Watkins Glen Preview

#43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Centurion Boats at The Glen
Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
August 10, 2008

Quotes from Bobby Labonte:

“One thing that jumps out at you every time we go to Watkins Glen is the sensation of speed that you get there. It really is a fast road course. Sonoma is more of a technical course. The Glen is like the ‘Daytona of road courses.’ You’re in the gas for a majority of your lap. You need to be able to pick up the gas as soon as you can to get down the long straights. There are a lot of passing zones and a lot of areas to make up time. The coolest part is the start of the race when we all head down into turn 1 side-by-side because that is one of the tighter corners on the whole course.”

“This new chassis seems to be well-suited for road course racing. I thought the first race of the year, at Sonoma, was a very competitive race. That’s due to the fact that road course racing has more to do with the driver and not the car. You don’t have to worry about bump-stops and aerodynamics rarely comes into play. It’s all about what’s sitting between the seat and the steering wheel. If you can keep all four tires on the track and have good pit stops, you can usually leave The Glen with a good finish.”

“We’re coming to a part of the schedule where we need to make a move in the point’s standings. This No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team has been strong on several of the tracks that are coming up. We had a fast car at Sonoma and I cost us a good finish by spinning in the hairpin. So we know that we can run well on a road course. I’m confident that we can start a string of good finishes, beginning this weekend at The Glen, and continue that through the next several races. We need to build some momentum that we can carry through the end of the regular season and into ‘The Chase’ races.

Bobby Labonte at Watkins Glen International

* Labonte has 15 starts at The Glen and has been racing there since 1993.
* In 2000 he won the pole at Watkins Glen International; he has started within the top-10 a total of three times at the road course.
* Labonte has finished within the top-10 in 40% of his races at the 2.45-mile road course. His most recent top-10 came in 2001.
* Labonte is tied with his brother Terry for fourth-place on the list of all active drivers with most career top-10s at Watkins Glen.
* At Infineon Raceway in June, Labonte scored his highest qualifying position of the 2008 season.
* His highest finish at the track is fifth, which he scored in both 1996 and 2000.
* In his 15 starts at the road course Labonte has completed 1,320 of 1,352 laps (97.6%), including 27 laps led. His average start at the track is 17.9 and average finish is 16.9.

Bobby Labonte Discusses Commonalities With Olympic Athletes:

“We share the same determination and will to win. Most of these Olympics athletes have worked their whole lives to prepare for the games. They’ve made huge sacrifices and spent countless hours training to perform their best. If you look around the Sprint Cup garage, and guys like Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and many others, they have worked their whole lives to win at this level.

“Olympic athletes, most are of the amateur status. They aren’t getting paid as professionals, but rather they are doing it out of true passion. They love what they do and want to win gold against the best. The road map to Sprint Cup, it’s the same. You aren’t getting rich, but rather racing and winning because it’s a true passion. You work harder and better to be the best. You have that drive and will to win. It’s fun to watch all the athletes from around the world who are sharing in the dream that a lot of us in the Sprint Cup have also accomplished.”