Bobby Labonte deserves another chance
Ten years ago, Bobby Labonte firmly established himself as a frontrunner when he won five races and finished second in the final Cup standings. A year later, he won four races while pulling away from Dale Earnhardt en route to his first and only career championship. It appeared as if more great things were on the horizon for Labonte in 2001 and beyond.
Bobby Labonte scored eleven wins in a three-year span from 1998 to 2000, more than all drivers with the exception of Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton. For various reasons, Labonte began a steady decline in performance following his championship season. In 2005, Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing opted to part ways. Labonte took a giant leap of faith and jumped on the fledgling Petty Enterprises ship. While he was more competitive in than any driver in the storied No. 43 since Bobby Hamilton and then John Andretti in the late 1990’s (not 2000’s), he rarely was a factor.
Following the 2008 season, Gillett Evernahm Motorsports absorbed Petty Enterprises, hence the name Richard Petty Motorsports, leaving no room at the inn for the 2000 champion. Labonte teamed up with Hall of Fame Racing and formed a union with Yates Racing with Ask.com as the sponsor for the majority of the races. The union appeared promising after a fifth place finish at Las Vegas back in March. His best finish since was twelfth in the rain-shortened Coca Cola 600.
In August, HOF revealed that Labonte would relinquish the No. 96 ride for seven races to make room for Roush Fenway Racing developmental driver Erik Darnell. The reason was primarily sponsor-related. However, Labonte immediately found another ride with TRG Motorsports, and turned in his best performance of the season in the underfunded No. 71 Chevrolet at Atlanta on Labor Day weekend. He finished in the eighteenth position, but he consistently ran in the top twelve and fifteen for the majority of the race, something he was unable to do in the Roush-Yates powered Ford.
He turned a 30th place car into a top 15 performance at Atlanta, which proved that he is still a heck of a wheelman and deserves another opportunity with a solid team. Unfortunately, his future is up in the air as of now.
At the age of 45, he is no long-term solution for any team, unless he turns into another Mark Martin. With that said, I believe that he has enjoyed a solid career, and should have the opportunity to end his career on top and on his terms. There are few qualify rides available.
Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing’s No. 1 is the most appealing because of the way the No. 42 has performed, as well as the fact that Bass Pro Shops is the primary sponsor for at least half of the season. Richard Childress Racing, which helped resurrect Jeff Burton’s career, would be a pleasant upgrade from Hall of Fame Racing. Despite a recent run of solid showings, Casey Mears appears to be on his way out at RCR, so the seat may open, but Jack Daniel’s will not return as sponsor, and sponsorship has not been found for the No. 07.
Other than the No. 1 and No. 07, Labonte has extremely limited options, which is a shame. A past champion with a few good years left in him should not have a difficult time attracting a sponsor, but the current economic conditions say otherwise.
Do not allow his cool and collective demeanor fool you, Labonte was and still is a fiery competitor. I once saw and in-car clip of him at Charlotte slamming his hand on the steering wheel in fury as Jeff Gordon sailed by him for the lead late in the race. Labonte still has the desire to race, not just ride for a paycheck. Hopefully, he will land an opportunity in solid equipment.
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Bobby Labonte deserves another chance
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