Racing team plans to test the 2003 Chevrolet this week in preparation for the team's move to the Chevy camp next season. Gibbs' drivers, Labonte and Tony Stewart, currently drive the Pontiac Grand Prix. "We've tested the 2003 Pontiac already a couple times and basically it is the same sheet metal except for the nose and tail. That kind of helps us out a little bit, also," Labonte said. "We've kind of tested already. We've already had a trip to Talladega where we ran this year's car and next year's car, too, to get an idea to see which way to start with it. That's going along pretty good." (ThatsRacin.com)(9-22-2002)

Teams Fighting Over Crewmen and drivers: Joe Gibbs' teams are being criticized by rivals, some from the Roush camp, for hiring away crewmen in the middle of the season and by car owner Bill Davis for attempting to sign BGN driver Scott Wimmer. Wimmer's contract with Davis was up at the end of the season until he signed a new one with Davis four days ago. Gibbs said that Wimmer began talking with him when Wimmer started worrying about Davis' plans for him next season. "A couple of weeks ago Steve Desuza, who runs our Busch program, was walking out of the race track and asked Scott 'Hey, what's your situation for next year?' " Gibbs said. "Scott volunteered to him 'Hey, I don't have anything. I'm concerned. We're down to a few cars, and Bill hasn't re-signed my contract for next year. So I have nothing. I'm worried.' Basically what we said to him was 'Can we see that contract to make sure that's the case?' And Scott sent the contract to us, and sure enough that was the case. The contract had run out a couple months ago. At that point we started discussions with him. And I guess Bill got upset about that and jumped back in it and re-signed him. That's fine with us. We have a policy here that we don't talk to anybody under contract. And we didn't. So we don't think we've done anything wrong or unethical. I'm going to try to get with Bill this week. I'm going to call and see if I can come up and have a meeting so we can talk this out, because this is important. It's important to me to keep a good relationship with the other car owners." Davis was irate over the situation and had a vigorous discussion with Gibbs. Mike Brown, general manager for Davis: "We (Davis and Wimmer) had all verbally agreed to go forward, and we were working on all our different sponsorship scenarios, to see if we'd be Busch racing or Cup racing with Scott. A lot of the team owners that we respect ... called us and said 'Hey, what are y'all doing with Scott? If you're not going to go forward with him, we'd love to speak with him.' We told everybody who called us that we planned to go forward with him, and they respected that, and they left him alone. Greg Zipadelli, crew chief for the Gibbs-Stewart team, says that Rockwell, which has sponsored Richard Childress' Busch team this season, called Davis' team to get Wimmer's phone number, apparently to try to put together a sponsorship package to shop around. Davis has sponsored Wimmer basically out of his own pocket this season. Zipadelli pointed out that Davis didn't offer Wimmer a new contract until the overtures from other teams were made. Gibbs also declined to talk about the Rockwell sponsorship. On the issue of crewmen moving one team to another, Gibbs seems to attract a number of men looking to move on. The latest addition comes from the Jeff Burton-Roush team - top tire changer Mark "Hollywood" Armstrong. But then Gibbs has long had a reputation for having one of the best places to work on the tour. He guarantees his men at least one day, sometimes two days a week off, a luxury in this sport and one that is appreciated by crewmen with families. Gibbs is also offering nice wages, according to crewmen in the garage. That combination has at times earned the ire of rival car owners. Zipadelli says that crewmen move all the time: "We just lost two fabricators to Cal Wells, but you don't see us crying about it. They're moving over because they'll be getting ... more money. But this time next year they'll probably be laid off, just like the last bunch. "I'm tired of people bashing us. We shouldn't be criticized for trying to make our team better."(more at the Winston Salem Journal)(9-2-2002)
And more at Ford Racing: Signed Or Not, Wimmer Prompts Davis, Gibbs Talk(9-3-2002)

No Chevy for Gibbs in 2002: Joe Gibbs Racing was considering running the 2002 [Chevy] Monte Carlo in several events this year. Driving that consideration was the Pontiac’s performance on the flatter, intermediate tracks combined with the Gibbs organization desire to stay in the point hunt as the season closed. Michigan was one of the tracks where Gibbs was thinking a Monte Carlo would be better than a Grand Prix. The team, after testing the Monte Carlo, decided that it wasn’t worth the more than a half-million dollar investment it would have taken to make the car competitive; and took Michigan off the table. With Michigan off the table the decision to scrap all plans for the 2002 Monte Carlo was an easy one for the Gibbs organization to make. The two-car Gibbs operation is readying for their wholesale swap to Chevrolet hardware for the 2003 season, but the new car has not been officially approved and templates are not officially released. That will change, however, when NASCAR approves the 2003 Monte, which will in all likelihood come as a package with the standardized body locations bulletin.(Ford Racing)(8-18-2002)

Shakeup at the #18? A shakeup is looming within the Bobby Labonte-Jimmy Makar team, according to team sources. Labonte has not been pleased with the team for some time. "It is tough," Labonte said. "In 2000 it was easy. This year we're working three times as hard as we did in 2000, and we're going nowhere. Nothing's falling into place."(Winston Salem Journal)(7-26-2002)

Chevy or Pontiac? a draw? UPDATE 3 A Pontiac at Indy: #20-Tony Stewart and #18-Bobby Labonte tested both Chevrolets and Pontiacs in Monday's opening session of the two-day Winston Cup test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the results appeared to be a virtual dead heat. Stewart's best speed was a 175.632mph in his 40 laps in a Chevy, good for 23rd place on the day, but he had a 175.457 in his 39 laps in a Pontiac, which was the 25th best of the session, Labonte had a best of 173.476 in his 39 laps in a Monte Carlo (40th overall) and a 173.43 in 16 laps in a Pontiac (45th of the 54 driver/car combinations). The team announced Sunday it would switch to Chevrolet entries next year and might run them in some events this season.(Winston Cup Scene Newsletter)(7-16-2002)
UPDATE - looks like a #20 Chevy at Indy: FSN's Totally NASCAR reports that it is likely that Joe Gibbs Racing will run a Chevy for Tony Stewart and the #20 Home Depot team in the Brickyard 400 at Indy, didn't mention the #18-Labonte team.(7-17-2002)
UPDATE 2: however, sources with the team tell me that the decision has yet to be made and supposedly the #20 is leaning heavily towards the Pontiac though and not the Chevy. As for the #18 team, there will be another test next week and a decision will be based following that test.(7-18-2002)
UPDATE 3: during TNT's qualifying coverage of the New Hampshire 300 on Friday, Stewart and crew chief Greg Zipadelli were interviewed on the war wagon and Zipadelli said they would run a Pontiac at Indy for the Brickyear 400, but would test a Chevy at Kentucky and may run it at a place like Michigan. #18-Bobby Labonte said in a later interview that he would run a Pontiac at Indy also.(7-19-2002)

the #20 and #18 Chevy's testing at Indy this week - Creative Motorsports Images

Bobby Labonte forms quarter midget racing partnership: #18 Cup driver, Bobby Labonte has entered a partnership with Ron Stanley of Robbie Stanley Racing Inc. In an effort to assist Labonte with his son Tyler’s aspirations of racing quarter-midgets, the partnership was formed not only to accomplish that, but also in hopes of bringing quarter-midget racing to the Southeast in a bigger and better way. “We want to be able to help Ron start his business here in the Southeast and get his business going more than what it is today,” said Labonte. “It also helps if Tyler (Labonte) decides he wants to do this for several more years. That will help me as I have a lack of time with my current race schedule to do a lot of other things as you can imagine. Ron and his entire family are a lot like the mine in that we grew up racing quarter midgets and have a love of the sport.” Stanley Racing was founded in 1977. Over the next 19 years, they became the leading manufacturer of quarter-midgets in the United States. In fact, most of the technology used in today’s quarter-midgets was first designed and implemented at Robbie Stanley Racing. In 1994 however, the untimely and tragic death Ron’s son Robbie, a three-time USAC Sprint Car Series champion, resulted in Stanley Racing ceasing operation. After a six-year absence though, Stanley Racing has reopened with Robbie's brother, Ryan, running the family business. Many of today’s accomplished racecar drivers started their careers racing in a Stanley-built quarter midget. Some of the names happen to include Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Stevie Reeves, Andy Hillenburg, as well as the late Kenny Irwin and Robbie Stanley.(Camp and Assoc)(7-16-2002)

Gibbs Racing to Chevy - it's official - may run some in 2002: Joe Gibbs made official Sunday his intention to move his two Winston Cup teams [#18 and #20] from Pontiac and Chevrolet next season. Gibbs said his teams would also test both Pontiacs and Chevrolets the remainder of this season and would utilize Chevrolets in some races later this year if the Chevrolets tested better, perhaps as early as the Brickyard 400. "Pontiac has been a great partner for us," said Gibbs. "We've been in Chevrolet before. I don't think Pontiac could have done anything more for us. We feel like starting next year we will be in a better position as a race team where we can benchmark our cars against a lot of other good cars. It's just sheer numbers for us." Gibbs' organization played a large role in the development of the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix, which was recently approved for competition by NASCAR, and has also built several Chevrolets. The 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo is still being tested and has not yet been approved for competition by NASCAR. Tony Stewart, driver of Gibbs' #20 Pontiac, echoed Gibbs' statements. "I just want what everyone else has. I don't want to be beat by a rules package," Stewart said. "If I'm going to get beat, I want it to be by another driver. And I think being in a larger group, where Joe (Gibbs) can go into the NASCAR hauler and plead our case if it needs pleading, will help, because it won't just be Joe, it'll be Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Inc." Pontiac officials said Sunday they still plan to field entries in NASCAR. "Pontiac will be racing in 2003. We're very excited about the new car," said Doug Duchhardt, NASCAR Group Manager for General Motors Racing. "We're working on some new teams. We're in negotiations with some teams. We're quite confident we'll have a good lineup next year to campaign for the Pontiacs."(ThatsRacin.com). Stewart will test a Pontiac and Chevy at Indy on Tues and Wed. Doug Duchardt, NASCAR group manager of GM Racing, and Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), announced today that Gibbs' two NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams of Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte would switch from Pontiac to Chevrolet for the 2003 Winston Cup season. JGR fielded a Chevrolet from its inception in 1992 through the 1996 Winston Cup season with Dale Jarrett and then Bobby Labonte as its drivers. It started running a Pontiac in 1997 with Labonte, and then two Pontiacs in 1999 when Stewart joined the organization as a rookie. Of the 35 Winston Cup victories and the 26 Winston Cup pole positions earned by JGR in its 10-year history, 29 wins and 20 poles have been won with a Pontiac.(Edleman PR)(7-14-2002)

Gibbs to Chevy announcement Sunday: Joe Gibbs Racing will make its long-rumored change in manufacturer official on Sunday. Gibbs will announce during a scheduled General Motors press conference at Chicagoland Speedway his two Winston Cup teams will move to the Chevrolet camp beginning with the 2003 season, sources confirmed Friday. The move by drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart to Chevrolets next season will leave just three Pontiac drivers – #14-Stacy Compton, #36-Ken Schrader and #10-Johnny Benson. Pontiac officials continue to court new teams, with their top candidate the PPI Racing [#32] team owned by Cal Wells, sources said. Gibbs ran Chevrolets when his first entered the Winston Cup series but switched to Pontiacs at the start of the 1997 season. Ironically, Gibbs’ organization has been deeply involved in the development of the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix – last redesigned at the start of the 1996 season. NASCAR recently approved the design of the car for competition beginning next season.(ThatsRacin.com)(7-12-2002)

Labonte to help out kids racing: There's a move afoot to start a North Carolina quarter-midget racing association, with Winston Cup driver Bobby Labonte helping push the effort to get a one-twentieth-mile track built where children 5 to 16 can race. Labonte would like for his 8-year-old son, Tyler, and other boys and girls interested in racing the scaled-down versions of U.S. Auto Club midget cars to have a place in the Carolinas to compete.(ThatsRacin.com)(6-30-2002)

Labonte paint to honor hero: hearing that Bobby Labonte will run a special paint scheme on the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac, not sure when (hearing Dover or New Hampshire) but it is a September 11th tribute scheme (red, white and blue - no green) to benefit the Todd Beamer Foundation (one of the heroes of flight 93 that crashed in PA), see my Paint Scheme Gallery (link fixed) for a image of the scheme.(6-26-2002)

Bobby Labonte Responds To Rumors Of Accident: Rumors of an accident and/or the possible death of 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte are completely and totally false. Earlier Thursday, reports of Labonte being involved in some sort of accident were being spread nationwide. Contrary to these reports, Labonte has spent the entire week close to his family’s side following the untimely death of his father-in-law this past Sunday. In addition, Labonte spent Thursday with his son for an end of the school year party when the rumors started to circulate. Needless to say, it has already been an emotional week for he and his family and this has just compounded an already fragile situation.
“To hear these rumors floating out there today is very unnerving,” said Labonte. “I am very upset and disappointed to see this happen again. It has been a very emotional week for my family with the passing of Donna’s father and to think someone could start a rumor like this is just tasteless. I am not really sure how to respond to be honest except to say this makes me very angry. I would think someone would want to have all the correct information before either reporting it or saying anything to anyone else and contributing to the ‘rumor mill,’ but I guess we don’t live in that type of society anymore. Everyone just wants to be the first to report something no matter if there is truth to it or not.”
When asked if he knew how it might have gotten started, Labonte responded, “No, I have no idea. We went through this same thing last year during the California race weekend and unfortunately we never really figured out how that got started either. It’s just a shame people are not more considerate. When there’s a rumor like that out there, I would think that you would want to call the proper people who would have reliable information and get some type of verification, but that never seems to happen anymore. Now it’s just gets so spread out it becomes a big catastrophe I guess you might say. It’s very sad and disturbing and it has not made the week any easier for my family.”(Joe Gibbs Racing PR), NOTE: no idea what site posted this rumor or why they did.(5-31-2002)

Gibbs Racing and Chevy - more: Despite reports a decision has already been made, Joe Gibbs insists he has not yet decided whether his two-car Winston Cup team will field Pontiacs or Chevrolets in 2003. Joe Gibbs Racing has been instrumental in construction of a new Grand Prix, which was recently submitted to NASCAR for approval. A source indicated that smooth sailing during the approval process could keep the team in Pontiacs next year. But if the car requires major tweaking, Gibbs could decide to go to the proven Monte Carlo, which may undergo minor modifications of its own prior to next season.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read), see my #20 Team News and Links Page for past rumors/news.(5-30-2002)

Labonte races with a heavy heart: As if racing in the season’s longest race yesterday was not enough of a challenge, Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac was going to have to do it with a heavy heart after his father-in-law, Don Slate, passed away earlier in the day Sunday. In typical Labonte fashion though, he tried his hardest to put on a strong face and take care of the task that lay before him. Not only was Labonte able to do that, he overcame numerous obstacles throughout the course of event to finish a very respectable 14th. With as tough as the 2002 season has been so far for Labonte, the finish was actually not too bad considering everything Labonte and the team faced during the evening Sunday. “Tonight was a tough race for all of us,” said Labonte. “With the way our season has gone so far, I was not surprised by anything we encountered out there. In addition to all of that on the track, it was tough for me personally to be here and have Donna (Labonte’s wife) and the rest of our family back home grieving and not be able to be with them right now. That’s what hurts the most. As far as the race was concerned, we were able to come back and have a decent finish,” continued Labonte. “It’s a finish that I am not too happy with, but am very proud of the team overall considering everything we went through today. This finish was a total team effort and that is very important. There are other things that take a higher priority in life and I am going home to attend to those things right now.”(Joe Gibbs Racing PR) Thoughts and condolences out to the the family.(5-27-2002)

Gibbs to Chevy (again)? UPDATE 2 Pontiac testing at AMS: [Joe] Gibbs [Racing] has decided to switch from Pontiacs back to Chevrolets for the 2003 season, according to Chevrolet sources. The move comes after 18 months of intransigence by NASCAR officials for rules relief requested by Pontiac teams. That would put Stewart and teammate Bobby Labonte back in Monte Carlos, which would be a serious blow to General Motors' Pontiac division, perhaps serious enough for the division to leave this branch of the sport and take it's $35 million racing budget somewhere else.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-4-2002)
UPDATE: hearing an announcement could come as soon as Charlotte/Lowes during The Winson/Coca Cola 600 weeks.(5-5-2002)
UPDATE 2 but.... Officials from Joe Gibbs Racing said they'll test the new 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix Winston Cup race car at Atlanta Motor Speedway on May 20. The car will be driven at speed on the track and then taken by NASCAR officials to the Lockheed wind tunnel in Marietta for further tests. Gibbs' team is leading the development of the new Pontiac body, but if the new car doesn't turn out to be as competitive as they hope, the team is preparing to switch to the Chevrolet Monte Carlo before the start of the 2003 season.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(5-5-2002)
UPDATE 3: NASCAR and Pontiac Racing will conduct a developmental test for the 2003 Pontiac Thursday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The test will be closed to both the public and the media.(AMS PR)(5-7-2002)
ANOTHER UPDATE: a story in the Winston Salem Journal pretty much states: "Stewart, despite a few early season bobbles, is still only 251 points behind points leader Sterling Marlin, and he already has two wins. Stewart, who with teammate Bobby Labonte will be switching from Pontiacs to Chevrolets for the 2003 season, will be one of five men going for an R. J. Reynolds $1 million bonus in the 600." Have not seen any official announcement yet, so it is still a rumor at this point.(5-24-2002)

The Rumor that won't die: [#18 and #20] Car owner Joe Gibbs won't be changing any sheet metal before the end of the season, so Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte will remain in Pontiacs. But according to Detroit sources, General Motors [um isn't Chevy GM too?] executives are so worried about losing Stewart and Labonte to Chevrolet next season that they've begun negotiations to sign two new teams to fill that void. One of the teams on the Pontiac list is the Cal Wells-Ricky Craven operation [see story below]. A possible Gibbs-Stewart-Labonte switch to Chevrolets next season is a decided possibility, according to Detroit sources and NASCAR sources. A final decision hasn't been made, but it appears to be looming.(Winston Salem Journal). NOTE: Gibbs is also doing the bulk of the 2003 Pontiac testing, so.....(4-29-2002)

Labonte and Unser: Bobby Labonte and Cody Unser, the 15-year-old daughter of Al Unser Jr., appeared together in California on Thursday to help promote a medical conference related to the disease that has left her paralyzed from the chest down. Labonte helped start The Cody Unser First Step Foundation (www.codysfirststep.org) by donating $60,000 he won for a second-place finish in the 1999 IROC series after he had filled in for her father. Labonte is the foundation's honorary chairman. The two appeared at the Christopher Reeve-Irvine Research Center at the University of California-Irvine, one of the world's top spinal cord research facilities.(Tampa Tribune)(4-27-2002)

Bobby Labonte wins the Virginia 500 at Martinsville: under a white, yellow, checkered flags. It is Labonte's 19th career Cup win and first ever short track win. Ten different drivers have won the last 10 Cup races at Martinsville. See my Martinsville Race Info Page for my race narriative of cautions and info on the race. For results see ThatsRacin.com or NASCAR.com.(4-14-2002)

Labonte Testing a Chevy? UPDATE: hearing that after wrecking his #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac during testing at Texas Motor Speedway, the #18 team broke out the backup car to test and it was a.......Chevy, not a Pontiac.(3-27-2002)
UPDATE: #18-Bobby Labonte tested with a Pontiac and a Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this week, but company President J.D. Gibbs says the team is simply researching what the Monte Carlo offers. He was in both cars on Monday and Tuesday but logged extra hours in the Monte Carlo after crashing his Pontiac. Gibbs remained adamant that the team is not leaving the Pontiac ranks for the security of a make with significantly more competitors. He defined those plans as the development of the 2003 Pontiac, a project ongoing at Gibbs and the Johnny Benson-Ken Schrader shops. Gibbs said his team has studied Dodge and Ford noses as well. But putting a Chevrolet on a Winston Cup track is new ground. "As of right now, we have no plans to run a Chevrolet," Gibbs said. Still, Gibbs said Labonte was comfortable in both cars. "They're pretty close," he said. "We have no plans to switch from Pontiac."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(3-31-2002)

300th for Bobby Labonte: In typical Bobby Labonte fashion, a simple shrug of the shoulders is all you get when he was told this weekend's race at Bristol Motor Speedway would be his 300th career NASCAR Winston Cup start. For Labonte, he feels as though it's not really that big of a deal. To him, it's just another race, except for the fact that it will take place on the high banks of Bristol. "It's cool that I am making it to my 300th start and all," said Labonte. "But when you look at what Terry (Labonte - 715 career starts this weekend) has done, it really doesn't mean that much. I remember my first Cup start at Dover in 1991. We didn't belong there and we bit off more than we could chew and realized that real quick. There were times like that early on in my career I doubted I would even make 50 starts let alone 300. I have been so fortunate to be associated with two great owners in Bill Davis and Joe Gibbs while racing at the Winston Cup level. Without them, I wouldn't be here that's for sure." When asked about racing long enough to equal the number of starts his older brother Terry has, Labonte quickly remarked, "Absolutely not! That would mean I would have to race at least 11 more years and I am not planning on racing that long I don't think. I love racing and who I work for and all that, but I can not imagine doing this for 11 more years."(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(3-20-2002)

#18 Testing at Lakeland: #18-Bobby Labonte will test at Lakeland, FL's USA Speedway today and Wednesday. #20-Tony Stewart was scheduled to test with his team mate but is resting up from the Darlington accident.(FSN's Totally NASCAR)(3-19-2002)

Gibbs back in the NFL: Joe Gibbs, who won three championships as head coach of the Washington Redskins, is returning to the NFL as a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. New Falcons chairman, president and CEO Arthur Blank announced on Friday that Gibbs, John P. Imlay, Jr., and John A. Williams have reached preliminary agreement to become minority owners of the team, buying a 5 percent stake for $27 million. The NFL has to sign off on the deal before it becomes official. During 12 years as head coach of the Redskins, Gibbs went to four Super Bowls, winning three of them. His postseason record --16-5 -- is behind only Vince Lombardi and Weeb Ewbank. Gibbs retired from the Redskins in 1993 and turned his focus to Joe Gibbs Racing, based in Charlotte, N.C. The group includes two NASCAR teams led by Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.(ESPN).
The connection between Blank and Gibbs? Blank is the co-founder and retired co-chairman of Atlanta-based Home Depot - the sponsor of Gibb's #20 Pontiac with driver Tony Stewart.(3-15-2002)

Labonte helps out: Neil Goldberg, the producer of NASCAR races on Fox Sports and FX, received a telephone call during the Feb. 24 Subway 400 at Rockingham, that no parent wants to get. His 12-year-old son, Josh, had been hit by a car in Collinsville, Conn., while crossing a street in a crosswalk. But thanks to 2000 Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte and his family the Connecticut resident arrived home in a timely fashion. It was during the race’s second half when Goldberg was told to call home immediately. “I turned white,” Goldberg says. “I looked at Pam (Miller, pit producer), pointed to her and said, ‘Get up here. You’re producing. I’ll be back.’ Finally, he reached a friend who told him Josh appeared to be OK and he was at the hospital. Goldberg caught his breath and resumed his production duties. Miller, meanwhile, started checking to see if she could find a helicopter for Goldberg. Before the race was over, Labonte confirmed through Miller that he could get Goldberg to Charlotte, that he needed to meet him at his helicopter after the race. Josh, a soccer goalie, was hospitalized overnight but escaped without any broken bones. He sustained only bumps and bruises, and a deep laceration on his face that required stitches. He was back at school a week later.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(3-7-2002)

Labonte's Honored in Texas UPDATE: Terry [#5] and Bobby Labonte [#18] have been elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame located in Waco, TX. Induction ceremonies are scheduled for February 26rh, 2002. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit, educational museum established to celebrate and preserve Texas' sports history. Other Auto Racing greats inducted: A.J. Foyt[1967], Johnny Rutherford [1985], Carroll Shelby [1986], and Jim Hall [1999]. For more info, see their website: www.hallofame.org(12-5-2001)
UPDATE: Natives of Corpus Christi, the Terry and Bobby Labonte joined four ex-NFL greats and one former major-league standout in the 2002 class of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. The induction of the seven newest members was last night at Baylor University's Ferrell Center. Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, NFL Hall of Famers Dick "Night Train" Lane and Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews, a Pro Bowl lineman with Houston and Tennessee, were scheduled for induction. Ex-Detroit Tigers first baseman Norm Cash also was inducted. Cash and Lane entered the hall posthumously. The Labontes are the only brothers to have won NASCAR Winston Cup championships. Terry Labonte, 44, won the title in 1984 and 1996. Bobby Labonte, 37, was the 2000 Winston Cup champ. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Committee is comprised of 21 members of the Texas Sports Writers Association. chaired by longtime sports writer Dave Campbell.(Corpus Christi Caller)(2-27-2002)

Helicopter crashes in Florida, Gibbs not in it UPDATE 2: #18 and #20 Cup team owner, Joe Gibbs, had a speaking engagement in Tampa with a new team sponsor, 3M, this morning and when the helicopter that was to take him there failed to show, Gibbs took a plane. The Helicopter crashed in a wooded area with two deaths confirmed (supposedly the pilots), no one from Joe Gibbs Racing was on the helicopter.(TNT reports during the rain delay coverage - showing the Twin 125's)(2-16-2002)
UPDATE: Earlier reports today of Joe Gibbs and/or members of Joe Gibbs Racing being involved in an early morning helicopter crash were false. As of 1:30 p.m. (EST), Gibbs was on speedway property and awaiting the start of today’s NASCAR Busch Series event.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(2-16-2002)
UPDATE 2: Two people died in a helicopter crash Saturday while on the way to pick up NASCAR team owner and former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. Volusia County Sheriff officials tentatively identified the victims as pilot Michael McNellis of Tampa and Robin Leedom of Las Vegas. Officials were waiting on autopsy results and dental records checks to confirm the identity of the victims. Gibbs, who gave a motivational speech at the meeting, was at the speedway later Saturday for the NASCAR Busch Series event. "It's real scary ... ," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. "We're fortunate, but it really puts things into perspective."(ESPN/AP)(2-17-2002)

2001 News

New Pontiac? UPDATE 4: NASCAR officials have begun studying Pontiac's plans for a new Winston Cup model for the 2003 season(Winston Salem Journal)(6-3-2001)
UPDATE: - Pontiac Gone? Might General Motors consider dropping the Pontiac brand from Winston Cup racing? A new model is expected for the 2003 season, but will GM invest in the redesign of its Grand Prix for NASCAR? Just an ugly rumor that it won't, said Terry Laise, General Motors competition and aerodynamics manager. "But anything is possible."(Sporting News)(6-18-2001)
UPDATE 2: during the Cup at Kansas, NBC mentioned that Joe Gibbs Racing had tested a new 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix in a wind tunnel and expects to present it to NASCAR for approval in mid 2002. Also have heard rumors that Pontiac would switch from a Grand Prix to their Bonneville model but being told that model is being phased out.(10-2-2001)
UPDATE 3 New Pontiac Testing: Currently, Joe Gibbs Racing is working on the new model Pontiac for 2003 based on the Dodge Intrepid.(Sporting News)(10-26-2001)
UPDATE 4: Pontiac officials say work is under way on a 2003 Pontiac with a new body style for use in NASCAR’s Winston Cup series beginning next season. “We are working on the car and it’s too early to talk about the details of that,” said Bob Kraut, brand manager for Pontiac Grand Prix. “We will have a car at this time next year to run Daytona if everything goes OK with NASCAR officials.” The existing body style of the Pontiac Grand Prix is seven years old – the oldest body style currently in use in NASCAR. Joe Gibbs Racing, which fields the Pontiacs of Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart, is involved in the testing and development of the new car.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-16-2002)

Another Muppet: hearing that #18-Bobby Labonte has been added to the Chicagoland Muppet paint scheme promotion along with previous rumored, #88-Jarrett, #10-Benson(Flozzy) and #41-Spencer(2-12-2002)

Gibbs #18 Assoc Sponsor: Joe Gibbs Racing and Pillowtex Corporation announced that leading home fashions brand Cannon will be an associate sponsor for the 2002 season of the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Winston Cup car driven by Bobby Labonte. The Daytona 500 on February 17 will be Cannon’s first appearance on the racetrack. Pillowtex Corporation, with corporate offices in Kannapolis, N.C., is one of America’s leading producers of household textiles including towels, sheets, rugs, pillows, mattress pads, feather beds, comforters, and decorative bedroom and bath accessories. The Cannon brand features affordable, high-quality bath and bedding products for the today’s home. The Company’s other brands include Fieldcrest, Royal Velvet, Charisma and private labels.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(2-1-2002)

Gibbs agreement with aerodynamics company UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has signed a multi-year agreement with Automotive Aerodynamics, Inc. (AAI) and their principal engineer, Louis Duncan to provide aerodynamic engineering services for all race teams of JGR beginning January 1, 2002. For Joe Gibbs Racing, this alliance represents an on going effort to have the most competitive teams week in and week out on the racetrack.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(12-21-2001)
UPDATE: An aerodynamic engineering firm that had been part of a cooperative effort among Winston Cup teams owned by Richard Childress, Andy Petree and Dale Earnhardt Inc. has now been hired to provide its services to teams at Joe Gibbs Racing.Automotive Aerodynamics Inc. and its principal engineer, Louis Duncan, signed a multiyear deal to provide aerodynamic engineering services for the Winston Cup, Grand National and Truck series teams at Joe Gibbs Racing. Childress, Petree and DEI will continue their RAD program but did not renew their contract with Duncan and his business.(That's Racin')(12-22-2001)

Labonte's Honored in Texas: Terry [#5] and Bobby Labonte [#18] have been elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame located in Waco, TX. Induction ceremonies are scheduled for February 26rh, 2002. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit, educational museum established to celebrate and preserve Texas' sports history. Other Auto Racing greats inducted: A.J. Foyt[1967], Johnny Rutherford [1985], Carroll Shelby [1986], and Jim Hall [1999]. For more info, see their website: www.hallofame.org(12-5-2001)

New Scheme for the #18 in 2002? hearing the new 2002 paint scheme for the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac will be unveiled in front of Interstate Batteries Headquarters in Dallas, TX on Monday Dec. 3rd 8:30am. See my Paint Scheme Gallery for the image(12-1-2001)

Bobby Labonte wins as Nadeau runs out of gas: #18-Bobby Labonte won the NAPA 500 at Atlanta when #25-Jerry Nadeau ran out of fuel in turn four, Nadeau wiggled the car trying to get some fuel to pick up but could not, Labonte sped by for his 2nd win of the 2001 season. Labonte started from the farthest back (39th) then any Winston Cup race winner has since 1953. Labonte has now won four races after starting with a provisional (only 4 drivers have done that six times). #24-Jeff Gordon was 6th and clinced the Championship, all he needed was a 32nd or better today. See That's Racin' for NAPA 500 Results(11-18-2001)

Labonte Park UPDATE 3 Opened, 3000 attend: City (Corpus Christi, TX) officials have raised about $10,000 of the $60,000 needed to renovate the Nueces River Park and rename it in honor of NASCAR racing brothers Bobby and Terry Labonte. City spokesman Ted Nelson said Monday that donations were better than expected and that the park should be ready to open Sept. 26. The Caller-Times also announced plans to publish a special section on the day of the park's dedication. Steve Arnold, the paper's marketing director, said the section will include historical photos and that it's "not just your NASCAR driver's guide." Proceeds from the section will go toward the park fund, he said. The community response to the fund-raising has been strong, said Tom Niskala, chief executive officer for the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce(The Caller)(7-4-2001)
UPDATE: "The Corpus Christi Caller-Times is saluting our hometown heroes with a special section published on September 26, 2001, the day that Corpus Christi honors the Labontes with the dedication of Labonte Park. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this special section will go to the Labonte Park Fund for future additions and improvements. This is not your typical NASCAR section. The Corpus Christi Caller-Times has put together rare photos of Bobby and Terry growing up in Corpus Christi, their first race cars and an exclusive interview with the brothers talking about growing up in Corpus Christi and what the new Labonte Park means to them." See the full story at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times(9-4-2001)
UPDATE 2: the Labonte brothers will be honored as Nueces River Park is renamed Labonte Park at a 1:00pm ceremony in Corpus Christi, TX. Despite having the park dedication midday in the middle of the week, organizers and city officials are expecting close to 1,000 people to attend, see full stories at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times: From C.C. speedway to NASCAR and Many visit to honor Labontes(9-26-2001)
UPDATE 3: About 3,000 NASCAR fans filled Terry and Bobby Labonte Park for a dedication ceremony honoring the brothers and renaming the park from the Nueces River Park to the Terry and Bobby Labonte Park. A long line snaked from under a tent for more than two hours as the brothers autographed memorabilia brought in by their fans. After the Labonte brothers spent more than two hours signing and shaking hands and hearing stories from people they met when they were children, they hustled to a dedication ceremony. The two brothers approached the microphone, but they could barely finish a sentence without being interrupted by applause.(Corpus Christi Caller-Times)(9-28-2001)

Ripken Scheme? UPDATE 4: hearing #18-Bobby Labonte's car will have a special Cal Ripken Jr farewell paint job at Dover in September. Ripken Jr plays for the Baltimore Orioles and is retiring at the end of the 2001 baseball season(8-17-2001)
UPDATE: hearing that since Cal Ripken's last home game will be the evening of the race, at Camden Yards vs. the Yankees. To honor his achievements, MBNA will be renaming the race from the MBNA 400 to the Cal Ripken 400 (or something similar) and that Ripken will be present at the race as the Grand Marshal(8-20-2001)
UPDATE 2: also hearing that #18-Mike McLaughlin will drive the Cal Ripken car in the MNBA 200 BGN race and that a formal announcment will come in the next 7-10 days(8-23-2001)
UPDATE 3: NASCAR and Major League Baseball are expected to finalize an unprecedented agreement within the next 10 days that would celebrate Cal Ripken Jr.’s retirement in a most unique way. For starters, the MBNA 400 Winston Cup race scheduled for Sept. 23 at Dover Downs International Speedway in Dover, Del., will be renamed the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400. In addition, the Orioles third baseman will act as the grand marshal for the 1 p.m. race before flying back to Baltimore to play in the final home game of his career at Camden Yards that night. “We have been waiting for a couple of days for a sewn-up package,” said Carmine Tiso, a media relations specialist handling business matters for Major League Baseball. “Hopefully in the next week or 10 days it will be (finalized). There are a lot of parties involved including us, the Orioles, MBNA.” Tiso described the deal as “all but done.” Another source close to the deal said a joint announcement about the specifics could come as early as Thursday at Camden Yards. NASCAR has some other tributes planned for Ripken, as well. The Interstate Batteries/MBNA #18 car driven by defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be repainted for the Dover race to include a Cal Ripken logo. The Ripken logo will also be on Mike McLaughlin’s car during the MBNA 200 Busch Series race that Saturday at Dover Downs, Tiso confirmed. The tentative plan, according to the source close to the deal, is for Ripken to arrive in Dover — about 100 miles from Camden Yards — on Sunday around 9 a.m., sit in on the morning drivers’ meeting and conduct a short news conference with the motorsports media. Ripken will be part of the drivers’ introductions and will be driven in a convertible around the track before the race begins. Ripken will then wave the green flag to start the race before getting in a helicopter and flying back to Baltimore. The winner of the Winston Cup race will be invited to fly to Baltimore as Ripken’s guest for that night’s game.(York Daily Record)(8-24-2001)
UPDATE 4 - maybe? One major obstacle lies in the path of Dover Downs’ quest to rename the Sept. 23 MBNA 400 after one of major league baseball’s all-time greatest players. According to track publicist John Dunlap, if the New York Yankees agree to allow the Baltimore Orioles to push back the start of their game at Camden Yards from its currently scheduled 1:35 p.m. start to “somewhere between 5 and 7,” Cal Ripken Jr. will serve as grand marshal of the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 at Dover Downs International Speedway. Dunlap also said a press conference is “supposedly” scheduled for Thursday at Camden Yards regarding this announcement, but didn’t name a time.(NASCAR.com)(8-30-2001)
UPDATE 5: Thanks to the efforts of MBNA, fans on hand for the NASCAR Winston Cup race on September 23rd at Dover Downs International Speedway will have the added bonus of seeing one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game live and in person. A day that is already very special to Cal Ripken, Jr., has become equally special for NASCAR racing. Before Cal Ripken plays his last game at Camden Yards on September 23rd, he has some other business to attend to - like being the Grand Marshal of a Winston Cup race that is now officially being called the MBNA Cal Ripken, Jr. 400. Ripken also will wave the green flag, meet with Winston Cup drivers and take a ride around the Monster Mile just prior to the start of the race bearing his name. As far as anyone associated with motorsports can remember, Ripken thus becomes the first major league baseball player to have a Winston Cup race named in his honor. And while there are plenty of honors coming his way as he prepares to retire, as far as Ripken is concerned, the trip to Dover Downs is special.(Dover Downs PR)(9-6-2001)
IMAGE: got an image of what #18-Bobby Labonte's car will look like at Dover, it's a tiny image, but gives you an idea, lots of Oriole orange(9-8-2001)

Brothers and the Southern 500: Ward Burton's first victory in the event, coupled with Jeff Burton's win in 1999, marks the second time that brothers won the race. Terry Labonte won in 1980 and Bobby Labonte in 2000.(St Petersburg Times), and of note, only one father-son duo have won the race, Buck Baker (1953-60-64) and Buddy Baker, 1970.(9-3-2001)

McDonalds and Gibbs...No: McDonald's, which recently severed ties with the No. 96 team, only wants to associate itself with a high-profile team and driver. There has been a report that McDonald's approached Joe Gibbs Racing about possibly coming on board, but that Gibbs feels an obligation to his current sponsors(CNN/SI)(9-2-2001)

Labonte Tests Darlington: #18-Bobby Labonte completed a two-day test at Darlington Raceway on Tuesday in preparation for the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend. Labonte noted that he and his team were trying different chassis setups to get a leg up on the Darlington track, considered one of NASCAR Winston Cup racing's most difficult to master. Labonte was joined at Darlington by BGN drivers Lyndon Amick and Dan Pardus.(The State)(8-15-2001)

Nice Gesture by the Champ: As a token of its appreciation for Bobby Labonte's achievements last season, Pontiac presented Labonte with a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix to donate to the charity of his choice. Labonte selected the Victory Junction Gang Camp as the recipient of the gift and presented the car to its founder, Kyle Petty, this weekend in Indianapolis. The Victory Junction Gang Camp was founded by the Pettys for kids in honor of their son, Adam. It will be a place where children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and their families can retreat to rejuvenate their minds, bodies and spirits. The camp will be located in Randleman, NC.(That's Racin')(8-5-2001)

IROC - Labonte wins race and championship: The 25th running of the True Value IROC series has been completed with reigning Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte earning his first IROC title by finishing in today's event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton led the first 19 laps until a caution for debris bunched the field. At the double-file restart Burton and Labonte went side-by-side down the back stretch where Tony Stewart made it three wide into turn three. At that point Burton and Buddy Lazier got together taking both out of the action. On the final restart, Labonte and Stewart put on a teammate clinic as the two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers went side by side through the corners until lap 44 when Stewart scraped the outside of turn 4 and was not able to challenge after that. Labonte's margin of victory was .324 of a second. Stewart finished second holding off Kenny Brack, Dale Jarrett and Al Unser Jr. In sixth was Ricky Rudd followed by Eddie Cheever Jr., Jeff Green, Mark Dismore, Jeff Burton and Buddy Lazier.(IROC Racing Site)(8-4-2001)

More Paint Schemes: hearing that #18-Bobby Labonte and #20-Tony Stewart will have Talladega Special paint schemes, something to do with the Coca-Cola polar bears(5-13-2001)
UPDATE - Labonte/Stewart Announcement: #18-Bobby Labonte, #20-Tony Stewart and representatives from Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries and The Home Depot will hold a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to announce plans for a 2001 holiday promotion with Toys for Tots on Friday, August 3 at 10:30am/ct at Indianapolis Motor Speedway(Gibbs Racing PR)(7-29-2001)
UPDATE 2: The Coca-Cola Polar Bears, one of America's best-known holiday icons, will come out of hibernation early for a special appearance on Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart's race cars during the Alabama 500 NASCAR race in Talladega on October 21. Both special paint schemes feature the famous polar bear decked out in racing gear, ready for action. On Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries car, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear dons shades and grips the wheel of his race car. For the Home Depot car of Stewart, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear becomes a part of the #20 pit crew, complete with radio headset and tire changer's air gun. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of licensed merchandise featuring the Coca-Cola Polar Bears will be donated to Toys For Tots, a non-profit organization that distributes toys to needy children during the holiday season. In addition, Home Depot is working with Marine Corps Toys for Tots' units around the Talladega, Phoenix, Rockingham, Homestead and Atlanta race weekends to provide toy donation collection centers at Home Depot's NASCAR display unit set up at the race tracks. Joe Gibbs Racing's shop in Huntersville, N.C. also will accept toy donations for Toys for Tots. Although the Polar Bear cars won't actually hit the track until the Alabama 500 on October 21, racing fans and collectors will be able to participate in the holiday-themed promotion this summer. Action Performance, the industry leader in motorsports-related product licensing and merchandising, has created exclusive Coca-Cola Polar Bear die-cast collectibles, racing apparel, and other unique merchandise that will be available the beginning of August(Joe Gibbs Racing/Coca Cola/Action PR)(8-3-2001)
IMAGES: see my Paint Scheme Gallery for images of the cars(8-4-2001)

Labonte Donates: Bobby Labonte honorary chairman of the Cody Unser First Step Foundation, has sent some valuable racing memorabilia to be auctioned Aug. 6 at the 5-star Hyatt Tamaya Resort and Spa in the high desert north of Albuquerque. Labonte sent an original uniform and a helmet, each autographed, from his championship season in the Winston Cup series to the Fiesta auction. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the First Step Foundation's programs to generate public awareness, medical cooperation and research for Transverse Myelitis, also know as TM. Cody Unser, 14 and going into her freshman year of high school in Albuquerque, became paralyzed from the chest down in February 1999 when the rare condition TM attacked and disabled part of her spinal cord leaving her in a wheel chair. Since forming her foundation in the fall of 1999 with money donated by Labonte, Cody has become a nationally recognized figure in TM and other issues relating to paralysis with her Cody Unser First Step Foundation. Labonte, who filled in for Cody's father Al Unser Jr., in the 1999 International Race of Champions series, sent his $60,000 IROC winnings to help Cody. Labonte has been the foundation's honorary chairman since it began. The Cody Unser Celebrity Golf Fiesta is Monday, Aug. 6, and Tuesday, Aug. 7, at the new championship caliber Twin Warriors Golf Course at the recently completed Hyatt Tamaya, located on the Santa Ana Pueblo reservation between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. For more Golf Fiesta information, see CodysFirstStep.org(Camp and Assoc PR)(7-29-2001)

Gibbs Sponsor: SDRC announced it has renewed and expanded the company's marketing alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing with a five-year contract effective immediately. The Gibbs' engineering team uses I-DEAS(R) on Hewlett-Packard Company's workstation platform for design, analysis, and manufacturing requirements on the team's high-performance racecars(Business Wire)(7-11-2001)

Labonte Park Update: City (Corpus Christi, TX) officials have raised about $10,000 of the $60,000 needed to renovate the Nueces River Park and rename it in honor of NASCAR racing brothers Bobby and Terry Labonte. City spokesman Ted Nelson said Monday that donations were better than expected and that the park should be ready to open Sept. 26. The Caller-Times also announced plans to publish a special section on the day of the park's dedication. Steve Arnold, the paper's marketing director, said the section will include historical photos and that it's "not just your NASCAR driver's guide." Proceeds from the section will go toward the park fund, he said. The community response to the fund-raising has been strong, said Tom Niskala, chief executive officer for the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce(The Caller)(7-4-2001)

#18 and #20 Brakes at Sears Point: #18-Bobby Labonte and race winner #20-Tony Stewart's Pontiac's were equipped with AP brakes for the first time this season. AP Racing has been in the racing business making brakes and clutches for over 50 years. Over the last 30 years, Formula one driver and constructors championships have been won on AP brakes. Over the past two months there have been several teams in both Winston Cup and Busch Grand National testing the new brake system. Jimmie Johnson and Hank Parker Jr, two of the fastest cars during testing at Watkins Glen recently had AP Brakes on them. Supposedly the Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiacs are the first Cup cars to run the brakes in a race. Coy Gibbs in the #20 truck in the tested the brakes and has had them on the truck since Martinsville. In the Watkins Glen BGN race, I hear the have the following cars will use the AP system: #43-Jay Sauter, #92-Jimmie Johnson, #56(52?)-Hank Parker Jr, #01-Andy Santerre, and #25-David Donohue(6-25-2001)

Labonte Honor Postponed UPDATE 2: Corpus Christi City Council members gave the green flag on Tuesday to renaming Nueces River Park after NASCAR drivers Terry and Bobby Labonte. The unanimous vote to change the name to Terry and Bobby Labonte Park was great news for NASCAR fans like David Gibson, a state construction inspector. In a time when news about athletes often is negative, such as drug abuse or domestic violence, it is great to recognize role models like the Labontes, said Gibson, 56.(Caller-Times 2/28) AND A ceremony to rename Nueces River Park in Corpus Christi, TX after NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte and Bobby Labonte has been delayed until June, officials said. The Labonte Brothers Special Recognition Committee initially wanted to rename the park to coincide with the April 1 NASCAR Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth(Caller-Times 3/18)(3-27-2001)
UPDATE a little old but: A campaign to improve a city park honoring NASCAR champions and Corpus Christi natives Bobby and Terry Labonte began Thursday at City Hall. The centerpiece of the project includes a concrete sign - 8 feet high and 16 feet wide - at the park entrance. John Dykema of Bright and Dykemas Architects Inc. said the sign will be prominent on Interstate 37. The project will also include highway signs promoting the park, which was Nueces River Park until the City Council voted earlier this year to rename it Terry and Bobby Labonte Park. The park is in the north section of Corpus Christi off of I-37. The project is entirely privately funded. Debbie Lindsey-Opel, president of the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, said organizers need to raise $60,000 to pay for all parts of the project. Donors will be recognized for contributions Dedication of the park is scheduled for June 20th(Corpus Christi Caller)(5-29-2001)
UPDATE 2: A dedication of a park named for Corpus Christi natives Bobby and Terry Labonte has been postponed to allow more time to raise the money for the improvements that will accompany the ceremony. The dedication was scheduled for today. But organizers behind the project reset the dedication ceremony to Sept. 26 to allow more time to raise the $60,000 for the project, city spokesman Ted Nelson said. The project will include highway signs promoting the park, which was Nueces River Park until the City Council voted earlier this year to rename it Terry and Bobby Labonte Park. The park is in northwest Corpus Christi off of Interstate 37. People interested in contributing may send checks to the Chamber of Commerce Recognition Fund, Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 640, Corpus Christi 78403(Corpus Christi Caller)(6-21-2001)

Gibbs Honored: Joe Gibbs has been named this year's recipient of the Bill France Award . The award is presented annually by Pocono Raceway to the individual or group that it believes has been instrumental to auto racing(Winston Cup Scene)(6-7-2001)

Labonte and the Flu: #18-Bobby Labonte battled the flu for three days earlier this week and spent much of the day Friday resting before qualifying. He'll need all of his strength and plenty of water to make it Sunday night(Sporting News)(5-27-2001)

Didn't Hear This but - the false Labonte rumor UPDATE the response: NASCAR.com is reporting - All rumors that NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte was injured Friday in a crash -- be it plane or on the track -- are completely untrue. An ABC affiliate out of Nashville, TN(WKRN-2), incorrectly reported Friday morning that Labonte was injured in a plane crash Friday morning en route to California Speedway AND False rumo Winston Cup Series practice started at 1:30pm/et, well after the story broke. False rumors also swirled throughout the East Coast that Labonte was hurt in a crash during practice. Oddly enough, Cup practice started at 1:30pm/et, well after the story broke. (NASCAR.com), see it's not always the Internet sites(4-27-2001)
UPDATE: Rumors of an accident involving 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, Bobby Labonte, are completely false. Earlier today, reports of Labonte being involved in some sort of accident were being spread nationwide and being talked about in the garage area of the California Speedway where the NASCAR Winston Cup Series will be running the NAPA Auto Parts 500 this Sunday. In addition, the initial reports of these rumors, which were reported to the team through the track and other sources, were erroneously attributed to WKRN-Nashville. Unfortunately, before all of the facts could be verified and sifted through, WKRN was falsely attributed to something they had nothing to do with. “This is really bad, and strange, that’s for sure,” said Labonte. “It’s hard to believe a lot of stuff you read or might see on TV. It’s bad because of my family being back home, even though I just talked to them about 30 minutes before that. When there’s a rumor like that out there, and now it’s just so spread out it just becomes a big catastrophe and probably like a death threat, I guess you might say. So it’s pretty bad. When you listen to something next time you’ll wonder, is that true or not? I’m not sure. It makes you think you’ve really got to be on top of the game, everybody needs to be, to make sure they’ve got the right information before they say anything. When asked if he knew how it got started, Labonte responded, “No, I have no idea. We didn’t even have any close calls this morning (in practice) or last night getting here, so I have no idea.”(Joe Gibbs Racing PR/Site)(4-28-2001)

Labonte Honor Postponed UPDATE: Corpus Christi City Council members gave the green flag on Tuesday to renaming Nueces River Park after NASCAR drivers Terry and Bobby Labonte. The unanimous vote to change the name to Terry and Bobby Labonte Park was great news for NASCAR fans like David Gibson, a state construction inspector. In a time when news about athletes often is negative, such as drug abuse or domestic violence, it is great to recognize role models like the Labontes, said Gibson, 56.(Caller-Times 2/28) AND A ceremony to rename Nueces River Park in Corpus Christi, TX after NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte and Bobby Labonte has been delayed until June, officials said. The Labonte Brothers Special Recognition Committee initially wanted to rename the park to coincide with the April 1 NASCAR Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth(Caller-Times 3/18)(3-27-2001)

New Belts for Labonte UPDATEs: #18-Bobby Labonte will use a different seat belt system in today’s Food City 500. Labonte will use a system designed and manufactured by the European company Willans(www.racecar.co.uk/willans) — making him the first driver in recent memory to use a restraint device not manufactured by Bill Simpson and Simpson Racing(Kingsport Times News)(3-25-2001)
UPDATE: also been told that Terry Labonte, Michael Waltrip and Steve Park also use Willans belts, not Simpson AND Bobby Labonte used belts from a different manufacturer Sunday. Labonte, who had been using Simpson products, had belts from Willans in his car. The company is in England and provides seat belts for some Formula One teams. Crew chief Jimmy Makar said that Terry Labonte has been using the belts for about two years and the team began to look into those belts. Makar says that teammate Tony Stewart used seat belts from that manufacturer when Stewart drove in the Indy Racing League. Makar said Stewart's car would be outfitted with those belts soon(Roanoke Times)(3-26-2001)

#18 and #20 Special Paint? hearing the the two Joe Gibbs cars, #18-Labonte and #20-Stewart will run a speical paint scheme at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, a tie in with a movie being released this summer, possibly Jurassic Park III(3-8-2001)
UPDATE: Jurassic Park III it is, see the diecast images on my Paint Scheme Gallery(3-16-2001)

Reggie Speaks: Carolina Panther and future NFL Hall-Of-Famer Reggie White addressed the entire Joe Gibbs Racing Organization on Wednesday February 7th. White spoke on the subject of "What it takes to be a Champion." Following the speech, White and Gibbs shared many former stories with the group about their battles when White was with the Philadelphia Eagles and Gibbs with the Redskins.(TOTAL Sports Marketing)(2-15-2001)

Labonte Wins: Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte was given the ESPY for Driver of the Year at the annual ESPN awards show last night(Times Dispatch)(2-13-2001)

Labonte in Texas: Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte will spend part of Monday in Dallas at Interstate Batteries, visiting with employees of his primary sponsor of his #18 Pontiac(Dallas Morning News)(1-20-2001)

ESPY's: Driver of the Year ESPY nominees: CART Champ - Gil de Ferran; NHRA Funny Car Champ - John Force; Winston Cup Champ - Bobby Labonte; IRL Champ - Buddy Lazier(ESPN)(1-12-2001)

Labonte Receives Award: NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte completed his run through the 2000 major auto racing awards Sunday by accepting the National Motorsports Press Association Richard Petty Driver of the Year award. Voted on by writers, broadcasters and photographers who cover NASCAR racing, the award is named for the Winston Cup series' all-time victory leader and seven-time champion. As Labonte pointed out at the award ceremony, both he and his wife, Donna, now have received awards in which Petty played a significant role. Petty was a judge in 1984 when Donna was named Miss Thomasville (N.C.) High School.(Greenville Times)(1-8-2001)

Wix Renews: WIX Filters, a leading manufacturer and distributor of filtration products, today announced that it has renewed its associate sponsorship of the Joe Gibbs Racing teams. The multi-year agreement provides for WIX Filters to remain the Official Filter of NASCAR's top team and to be identified on the Joe Gibbs Racing team cars and the uniforms of 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion driver Bobby Labonte(Racin.net)(1-7-2001)

2000 News

Labonte Honored: Bobby Labonte, who drove the Joe Gibbs owned, #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac to his first NASCAR Winston Cup driving title, and earned the car owner championship for Gibbs, was voted the Al Holbert Memorial Eastern Motorsport Press Association Driver of the Year Award. Ted Christopher, the winningest asphalt Modified stock car driver in the Northeast for the second straight year, was voted the EMPA's Northeast Driver of the Year. When the annual Eastern Motorsport Press Association Convention is presented, January 5-7, 2000, at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Trevose, PA (north of Philadelphia) Labonte and Christopher will receive their awards. More than 150 media who regularly cover motorsports are expected to be in attendance. In addition four new names will be added to the prestigious Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame. 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with six time NASCAR National Modified champion Jerry Cook (now a NASCAR executive), the late Larry Nuber the pioneering motorsports television personality, and 1960 NASCAR National Sportsman champion and 1961 co-champion Bill Wimble who also notched five championships at Fonda, NY Speedway. The EMPA membership also selected Kyle Petty & The Petty Family to receive their T.Wayne Robertson Memorial Newsmaker Award for their outstanding charitable activities. The Eastern Motorsport Press Association is a non-profit organization made up of more than 250 media that regularly cover motorsports as print journalists, photographers and broadcasters. The EMPA continues to strive to improve the media coverage given the sport and the conditions under which the media work as they cover the sport(Eastern Motorsport Press Association PR)(12-20-2000)

Driver of the Year: Bobby Labonte, who parlayed consistency and four victories into the Winston Cup Championship, added another honor today as he was selected DRIVER OF THE YEAR for all American motorsports. Labonte, 36, driver of the Joe Gibbs/Interstate Batteries Pontiac on the NASCAR/Winston Cup tour, gathered seven votes from a panel of 16 motorsports media to win the most prestigious award in motorsports. A brief field of who's who in American motorsports was strung out behind the Corpus Christi, Texas native. The World of Outlaws Steve Kinser and NHRA Funny Car drag racer John Force each received three first-place nods, while CART's Juan Montoya had two and that sanctioning body champion, Gil de Ferran, had one. Labonte also carried the fan vote, which was featured for the first time on ESPN.com. Running a very close second was NHRA's Funny Car Champion John Force. While Labonte didn't win a quarterly vote-those went to Mark Martin, Juan Montoya, Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart-his consistency paid off with the DRIVER OF THE YEAR HONOR. Labonte follows 1999 Winston Cup Champion Dale Jarrett as DRIVER OF THE YEAR. Labonte will be feted at a luncheon at New York's swank Le Cirque on December 9th, then will be formally honored at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductions at Talladega in April.(DOTY PR)(12-3-2000)

Labonte TV/Appearance UPDATEs: Due to the NAPA 500 being postponed until Monday, Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte's appearance on the David Letterman show has been backed up. When a new appearance date is decided, it will be posted. In addition, plans are still being finalized for Labonte to appear on Jay Leno the week of November 27th(Camp and Assoc)(11-22-2000)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte will be on ESPN's "Up Close" that is scheduled to air Thursday(11-30) evening at 5:30pm/et just before Sports Center. Labonte is taping a segment for the "X Show" on FX network which is scheduled to air on December 11th and is scheduled to appear on David Letterman Dec. 12th. No word on Jay Leno, but heard that fell through. Also a 'traditional' Cup Champ appearance in New York next week for Labonte: Times Square in New York City - Bobby Labonte and Jimmy Makar is scheduled to be with the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac to receive the Mayor's Proclamation on Thursday, December 7th at 11:00am/et(11-29-2000)
UPDATE 2: watch the ESPN "Up Close" interview via the Internet at ESPN - NASCAR section(12-2-2000)
UPDATE 3: added "Live with Regis" to Labonte's NYC appearance - Tuesday, Dec 5th(check local listings for times)(12-3-2000)
UPDATE 4 - List from NOL: Labonte hits the Big Apple - Labonte's Schedule
UPDATE 5 - The X Show: NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte will make a special appearance on The X Show on Monday, Dec. 11 at 11pm/et on FX. and see the FoxSports link to Labonte's Winston Cup Word with Jim Rome from the Nov 28th interview(12-6-2000)

No Short Tracks: Bobby Labonte became the second driver to win a Winston Cup title without recording a short-track victory. Dale Earnhardt did it in 1993(Palm Beach Post)(11-13-2000)

Did ya know? When Bobby Labonte won the 2000 Winston Cup Championship, he and his brother Terry, who won it in 1984 and 1996, have become the first brothers to do so in Winston Cup history. There have been two father-son pairs; Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett AND Bobby Labonte is the first former BGN champ(since the series began in 1982, not counting the old Sportsman division) to win the Winston Cup championship(11-12-2000)

Chef Boyardee re-ups with Gibbs: Chef Boyardee, nationally renowned pasta products recently acquired by ConAgra Foods, Inc. has renewed its associate sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR Winston Cup program through the end of the 2001 season. The success of the program with consumers and retailers, which includes using team drivers Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte in television commercials, led to the renewal of sponsorship. Team owner Joe Gibbs said finding the right company for your team is the key to a good sponsorship program(DF Partners PR)(10-30-2000)

Joe Gibbs Racing Changes? UPDATE no: PitNow(link no longer good) reported that if Bobby Labonte wins the Winston Cup Championship, team owner Joe Gibbs may move his crew chief, Jimmy Makar to a Team Manager role, move Tony's Stewart's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli over to Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries team and hire a new crew chief for Stewart's #20 Home Depot team, one name mentioned in the article is the #55 APR crew chief Jimmy Elledge(PitNow)(9-15-2000)
UPDATE: As Labonte's lead has grown, the talk about Jimmy Makar's desire to move up to team manager or general manager of the Gibbs team have become a constant hum. "I've got a great relationship with Bobby and I still really enjoy what I'm doing, or else I'd be thinking about changing a little bit right now," said Makar. "I still see quite a few years ahead of me being Bobby's crew chief," Makar said. Down the road, in perhaps in the next five years, Makar will consider making a change.(AP/Tennessean)(10-28-2000)

Labonte needs 15th and...: If #18-Bobby Labonte finishes 15th in each of the remaining three races and leads a lap in one, or finishes two races 15th and one 14th, he will clinch the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Drivers Championship, regardless of any other driver's performance. How to figure this? #3-Dale Earnhardt is 2nd in drivers points with 4444 points. If he wins the final three races and leads the most laps, he would get 185 points a race(total 555) for a season ending total of 4999. Bobby Labonte has 4645 drivers points, so he would need to score 354 points to get 5000, an average of 118, a 15th place finish is worth 118 points. Labonte would tie Earnhardt in points in this scenario, but Earnhardt would win as he would have five wins to Labonte's four. So Labonte's 'Magic Number' is a 15th place finish and leading at least one race to get the five bonus points(Earnhardt presently has two wins, Labonte has four), or to make it simple, if Labonte finishes 14th or better, none of the above matters(10-22-2000)

Joe Gibbs Racing Changes? PitNow is reporting that if Bobby Labonte wins the Winston Cup Championship, team owner Joe Gibbs may move his crew chief, Jimmy Makar to a Team Manager role, move Tony's Stewart's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli over to Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries team and hire a new crew chief for Stewart's #20 Home Depot team, one name mentioned in the article is the #55 APR crew chief Jimmy Elledge(PitNow). Also still no word on if Home Depot will re-sign with Gibbs for the #20 Tony Stewart team, one rumor has Home Depot leaving and MBNA stepping up from a major associate sponsor to a primary sponsor on the #20 Pontiac(9-15-2000)

Labonte and a Ford Part: Bobby Labonte will have a part prepared by a Ford team installed on his Pontiac before the race at New Hampshire in two weeks. Labonte, who wrecked his primary car in practice on Friday when the throttle stuck, plans to use an electronic device developed by Roush Racing. Using sensors on the brakes and in the intake manifold, the device automatically shuts off the engine when it is running wide open and the driver is pushing the brake pedal extremely hard. Jeff Burton plans to run one too, as soon as it is ready(AJC)(9-4-2000)

Gibbs Feature - USA Weekend: in many Sunday newspapers, the Aug 13th edition of USA Weekend Magazine, will have a feature about #18 and #20 Cup owner Joe Gibbs on the cover and an interview(8-9-2000)
UPDATE: see the story at The Joe Gibbs Way by Dennis McCafferty(8-13-2000)

#18 Sponsor: missed when this was released but.....Joe Gibbs Racing and Bobby Labonte will be with Interstate Batteries through 2003(with an option year for 2004) as a for a four-year contract was signed recently. The #18 Joe Gibbs team and Interstate Batteries has been together since the team began in 1992(Interstate Batteries Site)(7-15-2000)

#18 and the Golden Gate Bridge: Bobby Labonte's #18 Pontiac has a drawing of the Golden Gate Bridge on the back panel below the rear window(the decklid?) this weekend. It'll change into bricks for the Brickyard 400(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(6-24-2000)

#18 Yankees Car? UPDATE 3: The Beckett Racing Guide has a #18 NY Yankees/Interstate Batteries scheme listed, supposedly to be run in the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, see the image on the Paint Schemes Gallery(5-11-2000)
UPDATE: The Yankees scheme for Bobby Labonte for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona has fallen through but supposedly a different baseball themed special paint job may be in the works(5-17-2000)
UPDATE 2: Bobby Labonte will drive a specially painted baseball-themed #18 Pontiac in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona. The red, white and blue car will carry the logo of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, which will be played July 11th in Atlanta(That's Racin')(5-27-2000)
UPDATE 3 an Image: see an image in the Jayski's Paint Scheme Gallery(5-29-2000)

Pit Crew Competition: Prior to Thursday night’s Speed Street pit-crew competition, the two Joe Gibbs Racing teams, representing Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, decided to give any proceeds from the affair to victims of last week’s pedestrian-bridge disaster at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Stewart’s team finished second, earning $3,000, and sponsor Home Depot quickly agreed to match that amount(Gaston Gazette) Ricky Rudd's #28 crew won the competition(5-28-2000)

Richert to Gibbs: Joe Gibbs, owner of the Porter-Cable BGN Team announced the hiring of veteran crew chief Doug Richert. Richert, 39, will oversee the #4 Porter-Cable Racing Team, with driver Jeff Purvis. Richert, a San Jose, CA native, brings a long list of racing success to the Joe Gibbs Racing organization. At the age of 19, he served as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt and led the 7-time Winston Cup Champion to his first title. The list of drivers Richert has worked with reads like a Who's Who of NASCAR; Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Alan Kulwicki, Benny Parsons, Jimmy Spencer, and Buddy Baker. More recently, Richert served as crew chief for PPI Motorsports and driver Scott Pruett. Richert went right to work on Monday, the team spent the day testing at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. The Porter-Cable Team will spend the next couple of days in the shop preparing for the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway(TOTAL Sports Marketing PR)(5-23-2000)

Labonte and Lowes History: In 1999, #18-Bobby Labonte made Lowe’s Motor Speedway history by completing a pole "triple crown" at the 1.5-mile superspeedway. It began in May when Labonte claimed the pole for The Winston, NASCAR Winston Cup’s all-star race. Five days later, during pole qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600, Labonte proved his success in The Winston qualifying was no fluke by once again finishing on top, turning in a lap of 185.230 mph, and setting an event record in the process. Winning back-to-back poles for The Winston and Coca-Cola 600 was impressive in itself. Only two drivers had accomplished that feat in the 15-year history of The Winston – Bill Elliott in 1987 and Jeff Gordon in 1996. But Labonte went one better and accomplished what no driver had ever done at Lowe’s Motor Speedway winning the pole for the UAW-GM Quality 500 in October earning a place in the Lowe’s Motor Speedway history books. The Texas native has become the only driver to earn the pole for all three NASCAR events at the superspeedway in one year(Lowes Motor Speedway PR)(5-17-2000)

Labonte helps out: Last Wednesday night's ARCA test at Lowe's Motor Speedway Bobby Labonte helped out his nephew Justin, Terry's son, test their ARCA car for the May 20th race. Justin hopes to make his super speedway debut at Lowes. After Bobby did an eight-lap shakedown run, Justin Labonte ran 15 laps at speed, posting a best lap of 174.193mph, which easily put him in the top-10 of the more than 40 teams participating. ARCA veteran Bob Strait posted the quickest lap of the evening at 180.310mph(Lowes Motor Speedway PR)(5-17-2000)

Gibbs to Ford? UPDATE no: Pontiac driver Tony Stewart may be in a Ford or Chevrolet by the time the Winston Cup tour hits California in three weeks, crew chief Greg Zipadelli said yesterday, unless NASCAR gives Joe Gibbs' two teams some aerodynamic relief(PitNow)(3-27-2000)
UPDATE: TNN's Raceday reports that the team has purchased a few Ford bodies in case NASCAR goes to common templates based on Ford as is rumored, but has NO intention of running Fords this year(4-2-2000)

Dyno Testing: NASCAR officials tested the cars of #18-Bobby Labonte, #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #99-Jeff Burton on the chassis dyno following the DirecTV 500(Times-Dispatch)(4-3-2000)

Cup Stat UPDATE: #18-Bobby Labonte leads all Cup drivers having finished in the top 10 in the past 14 races and is also the only driver to have finished on the lead lap in each of the past 14 races(That's Racin')(3-18-2000)
UPDATE: this streak ended at Darlington when Labonte finished a lap down(3-19-2000)

Gibbs Mom Ill: Bobby Labonte 's car owner, Joe Gibbs, did not attend Sunday's race. He was with his ailing mother in Florida. No other information was available(Roanoke Times)(2-28-2000)

Engine Changes: the #94-Bill Elliott and #55-Kenny Wallace teams changed engines early Sunday morning. Elliott's team found metal pieces in theirs(TNN Preview Show) winner #18-Bobby Labonte also changed an engine Sunday morning(2-27-2000)

Cowboys and NASCAR UPDATE 2: The NFL Dallas Cowboys are negotiating to have two cars bearing their colors and logo race in next April's Direct TV 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway, owner Jerry Jones said Thursday. The two Winston Cup cars - one predominantly silver and the other predominantly blue - would compete in the April 2 race. The Cowboys also want a car with their colors to compete in the Texas 300, a Busch Series race, on April 1. Jones would not divulge the names of the drivers the Cowboys have targeted, but spokesmen for Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace's primary sponsor say they have had preliminary discussions with the Cowboys. For example, the Cowboys wouldn't use Earnhardt because he has an endorsement deal with Coke. Jones has ties with Pepsi(Dallas Morning News) NOTE: that should rule out Labonte also as he has an endorsement deal with Coke also(10-1-1999) -- UPDATE: readers tell me that the latest issue of Beckett has this on pg 84: "And in the spring, at least one driver from the Winston Cup, Busch and NHRA circuits will drive in the blue-and-silver scheme of the Dallas Cowboys, one of the most popular NFL teams among collectors. The paint jobs will be used at races in Texas, with some big time names such as Bobby Labonte and nine-time NHRA champion John Force involved"(Beckett Magazine)(1-9-2000) -- UPDATE 2: NFL Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' plan of having two Cup cars with the Cowboys' colors and logos driven in April's Direct TV 500 is on hold while NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue reviews the situation. Tagliabue wants the league to make sure the cross-sport association is well thought out. Jones said he thinks any reservations by Tagliabue will be eased before the race. If the idea is approved, the two Winston Cup cars - one predominantly silver and the other predominantly blue - would compete in the race April 2. The Cowboys also want a car with their colors to compete in the Texas 300, a BGN race, on April 1. The schmes would only be used once. The Cowboys are negotiating with Action Performance, Co., which has licensing agreements with more than 300 drivers, owners and sponsors. Action Performance specializes in selling, distributing and licensing goods such as caps, T-shirts and car replicas. Negotiations are serious enough that the Cowboys already have mock drawings of the cars and their paint schemes(Condensed from the Dallas Morning News)(2-22-2000)

#18 News? UPDATE 2: hearing that former NASCAR Tim Sullivan has been hired to serve as PR rep for Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac team(1-28-2000) -- UPDATE: sources tell me that Camp & Associates, Inc. have hired Tim Sullivan to handle the public relations for Bobby Labonte and the #18 Interstate Batteries Racing Team. The former public relations representative for the #18 car, Jimmy White, is still with Camp & Associates, Inc. and has been promoted(1-29-2000) -- UPDATE 2: Tim Sullivan, former manager of communications for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, will be joining Camp & Associates, Inc., it was announced. Sullivan will serve as manager of communications/media relations for Camp and will maintain direct supervision of the Interstate Batteries Racing/Bobby Labonte/ Joe Gibbs Racing accounts. In addition, Camp also announced the hiring of Meredith Busby, formerly a member of the public relations staff of Talladega Superspeedway. A graduate of Jacksonville State University, Busby will be directly involved in account work for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind(RaceWire)(2-2-2000)

Cowboys and NASCAR UPDATE: The NFL Dallas Cowboys are negotiating to have two cars bearing their colors and logo race in next April's Direct TV 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway, owner Jerry Jones said Thursday. The two Winston Cup cars - one predominantly silver and the other predominantly blue - would compete in the April 2 race. The Cowboys also want a car with their colors to compete in the Texas 300, a Busch Series race, on April 1. Jones would not divulge the names of the drivers the Cowboys have targeted, but spokesmen for Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace's primary sponsor say they have had preliminary discussions with the Cowboys. For example, the Cowboys wouldn't use Earnhardt because he has an endorsement deal with Coke. Jones has ties with Pepsi(Dallas Morning News) NOTE: that should rule out Labonte also as he has an endorsement deal with Coke also(10-1-1999) -- UPDATE: readers tell me that the latest issue of Beckett has this on pg 84: "And in the spring, at least one driver from the Winston Cup, Busch and NHRA circuits will drive in the blue-and-silver scheme of the Dallas Cowboys, one of the most popular NFL teams among collectors. The paint jobs will be used at races in Texas, with some big time names such as Bobby Labonte and nine-time NHRA champion John Force involved"(Beckett Magazine)(1-9-2000)

AND...Announcement UPDATE: Details of a one-of-a-kind partnership involving NASCAR Winston Cup Series stars Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin will be announced at a press conference on Friday, December 17 at 2pm/et.....plus the newest NASCAR Winston Cup Series primary team sponsor will be introduced, the car will be unveiled and you'll find out what team the sponsor is backing and who will drive the car(#27 team?)(12-16-1999) -- UPDATE: Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Bobby Labonte will participate throughout the upcoming racing season as part of a Men's Health Tune-Up for LifeT program that is created to help educate men and their partners about common medical conditions. As part of the Men's Health Tune-Up for Life program, Pfizer will conduct on location health screenings for men prior to most Winston Cup races. The Men's Health Tune-Up for Life Trailer, a specially equipped mobile unit, will be at every racing event using questionaire or simple medical tests to screen for common medical conditions such as high cholesterol, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), depression, hypertension and erectile dysfunction. Educational materials on common health conditions will also be available. The Men's Health Tune-Up for Life Trailer has the capacity to screen more than 35,000 men during the upcoming racing season(Keystone Marketing)(12-17-1999)

Labonte blows engine in practice: #18-Bobby Labonte blew an engine in Happy Hour practice but the team says it was not his race engine(The State)(11-21-1999)

Stewart/Labonte UPDATE the Make Up: been getting many questions/comments on this - during the Homestead race, when Tony Stewart re-entered the track and bumped his teammate Bobby Labonte: Labonte howled into his headset, "Tell that little [expletive] that he'd BETTER go to work for Ray Evernham before I get to him." Heat of battle, and all that. The reference was to rumors that Stewart is being courted by Evernham's planned Dodge team in 2001. (Team representatives say, however, that Stewart's contract with owner Joe Gibbs runs through 2001 and that the two are working on an extension through 2004.)(Racer Magazine) and also noted on the CNN/SI(11-16-1999) -- UPDATE: Tony Stewart has had more on his mind in the past couple of days than just his third NASCAR Winston Cup win. First up was how that victory, in Sunday's race at Homestead. Stewart bumped Bobby Labonte, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, out of the way for the lead with 18 laps remaining. That could've easily led to some tension on the team, and Labonte was clearly upset following the race. Stewart called his teammate on Monday to talk things over. He wanted Labonte to know that Stewart had made a mistake and that it wasn't anything intentional. The Gibbs team met Tuesday to clear the air. Labonte just signed a five-year deal with Gibbs. Stewart is signed through 2001, but Gibbs knows that, with Dodge coming into the sport that year, there will be plenty of pulls on his record-setting rookie. So he is trying to extend the contract through 2004 right now. Or maybe even longer(News and Observer) AND Tony Stewart says he soothed teammate Bobby Labonte's feelings in a talk that they had after their bumping incident Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the first time this season that Labonte, second in the season standings, and Stewart, fourth in the standings, had had an on-track incident. Car owner Joe Gibbs spent about 30 minutes after the race talking to Labonte and his crew chief about the race and the incident. Gibbs also planned to talk to Stewart. Labonte and Stewart later talked(The Depot/News and Record)(11-17-1999)

Gibbs Quits Funny Car: The entire Joe Gibbs(who owns the NASCAR teams of Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart)-owned Interstate Batteries Funny Car crew has been notified that the team will cease to exist at the end of the 1999 season. Crew chief Wes Cerny told all crew personal and driver Tommy Johnson Jr. that the team will be dissolved at the conclusion of the NHRA Finals in Pomona. Insiders also speculated that the sudden move may be related to the funding of the Interstate Batteries-sponsored NASCAR entry but Interstate personnel on hand offered no comment. The MBNA Dragster team will continue into next season as planned with Cerny moving over to crew chief the operation. Cerny will be bringing his mechanics from the Funny Car half of the Gibbs' operation and will retain only Mike Neff from the current Top Fuel team(NHRA Site)(10-27-1999)

Pit Crews UPDATE 2 Winner and TV: haven't heard much about it but the Pit Crew Competition(the unsung heroes of the sport) is supposed to be held at North Carolina Speedway this Saturday after 2nd round qualifying is over, approximately 11am/et. TNN usually shows it a few weeks later(10-19-1999) -- UPDATE: The 1999 Union 76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Competition, which began in 1967, takes place Saturday, October 23 at 11:00am/et. This event is the only pit crew competition sanctioned by NASCAR. Entries are open to any NASCAR Winston Cup team. In 1998, the #31 Lowe's Chevrolet driven by Mike Skinner took home the championship trophy and the title of being 'the best in the world' with a timed pit stop of 20.322 seconds. Team manager David Smith coordinates the practice of the team pit stops and oversees the key team members that compete for this coveted honor(NCS Site) TNN will tape the NASCAR Winston Cup Pit Crew Competition this Saturday in Rockingham. The show will telecast at the following times: Sunday, Nov. 28 (5:00-6:00pm et/pt) and Sunday, Dec. 5 (5:00-6:00pm, et/pt)(10-20-1999) -- UPDATE 2: The #18 Joe Gibbs Team won the 33rd annual Union 76 Rockingham World Championship Pit Crew Competition Saturday. They broke the #24's record of 19.363 with a 19.166. The winning crew members, in addition to Makar (who no longer goes over the wall), were: Jeff Chandler, front changer; Todd Meredith, front carrier; Barry Cook, rear changer; Scott Hewitt, rear carrier; Jason Lee, jackman; Peter Jellen, gas man; and Derek Jones, catch can. See full story at the Racer Magazine site(10-23-1999)

Labonte Signs Longterm: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac, yesterday said he's just signed a five-year contract to drive for car owner Joe Gibbs. Labonte said that crew chief Jimmy Makar and Mark Cronquist, the chief engine man, also signed five-year contracts with Gibbs(PitNow)(10-8-1999)

Labonte and the Marines? hearing Bobby Labonte has a USMC insignia post somewhere on the car but haven't seen it and also hear the #18 will have special paint job at Homestead, no more info on that(10-7-1999)

Gibbs Assoc: Joe Gibbs Racing announced that it would bring International Home Foods on board as an official sponsor for the cars of Bobby Labonte(#18) and Tony Stewart(#20) for the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup season. IHF, manufacturer of such products as Chef Boyardee, Crunch n' Munch and Gulden's mustard, will feature its logo on the cars, as well as provide at-track hospitality on race weekends(Racer Magazine)(10-3-1999)

Cowboys and NASCAR: The NFL Dallas Cowboys are negotiating to have two cars bearing their colors and logo race in next April's Direct TV 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway, owner Jerry Jones said Thursday. The two Winston Cup cars - one predominantly silver and the other predominantly blue - would compete in the April 2 race. The Cowboys also want a car with their colors to compete in the Texas 300, a Busch Series race, on April 1. Jones would not divulge the names of the drivers the Cowboys have targeted, but spokesmen for Bobby Labonte and Rusty Wallace's primary sponsor say they have had preliminary discussions with the Cowboys. For example, the Cowboys wouldn't use Earnhardt because he has an endorsement deal with Coke. Jones has ties with Pepsi(Dallas Morning News) NOTE: that should rule out Labonte also as he has an endorsement deal with Coke also(10-1-1999)

Pontiacs: Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, finished 1 and 2, giving Pontiac its first 1-2 sweep since Rusty Wallace finished first and Kyle Petty second at North Wilkesboro in April 1993(SpeedNet)(9-13-1999)

Labonte Moves Up...a little: NASCAR officials reviewed Saturday night’s Goody’s 500 at Bristol and agreed that Bobby Labonte had been slighted two laps in the final standings. Labonte and owner Joe Gibbs had complained the team’s laps were miscalculated after Labonte suffered transmission problems on Lap 490, but managed to stay out on the race track. Originally, his run was officially ended on Lap 491 but now he is listed as completing 493. Labonte improved one position to 26th and picked up $10 in winnings and three points in the championship race(Times-Dispatch)(8-31-1999)

First DNF for #18? #18-Bobby Labonte is listed on the Goody's 500 results as having an DNF(Did Not Finish) with transmission problems, this would be his first DNF of the season, leaving just #98-Rick Mast as the only driver/team who does not have a DNF and has made all 23 races. But from the Times-Dispatch: NASCAR was reviewing Bobby Labonte’s final position in the Goody’s 500. After the race, official scorers turned over Labonte’s card to be reviewed. Labonte lost his transmission on Lap 490 but did not pit. As he stayed on the track apron, his car blowing smoke and his view obscured, the race’s final caution came out. Labonte was black-flagged, but he did not enter the pits immediately. He was listed as finishing 27th, with 491 laps completed. His team was arguing whether the driver should have been penalized that number of laps(8-30-1999)

Nike in Cup? UPDATE 2: From That's Racin' - Nike, the giant athletic shoe and apparel company has a news conference scheduled for 9:15am Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the site for Saturday's Brickyard 400. The release about the news conferences promises the announcement of "an innovative performance based concept" involving "three 'top 5' Winston Cup teams and more(8-3-1999) -- UPDATE: I hear the drivers involved will be Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, and Bobby Labonte -- UPDATE 2: From NOL - Nike will launch a line of shoes for race fans at the 2000 Daytona 500. In the meantime, Cup drivers Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte and BGN driver Adam Petty, as well as their crews, will wear a hi-tech, $200-plus version(8-5-1999)

Pocono Double: Bobby Labonte is the 4th driver to win both Pocono events in the same season, last time it was done was 1986 when Tim Richmond did it. Bill Elliott in 1985 and Allison in 1982(7-25-1999)

Pontiac: Bobby Labonte's win in the Pocono 500 was Pontiacs first since Kyle Petty in 1993(6-20-1999)

Noticed: The MBNA logo is featured on the hood of the #18 Interstate Batteriess Pontiac this week at Dover. MBNA is the title sponsor and is based in Delaware(6-5-1999)

Gibbs/BGN?? UPDATE 3: On RPM2Nite, John Kernan interviewed Sprint Car star Jason Leffler. It was mentioned that Leffler has an offer from Joe Gibbs, it wasn't really announced but more implied that it would be a BGN ride(5-20-1999) -- UPDATE 1: I hear that WRTV Channel 13 in Indy reported that Jason Leffler will be named to drive a Busch Series car owned by Joe Gibbs(5-21-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Jason Lefler, a promising young open-wheel racing star, is under consideration by car owner Joe Gibbs to run the Busch tour next season, according to sources close to the situation(PitNow)(5-24-1999) -- UPDATE 3: Current USAC sprint car driver Jason Leffler will be given his chance to prove his stock car abilities by car owner Joe Gibbs. Gibbs has told Speedway Scene that Leffler will be put behind the wheel of the #18 MBNA BGN Pontiac this season to replace Bobby Labonte, who announced last month that he would not be entering any more BGN events in 1999. If Leffler finds the stock cars to his liking, Gibbs plan is to have the youngster in the car for the full schedule in 2000 and take it from there(Phil Furr/Speedway Scene)(5-26-1999)

200th: Bobby Labonte will make 200th consecutive Cup start at the Coca-Cola 600(NOL)(5-26-1999)

Gibbs/BGN?? UPDATE 2: On RPM2Nite, John Kernan interviewed Sprint Car star Jason Leffler. It was mentioned that Leffler has an offer from Joe Gibbs, it wasn't really announced but more implied that it would be a BGN ride(5-20-1999) -- UPDATE 1: I hear that WRTV Channel 13 in Indy reported that Jason Leffler will be named to drive a Busch Series car owned by Joe Gibbs(5-21-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Jason Lefler, a promising young open-wheel racing star, is under consideration by car owner Joe Gibbs to run the Busch tour next season, according to sources close to the situation(PitNow)(5-24-1999)

Gibbs 3rd Team: Joe Gibbs is considering a third Winston Cup team next season, according to sources close to the situation, with MBNA as sponsor. The bankcard company has been sponsoring Gibbs' Busch team(PitNow), Jayski Note: rumors were flying on a few message bords a few weeks ago about Terry Labonte going to a third Gibbs team, but Labonte is signed with Hendrick and Kelloggs thru 2000(5-17-1999)

Labonte/BGN: Bobby Labonte will not drive in any more BGN races during the 1999 and has withdrawn as the driver of the #18 MBNA Pontiac. It is still undecided whether they Joe Gibbs will find a replacement driver for races later this year, and the JGR MBNA Pontiac was withdrawn from the California BGN entry list(bobbylabontefans.com) From what I hear is that Labonte does not wish to risk injury while running for the Cup championship.(4-30-1999)

Milestones: Mark Martin is expected to make his 400th career Cup start and Bobby Labonte is expected to make his 200th career Cup start at California(RaceWire lot of good info here)(4-28-1999)

CORRECTION: a few weeks ago, a reader asked me why Matt Kenseth didn't replace Bobby Labonte at Darlington during the Red Flag instead of wasting time during a Yellow Flag. I responded with the same answer as Benny Parsons had said on RPM2Nite the following Monday. That during a red flag stop, all work stops during a red flag and that includes replacing a driver. But last night on RPM2Nite(4/5), Benny said that he was approached by a NASCAR official at the Evergreen Speedway while out there for the CTS race and was told, a team could switch drivers, but would have to go to the back of the field(4-6-1999)

Three Left: Only three drivers have finished all 1,002 Winston Cup laps held at Texas Motor Speedway. The drivers are also the top three finishers in Sunday's race: Terry Labonte, Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte(Dallas Morning News Notes)(3-29-1999)

Leader: Bobby Labonte is the only driver to lead a lap in every Cup race in 1999(CBS Race)(3-28-1999)

Labonte/Kenseth UPDATE: It appears likely that Matt Kenseth will once again relive Bobby Labonte at or before the first caution in the upcoming race at Texas. Labonte continues to recover but it is unlikely that he will be able to drive the entire race. The Winston Cup teams have a week off after Texas and Labonte expects to be ready to return to full driving duties after that(Speedwords)(3-24-1999) -- UPDATE: Bobby Labonte, who broke the tip of his right shoulder blade in a crash Friday at Darlington, says he will decide later this week whether he needs relief driving help again this weekend at Texas(ESPN) and a little scary stuff I had not heard before: "Last Friday morning at Darlington Speedway, Bob Labonte took a frantic ambulance ride with his son, Bobby, who had just broken his shoulder blade in a crash. "Bobby suffers from asthma and was having trouble breathing," his father said yesterday during a visit to Nashville Speedway. "At one point his blood pressure dropped drastically. I was scared to death."(The Tennessean/Thanks Tina and Gordonline for the heads up)(3-25-1999) -- UPDATE: see Panthers help heal Winston Cup driver for more info on Labontes condition(3-26-1999)

More Kennseth: Kenseth will run Sunday if Bobby Labonte can start the car, Jack Roush said. Roush has a five-race Winston Cup deal with Kenseth for this season, and a sixth start would take Kenseth out of a 2000 bid for rookie of the year(PitNow)(3-20-1999)

Bobby Labonte Injured UPDATE: Bobby Labonte's #18 BGN MBNA Pontiac hit the wall during practice at Darlington Raceway Friday. Labonte was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but no information on his condition was available. UPDATE: Labonte hit a patch of oil on the track and hit the back stretch wall. Labonte was taken to the infield care center and diagnosed with a broken left shoulder blade. He was transported to a local hospital in Florence, SC, for further treatment. Labonte was unable to return in time for Friday's first Winston Cup practice session. BGN driver Matt Kenseth drove Labonte's car in the practice session, but no announcement has been made regarding a possible replacement for Sunday's race. The extent of Labonte's injury and how long he may be out of his car remain unknown(That's Racin'), NOL has a story too, calls it a lower right tip scapula fracture, see article: Labonte injured in morning practice. His BGN entry has been withdrawn and Kenseth will qualify the Cup #18 today during Bud Pole Qualifying. Some positive news from an AP story: Labonte injury was at the tip of the scapula and he was initially in pain but later joked with nurses at the hospital(WRAL/AP)(3-19-1999)

Texas Testing UPDATE: Bill Elliott and Bobby Labonte tested at Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday, no speeds(WC Today Radio)(3-9-1999) -- Labonte was testing the #18 MBNA BGN Pontiac and Elliott was testing his #94 McDonald's Ford(NASCAR Online) and for more info see the Texas Motor Speedway Site and go to the news and info section(3-11-1999)

Vegas Testing: Bobby Labonte(#18), Tony Stewart(#20), Sterling Marlin(#40), Joe Nemechek(#40) and Kenny Wallace(#55) tested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last week. Nemechek posted the fastest unofficial lap speed of 166.02 mph in his BellSouth Chevrolet while Stewart was second fastest at 165.73 mph in The Home Depot Pontiac. The top qualifying speed for last year's inaugural Las Vegas 400 was 168.224 mph, set by pole sitter Dale Jarrett(Concord Monitor)(1-19-1999)

Gumout to Gibbs: Pennzoil-Quaker State Company -- maker of Gumout® brand automotive chemicals -- announced today that Gumout has struck a significant associate sponsorship agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing. In a move that will broaden Gumout's reach to a variety of motorsports audiences, the brand will adorn all of Gibbs' NASCAR and NHRA race cars beginning in 1999(Pennzoil PR)(1-18-1999)

Gibbs to the NFL? Former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who also owns two Cup teams and NHRA teams, has joined Phoenix businessman Sam Grossman's bid for the Washington Redskins and their stadium, agreeing to take an ownership stake and supervisory position if Grossman is successful in acquiring the club. Grossman, a shopping center developer, reportedly will allow Gibbs to continue operating his NASCAR racing team and his motivational speaking, his two major pursuits since resigning as Redskins coach in 1993. The Washington Post said Grossman would want Gibbs to be in charge of football operations, setting long-term strategy for the club, having a voice in coaching and player personnel decisions as well as operation of the franchise's Jack Kent Cooke Stadium(The Washington Post), also a story at RaceWire(12-10-98)

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Jayski's® is a registered trademark of Jayski LLC
Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form without permission or credit.