Labonte charges to 12th-place finish at Chicagoland

FINAL RESULTS:
1. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
2. Jeff Burton, Chevrolet
3. Kyle Busch, Chevrolet
4. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
12. Bobby Labonte, #43 Chex Most Popular Driver Dodge
28. Kyle Petty, #45 Wells Fargo Dodge

OVERVIEW:

The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series made their yearly stop to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway. The USG Sheetrock 400 was the feature event on Sunday. A packed grandstand and warm temperatures had everyone excited. Things became even more exciting in the closing laps of the race. A relatively calm race, action unfolded in the final 15 laps. Matt Kenseth used pit strategy to grab the lead in the middle stages of the race. Kenseth was then able to pull away to a commanding lead. It looked like Kenseth had things under control. The only driver that was able to reel Kenseth in was Jeff Gordon. Gordon did just that, and with a little tap, sent Kenseth spinning out of a win. Gordon was able to hold on to his car and take the lead. He went to his second win in the last three races. Kenseth again wrecked on the last lap and finished 22nd.

Labonte and the #43 Chex Most Popular Driver Dodge team got back on track Sunday. The team had run into terrible luck at the end of the last two races, but Sunday’s finish proved how good the team has been running. Labonte started Sunday’s race sixth and moved into fifth at the start. Crew Chief Todd Parrott then used pit strategy to move Labonte into second in the middle part of the race. Labonte raced second for many laps and trailed leader Kevin Harvick at the time. Labonte was fighting handling, but adjustments and hard driving put Labonte in position to make a hard charge at the end. Labonte had fallen back outside the top-15, but the late race charge put Labonte back to 12th at the end. Labonte moved to 25th in championship points.

“We picked up some positions at the end,” said Labonte. “We had that final run and we were moving up. We got some guys at the end because they were running out of gas. We were just tight in the center. It wasn’t a bad day for us.”

Petty and the #45 Wells Fargo Dodge team had a finish that didn’t show how strong their car was. Petty started Sunday’s race in the 33rd position. Petty’s Wells Fargo Dodge was loose, but many drivers had to fight the tire and slick track conditions. Crew Chief Paul Andrews called for a track bar adjustment and the adjustment helped Petty. Petty had lost a lap early in the race, but was close many times on getting the ‘lucky dog’. Petty’s Wells Fargo Dodge was as good as the leaders in open air. Petty finished 28th.

“We were trying to get back on the lead lap,” said Petty. “We made some changes, and I think we had a chance to run with those guys. We were loose, but the changes helped. It was an ‘aero’ race today. You wanted to be out there with the leaders and in ‘clean’ air.”

The Nextel Cup Series now heads to the one-mile New Hampshire International Speedway, located in the city of Loudon, for Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 300.