Labonte Finishes Coke 600 in 17th Place

Go-GURT Dodge
Coca-Cola 600
May 28, 2006; Concord, North Carolina
1.5-mile, Lowe’s Motor Speedway

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Kasey Kahne, Dodge
2. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
3. Carl Edwards, Ford
4. Mark Martin, Ford
5. Matt Kenseth, Ford
17. Bobby Labonte, #43 Go-GURT Dodge
25. Kyle Petty #45 MyCokeRewards Dodge

OVERVIEW:

Petty Enterprises completed two straight successful weekends of racing at the 1.5-mile Lowe’s Motor Speedway, located in Concord, N.C., Sunday night. Kyle Petty and the #45 MyCokeRewards Dodge and the #43 Go-Gurt Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte both collected top-25 finishes during the Coca-Cola 600. The longest race of the season, and one of the most prestigious, Labonte and Petty were able to avoid many of the challenges the 600-mile race can create. Kasey Kahne won the Coca-Cola 600 after passing both Carl Edwards and Lowe’s Motor Speedway ace Jimmie Johnson over the last 50 laps.

Kahne led the event seven times throughout the evening for a total of 158 of 400 laps. Kahne took the lead from Edwards and led the final 30 laps. It is Kahne’s fourth career victory. The Coca-Cola 600 at the newly-paved Lowe’s Motor Speedway was a test of tires and fuel strategy. The race was run with a harder compound tire to try to decrease speeds. NASCAR also mandated teams to use smaller fuel cells to help eliminate any more problems. The result was a race that made pit strategy more important than ever. Teams were on-and-off pit road all night. Teams switched from four-tire to two-tire pit stops. Many teams even elected to pit for fuel only during the race. The pit strategy was complicated even more by the night’s 15 cautions for various wrecks and debris. At the end it was Kahne who was at the right place. He was able to get off pit road and have a fast enough car to pass Johnson and Edwards for the win.

Labonte and the #43 Go-GURT Dodge team started the night in the fifth position. Labonte tested the leaders early by climbing as high as third in the opening laps. Labonte proved that the Go-GURT Dodge was strong, but the 600-miler is a long race. The transition from day to night made Labonte tight on longer runs. Crew Chief Todd Parrott and Labonte were in constant communication as the night progressed. Parrott made adjustments to the car and Labonte was one of only 17 cars to finish on the lead lap. Labonte raced the final 300 laps inside the top-20 and mostly near the top-10. Labonte finished 17th.

“We just got tight on some of the longer runs,” said Labonte. “We had a good car here this weekend. Todd (Parrott) and the guys made a lot of changes to keep us with the leaders. We fell back once, but bounced right back into it. We’re working on it and getting better.”

Petty and the #45 MyCokeRewards Dodge team made a climb forward all night on Sunday. Petty started the race in the 39th position, but a fast car had Petty 16th by lap 140. The team, led by crew chief Paul Andrews, continued to make adjustments as the race transitioned from day to night. Petty made a pit stop, but an untimely caution flag forced the team a lap down. The team tried to race to the “lucky dog” and back on the lead lap. Petty was in position, but the team didn’t catch the break they needed. The caution never came out and Petty had to pit again under green conditions. Petty still had a fast car and finished the highest on his lap. Petty finished 25th.

“We had a few good weeks here,” said Petty. “We did a lot with this MyCokeRewards Dodge. We weren’t bad tonight, but we got caught on pit road. We were close to getting our lap back, but had to pit because of the smaller fuel cell. This MyCokeRewards Dodge, overall, had two good weeks here at Charlotte.”

The Nextel Cup Series now heads to the one-mile Dover (Del.) International Raceway for Sunday’s Dover 400.