Labonte, #43 Cheerios Dodge Strong at Plate Tracks
Team Needs Better Luck

LEVEL CROSS, NC (October 3, 2006) - This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Sunday’s UAW-Ford 500. This will be the last restrictor plate race of the season. Labonte was running in the top three at Daytona in July before being taken out by another competitor.

Labonte has been strong at both Talladega and Daytona this season. Labonte qualified eighth for the Daytona 500 and raced in the lead pack at Talladega in April. The team, however, has run into terrible luck at both tracks while running up front.

The team will use the same car they raced in April. The car has been updated for this weekend’s event.

Questions for Labonte as he prepares for this weekend’s UAW-Ford 500:

Have the ‘plate’ races been frustrating this season?

“The finishes haven’t been what we deserved. That has been frustrating for everyone. We have had good cars and have shown that they can race up front. I think that’s good for guys back at the shop. They know that the cars they are making are quality cars. We have a good superspeedway program.

“We’re not going to Talladega thinking about what happened in the past. We’re bringing back a car that we know is pretty good. We’re looking to get that finish that we should have had at all the ‘plate’ races we’ve been this year. I think we’re motivated for a good run.”

Is it tough to race Talladega?

“These ‘plate’ races are challenging because so many things can go wrong with all the guys around you. It’s not a hard track. You just point the car and go to drive around it, but the racing is tough. The packs and drafting is intense. In fact, it’s extremely intense at times. You don’t have any margin for error. There just isn’t any room. You don’t have an inch to spare.”

Will the new surface help the racing?

“It might be smoother, but I haven’t been on the track yet. The cars are going to bounce around in the air anyway. They are always going to be moving. If the track is smoother that will help a little. It’s still going to be three-wide racing all day.

“You are going to have to be smart. It’s always like that. If one guy makes a mistake it can take out a whole bunch of cars. The track surface doesn’t dictate how the guys behind the wheel drive. We just need to race smart. I plan on being the smartest drive on Sunday. Hopefully that will give this Cheerios Dodge team the finish they deserve at a ‘plate’ track this season.”