Michigan Pre-Race Notes and Quotes

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2004 - The following are Michgan pre-race notes and quotes for Bobby Labonte, driver of the No. 18 Wellbutrin XL Chevrolet (NEXTEL CUP) and No. 19 Banquet Chevrolet (Busch Series) for Joe Gibbs Racing.


GFS MARKETPLACE 400 PRE-RACE NOTES:

Labonte will attempt to start his 25^th NEXTEL Cup race at historic Michigan International Speedway. He won both races at the legendary track in 1995 and won the 1999 fall race.

In 24 starts at Michigan, Labonte has nine top-five finishes and has won the Bud Pole, four times, including capturing both poles in 2003.

Labonte has 15 top-10 finishes at MIS in 24 starts (63 percent). Between the 1993 fall race and the 2000 fall race, Labonte finished in the top 10 in 13 of 15 races, including nine consecutive races from the fall race in 1996 through the fall race of 2000.

In 2003, Labonte won both Bud Poles at Michigan and finished second in the spring race, finishing just .774 of a second behind winner Kurt Busch. Labonte finished a disappointing 37^th in the fall race, falling out after 140 laps with engine problems.

In the June race at MIS, Labonte started 12^th and finished eighth.

Labonte has five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 2004.

After finishing 11^th at Watkins Glen, Labonte fell one spot in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings, moving from eighth to ninth. He has 2,714 points and is 429 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, three points behind eight-place Kevin Harvick and 58 points ahead of 10^th-place Jeremy Mayfield.

Labonte has had success at the four tracks remaining on the schedule before the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup begins Sept. 19 at New Hampshire. 

Michigan three wins, nine top-five finishes and four Bud Poles

Bristol two top-five and four top-10 finishes in the last six races at the track.

California four top-five finishes including second in 2003 and fifth in 2004.

Richmond average finish of 3.6 in last three races at RIR

 
The primary car for the GFS Marketplace 400 is chassis No. 62, the car Labonte drove in All-Star events at Charlotte in 2003 (third-place finish) and 2004 (13^th-place finish). The car was also used at the first Pocono event in 2003 when Labonte finished 16^th. It has served as a back-up car in six events in 2004.

The back-up car will be No. 87, the car Labonte drove to second place with March 21 at Darlington and the car he won the Bud Pole with April 2 at Texas. He finished fifth with the car May 2 at California, eighth June 20 at Michigan International Speedway, 13^th May 30 at Charlotte, 15^th Aug. 8 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and 18^th July 11 at Chicagoland Speedway. Labonte also used the car at the fall race at Atlanta in 2003, where he started second and finished fifth.