Labonte Prepares for Dover - One of the World’s Fastest Rollercoaster Rides
LEVEL CROSS, NC (May 30, 2006) - This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the one-mile Dover (Del.) International Speedway for Sunday’s Neighborhood Excellence 400.
Labonte will be making his 28th start on the concrete-banked oval this weekend. Labonte won this race from the pole in 1999. He has led over 140 laps in his career at Dover. Labonte has collected 13 top-10 and 11 top-five finishes at the track.
Questions for Labonte as he prepares for this weekend’s Neighborhood Excellence 400:
How do you race Dover?
“You really have to be aggressive to make things happen at the track. At the same time, you have to be conscious that the track can bite you at any time. The banking, the concrete surface, and other factors make Dover a pretty unique track for us to race on. It’s a fun place to race, but it’s pretty demanding at the same time.
“You have to understand that the track works like a big drain. Anything and everything is going to come down at Dover because of the banking. You just don’t want to be the one being swept down the drain. That usually means something bad has happened.”
What makes Dover different?
“Dover is probably one of the more unique tracks that we race on. There really isn’t a track that you can compare it to. It has its own characteristics. That’s what makes Dover fun. It’s a fun place to drive.
“The sensation is different at Dover. It’s like a rollercoaster ride. You’re climbing up and then you are diving down. You can really feel it going down in Turn One. It’s a pretty big dive and it’s not something you experience at any other track.”
How do you win at Dover?
“You have to have a good handling car. I think working with Todd (crew chief Todd Parrott), talking with him, understanding the car, that we can have a good run on Sunday. You need a lot of grip climbing out of the turns. I think we can get a handle on it and have a good run.
“It’s a long day and it’s a long race. That’s fun, but it’s still a pretty demanding race. If you ride a rollercoaster once it’s pretty fun. If you ride it for four hours without a break, it can get pretty rough on you. That’s what we face at Dover. It’s a challenge, but this Cheerios team is ready to take it on.” |
