Labonte Goes ‘Retro’ with STP STP Adorns Hood and Sides of Famed ‘43’ LEVEL CROSS, NC (September 5, 2006) - This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 STP Dodge team head to the .75-mile Richmond (Va.) International Speedway for Saturday night’s Richmond 400. Saturday night’s event is the last race before the start of the “Chase for the Nextel Cup”. This race will determine the 10 drivers that will race for the championship. Labonte will head to Richmond sporting the famous STP colors this weekend. It is the second time this season that Labonte has raced the scheme. Labonte also went ‘retro’ earlier this season at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. STP will donate $43 to the Victory Junction Gang Camp for the total laps completed of both the Talladega race and Saturday night’s event. Labonte will me making his 28th start at the track this weekend. He has 10 top-10 and four top-five finishes at the track. He has only had two DNF’s in his career at the track and has wrecked out of only one race. His best finish is second in 1999 and 2003. He has one pole at the track. Comments from Labonte as he prepares for this weekend’s Richmond 400: What does it mean to have STP as the sponsor this weekend? “It’s pretty cool. We had them on the car earlier this season at Talladega. I think the fans really enjoyed seeing that. I hope they didn’t think it was Richard (Petty) behind the wheel, but I’m sure it brings back a lot of memories for a lot of the fans. “I remember watching that STP car go around the track and winning lots of races. Richard and STP became icons together. They built a great relationship and it’s an honor to help carry that on this weekend. Hopefully we can do everyone proud this weekend.” This is last race before the chase. Do you approach the guys racing for that last spot any differently? “I think we are all aware of who they are. We know what’s going on in the sport and what drivers are where. But, saying that, I don’t race them any differently than I do every week. I race with respect every week. I don’t drive over-my-head, out of control or do anything that I know my car is not capable of doing. I think that is important to do every week. I race everyone the same and with that same respect. If you do that for 26 races, than it should be no big deal to do it for the last 10 races of the season. “You have to have respect for your competitors and they have to do the same for you. You can’t go out there, push guys around, and expect them to race cleanly with you. I race hard and do the best I can do. I give one hundred and ten percent every race. I do that, in a respectful manor, every weekend. This weekend will be no different.” How would you handle the pressure if you were 10 or 11th in points? “You just have to got out there and run like you have all season. I think we all have enough pressure on us each week. You can’t think of this race as anything more than just the next race. There are some things you can control and others you can’t. I think you just go out there and race hard. You can’t control anything else that happens. We are working to be in that position for next season. We want to be in the ‘chase’ and working towards the championship. We’ve got a good base and we’re still working to get better. Hopefully we can get this Cheerios Dodge team into the ‘chase’ next season. Right now it’s all about running hard and trying to win. That’s our goal this weekend.”