Track: Darlington Raceway
Event: Bojangles’ Southern 500
Time: 6:45 PM ET
TV/Radio: FOX / MRN Radio
Darlington Raceway:
There have been 47 pole winners and 45 race winners at Darlington Raceway. Bobby Labonte is a part of that elite group owning one win (9/3/00) and one pole (8/30/97) along with five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 32 starts. He has led 131 laps and his average start is 16.094 and his average finish is 16.344.
This weekend Labonte looks to top his season best finish of 15th that occurred at Daytona International Speedway in February.
He is currently 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings, 103 points out of 10th place.
Bobby Labonte Stats
Career Starts: 700
Wins: 21
Top-five: 115
Top-10: 201
First Start: 06/03/1991 Dover
First Pole: 09/11/1993 Richmond
First Win: 05/28/1995 Charlotte
Last Pole: 04/04/2004 Texas
Last Win: 11/16/2003 Homestead (329 races since)
Driver DOB: 05/08/1964
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX
Crew Chief: Brian Burns
JTG Daugherty Racing Notes and Quotes:
Labonte, who celebrated his 49th birthday on Wednesday, is a fan of Darlington Raceway:
“Darlington is a track like no other with rich history,” Labonte continued. “I just love going there. It’s a special race and one I’ve had the privilege of winning. We’ve got Kingsford Charcoal on board this weekend and look forward to carrying the brand on our No. 47 Toyota Camry.”
Crew chief Brian Burns is confident about competing on the team’s chances in the Bojangles’ Southern 500:
“We’ve had two top-20s in a row and you can see the progress we are making,” Burns said. “If we hadn’t been collected in the big one at Talladega Superspeedway, we would have finished better. We had a good car and Bobby was able to lead some laps. We feel like we’ve turned the corner and we are going to another track that caters to a veteran driver like Bobby Labonte. It’s one of our stronger tracks in the lineup. We’ve also been spending a lot of time at TRD’s facility the last couple of weeks. We’ve done some R&D work that we are going to apply that will put us a step ahead of where we’ve been.”
Labonte reflects his win on September 3, 2000 in a backup car after taking a provisional and starting 37th:
“The weather was threatening the race finish and we beat the everyone off pit road the time when it counted the most,” Labonte said. “Not long after, the track was drenched with rain. It was all about timing. We didn’t have the fastest car that day, but we were able to beat everyone out of the pits and capitalize when the track was drenched the final time.”
The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion finished 29th the last time out at Darlington Raceway:
“We tried to overcome handling and motor challenges the last time we were there,” Labonte said.
Happy Mother’s Day Get Out & Grill:
“It’s a special weekend and I’d like to say Happy Mother’s Day,” Labonte said. “It’s another great reason to grab a bag of Kingsford Charcoal and ‘Get Out & Grill’ with your family and celebrate your mom.”
________________________________
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY FROM YOUR FRIENDS AT KINGSFORD
FIRE UP THE GRILL FOR MOM!
This Mother’s Day, why not celebrate with a home grilled meal for the special lady in your life?
Here are just some of the reasons why we grill at home on Mom’s Day…
To view the number #1 reason to grill for Mother’s Day CLICK HERE or visit www.kingsford.com
Tailgater of the Week:
Last week at Talladega Superspeedway, Eddie Whitney’s unique campsite on Talladega Boulevard in the infield was hard to pass up for Tailgater of the Week. They took top honors with their mechanical bull as the centerpiece of their layout.
“Basically we were trying to figure out something that hadn’t been at a track before and we said let’s bring a mechanical bull,” said Whitney, who is from Charleston, S.C. “It’s an original idea and no one that we know has ever seem a mechanical bull at a track.”
Whitney is a proud supporter of all of JTG Daugherty Racing’s brands and is a big fan of Kingsford Charcoal. His most favorite thing to throw on the grill are steaks.
Do you have what it takes to be the “TAILGATER OF THE WEEK”? Are you the ultimate “Grillmaster” at the race track? Do you want to win an all expense paid trip and be the VIP guest of JTG Daugherty Racing at the big race in Las Vegas in 2014?
Are you the ultimate “Grillmaster” at the race track? Do you want to win an all expense paid trip and be the VIP guest of JTG Daugherty Racing at the big race in Las Vegas in 2014?
If you answered yes, then get out to the track and let us know where you are tailgating! Each race weekend during the Sprint Cup season JTG Daugherty Racing will be scouting the infields and campgrounds, looking for the best tailgaters at the track. The best, most enthusiastic tailgaters each race weekend will win a custom prize pack and become eligible for our “TAILGATER OF THE YEAR” competition.
You can let us know where you are tailgating by tweeting us your location.
Throughout the weekend, leading up to the green flag, our team members, owners and maybe even Bobby Labonte himself will be patrolling the infield and campsites looking for the best tailgaters. So, fire up your grills with Kingsford® Charcoal, heat up a can of Bush’s® Grillin’ Beans and clean up your messes with Clorox® and Scott® Brand Products!
Simply follow us on Twitter @NASCAR47 , send us a tweet with your tailgate location and include the hash tag #TweetYourTailgate
Visit www.RaceSavers.com for more
Bobby Labonte Scheduled Appearances:
Saturday, May 11th
2:50 to 3:10 MRO Pace Car Rides
3:20 to 3:35 Coca-Cola Appearance 15 minute Q&A in hospitality village
