#18 Team News and Rumors Archive
NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
2006 News
JGR are NASCAR Football Champs: NASCAR Flag Football: Joe Gibbs Racing are the 2006 Champions of Bob Hubner's Totally Racin' Flag Football League presented by Race City Resumes.com. JGR led by quarterback J.D. Gibbs went 10-0 competing against 5 other NASCAR Teams for the title. Evernham Motorsports Hendrick Motorsports, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Roush Racing and Team Red Bull.(Race City Resumes)(12-6-2006)
Almirola could make Cup debut in 2007: Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs said Tampa product Aric Almirola is likely to make his Nextel Cup debut next season as part of a plan to enter him in up to 20 Busch Series races and test a research and development car for the team's three current Cup programs. NASCAR holds seven open test sessions for all Cup teams and a driver must try to qualify for a race after attending the first two. They must then try to qualify for a race for every subsequent test. "For our future, it's our best option to concentrate on Busch stuff with him," Gibbs said. "It's only five races (less than) a full truck season so he'll probably benefit more from working with our guys." Almirola will race in both JGR's #18 and #20 Busch Chevrolet entry, Gibbs said.(St Petersburg Times)(11-20-2006)
Sponsorship changes at the #18? The #18 Chevy of J.J. Yeley could see its sponsorship split among three companies — including Interstate Batteries — each of whom would be the primary sponsor for 12 races and an associate for the remaining 24.(Speed Channel)(8-5-2006)
Carmichael offer from Gibbs? UPDATE: As Ricky Carmichael soldiers on through his last full season on the AMA Motocross circuit, pieces are starting to fall in place as to what exactly his plans are for 2007 and beyond. Besides rumors circulating of Carmichael signing a three-year deal to drive in the ARCA Series for the Joe Gibbs race team starting in 2007, Carmichael is starting to leave hints as to which outdoor nationals he plans on racing next year.(racerxill.com)(7-20-2006)
UPDATE: If Motocross racer Ricky Carmichael wants to give NASCAR a try, Joe Gibbs Racing will find a seat for him. J.D. Gibbs said Sunday the team has had preliminary discussions with Carmichael, who many consider the greatest motocross racer of all time. "We're just talking to him, like a "Hey, if it ever comes up and you are interested in doing something, let's brainstorm,' " Gibbs said. Carmichael is expected to make the 2007 season his final one in Motocross, and Gibbs said he didn't think it would take him long to adjust to stock-cars if Carmichael wanted to give them a try.(FoxSports/AP)(7-24-2006)
Yeley to Drive VESIcare Scheme at Chicago: To bring attention to the condition of overactive bladder (OAB), Astellas Pharma US, Inc. (Astellas) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are working together with driver J.J. Yeley, who will be driving #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy at Chicagoland Speedway. The sponsorship is part of an ongoing promotional campaign to help raise awareness about OAB and VESIcare tablets, a treatment for OAB marketed by Astellas and GSK. The campaign goal for VESIcare is to help make sufferers aware that their condition may be treatable and to encourage a dialogue between patients and health care professionals. The logo for VESIcare will be displayed on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by Yeley. For complete prescribing information for VESIcare, go to www.vesicare.com.(True Speed Communication/JGR PR)(7-3-2006)
Gibbs teams up with Arena Racing: Arena Racing USA, which has been sanctioning indoor stock car races in Virginia since 2003 at the Hampton Coliseum and the Norfolk Scope, has partnered with Joe Gibbs Racing to expand arena racing to Charlotte, and eventually, cities across America. Arena Racing USA features half-scale stock cars capable of 100 mph, but are confined to a 1/10th mile banked, indoor race track. The track is portable and fits inside the confines of a hockey rink. Arena Racing USA's Charlotte home will be the Cricket Arena on Independence Blvd [NC 74]. Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing and head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins, and Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, are backing Arena Racing USA's Charlotte effort, along with Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley.(more info at Joe Gibbs Racing site/True Speed Communications PR)(6-13-2006)
Special Paint for Yeley at Dover; The #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy of J.J. Yeley will be carrying a special paint scheme this weekend, featuring Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate), a prescription medicine for the treatment of migraine headaches. Sunday’s race will be the fourth of 11 events this season in which GlaxoSmithKline will be the primary sponsor of Yeley's Chevy.(JGR PR)(6-2-2006)
Husqvarna on the #18 at Pocono: The #18 Chevy of J.J. Yeley will be carrying special colors this weekend, featuring a blue and white Husqvarna paint scheme. Sunday’s race will be the second of three events this season in which Yeley will be sponsored by Husqvarna, the Official Lawn and Garden Equipment of NASCAR. The company’s final race of the year will be the Aug. 20 GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway.(Joe Gibbs Racing), see images of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page.(6-9-2006)
Yeley to Drive Boniva Scheme at Darlington: Mother's Day is a time for everyone to salute their mom with gifts and good wishes. But perhaps the best gift a mother can receive is to ensure she has helpful information on how to achieve and maintain good health, including bone health. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Roche are presenting this message to moms all across America this
weekend with a special delivery from NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley and the Joe Gibbs Racing team. A unique paint scheme will be displayed on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy, which will be driven by Yeley during the Dodge Charger 500 Nextel Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, May 13th. The sponsorship aims to help raise awareness about postmenopausal osteoporosis and once-monthly BonivaR (ibandronate sodium) tablets. It encourages women to take steps to protect themselves against fractures. Information about postmenopausal osteoporosis and Boniva can be found at www.boniva.com.(Camp & Associates/Joe Gibbs Racing)(5-9-2006)
Yeley to run ACT scheme at Talladega: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will display a unique paint scheme on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet to be driven by rookie J.J. Yeley during the April 30 Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The sponsorship aims to help raise awareness about the need for improved asthma control and motivate patients with asthma to take the Asthma Control TestT (ACT), and share the results with their doctor. The ACT consists of five simple questions that help patients understand how their asthma affects them. GlaxoSmithKline also will bring its AsthmaControl.com mobile exhibit to the Talladega Superspeedway on April 30 to allow race fans with asthma to take the ACT, learn their asthma scores on site and receive racing souvenirs.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(4-27-2006)
IMAGE: see an image of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page.(4-29-2006)
Toyota and...Jarrett? UPDATE 3 Allmendinger? Gibbs?: The new NASCAR Nextel Cup Toyota operation that is being backed by Red Bull "has opened the checkbook," according to one top Ford man, who points to Red Bull's hiring of John Propst, a top Ford Motor Company vehicle dynamics specialist, and the hiring of a top Dodge engineer from the Ray Evernham camp for its new stock-car racing team. General Motors executives are anxiously watching their own key engineers for any similar defections. Elsewhere on the Toyota-NASCAR front, Toyota has made a bid to sign a two-year contract with Dale Jarrett, the tour's 1999 champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. Jarrett's contract with car owner Robert Yates is up at the end of this season. While it has been unclear for several months if Yates and Jarrett could come to new terms, Ford officials said Yates is offering Jarrett a contract similar to the Toyota deal.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-8-2006)
UPDATE - Red Bull Drivers? When Red Bull Racing debuts their two Toyota teams at Daytona in February of 2007, rumor has it the organization is looking to pair a rookie with a veteran, taking an approached used by Evernham Motorsports with Dodge. Veterans on the Red Bull list are said to be Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett. No word on a rookie, but it could easily be an accomplished veteran from another of the Motorsports arenas.(CircleTrackPlus)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE 2 Allmendinger? Murmurs in Champ Car circles say Red Bull, which carries a personal services contract with AJ Allmendinger, might like to see the young American in Nextel Cup, where it hopes to strike big in 2007 in partnership with Toyota. With so much money and fame up for grabs in NASCAR, it has become a challenge to keep promising open-wheel drivers away from the France family circus. It could prove difficult for Owner Carl Russo and Champ Car to hold onto Allmendinger, especially if he starts winning.(Autoweek)(4-9-2006)
UPDATE 3 Gibbs? There is still no word on which drivers Toyota might back, but Toyota may be making a run at car owner Joe Gibbs, with hopes of persuading the veteran Chevy man, and his three-man team of #20-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-J. J. Yeley, to jump to the Camry brigade, according to sources. Chevy's Kevin Harvick continues to be a focal point of Toyota speculation. However, there is word that Harvick may be under consideration by Ford's Jack Roush for a driving job next season, though Harvick insists "I've not talked with Jack Roush, and I don't know Geoff Smith (Roush's contract attorney)." Smith was not here to discuss the situation, and Roush demurred: "I hear Toyota goes with Kevin Harvick, and there's not a Toyota in my future. What I do know, is Toyota just hired (engineer) John Propst from Ford, and that gives Toyota access to everything all the Ford teams have known about the engineering of the cars, and that's a cheeky move by Toyota, and it's certainly a coup for Toyota. The thing that is more distressing is Toyota is in position to make their own tires, with its relationship with Bridgestone....And I've heard Toyota has acquired 100 acres of land in Charlotte to put together a test track."(Winston Salem Journal)(4-10-2006)
Yeley to Drive AsthmaControl.com at Bristol: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will display a unique paint scheme on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by rookie J.J. Yeley during the March 26 Food City 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The sponsorship aims to help raise awareness about the need for improved asthma control, and to motivate patients with asthma to take the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and share the results with their doctors. The ACT consists of five simple questions that help patients understand how their asthma affects them. It can be found at www.asthmacontrol.com. GlaxoSmithKline will also bring its AsthmaControl.com mobile exhibit to Bristol Motor Speedway on March 26 to allow race fans with asthma to take the ACT, learn their asthma scores on-site and receive racing souvenirs. For company information, visit GSK on the World Wide Web at www.gsk.com.(JGR/Camp & Assoc)(3-21-2006)
Special scheme for Yeley at Atlanta: The Interstate Batteries Chevy will be sporting new colors for the first time this season in Atlanta. Husqvarna will be featured as the primary sponsor of J.J. Yeley's #18 Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Chevy.(Joe Gibbs Racing), see an image on my #18 Team Schemes page. The scheme is scheduled to run at two more not yet announced races.(3-17-2006)
Husqvarna to sponsor Joe Gibbs Racing teams: Husqvarna, a global manufacturer of forest, lawn and garden power equipment for all applications, has reached a sponsorship agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2006 season. The multi-car sponsorship further solidifies Husqvarna’s commitment to racing: The company already serves as the Forest, Lawn & Garden Equipment of NASCAR, and it features a NASCAR branded chainsaw in its product catalog. The contract includes primary sponsorship of Gibbs’ number #18 Chevy for three NASCAR Nextel Cup races. The blue, orange and white car will feature the Husqvarna logo on the hood, quarter panels and back sections. Husqvarna will also be listed on the car’s decklid as well as the transporter and pit box throughout the 2006 season, and the uniform of driver J.J. Yeley will include the Husqvarna name. Husqvarna’s agreement extends into the Joe Gibbs Racing Busch Series team as well. Husqvarna will be the primary sponsor of the number #19 Chevy for four races. Aric Almirola takes the wheel for three of those races. Husqvarna will utilize the Joe Gibbs Racing facility in Huntersville, NC throughout 2006 for dealer events, and will invite select dealers to Washington Redskins football games and pre-season training camp sessions, which are included as part of the sponsorship agreement.(husqvarna.com)(2-28-2006)
Timken teams up with JGR: The Timken Company announced that it has entered into an agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) to become an official technical partner of the NASCAR racing organization. The partnership, which provides product development and technical engineering support, will be leveraged across JGR's multiple team operations in the Nextel Cup Series, Busch Series and Truck Series. For the last two years, Timken has worked collaboratively with the JGR engineering team to develop and test technologies that improve the car's powertrain performance, delivering longer life, improved fuel economy and higher horsepower availability. Products like specialty steels from the company's Latrobe, Pa., operations and Timken RacePac, an integrated hub and bearing assembly specially designed for NASCAR teams, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to safety, reliability and high performance for the motorsports industry.(Timken PR)(2-8-2006)
2005 News
A Yeley Story: Now you know the rest of the story. It was announced last at Phoenix that Chris Yeley will take over the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy next season. Chris Yeley? Yes, that's J.J. Yeley’s given first name. J.J. stands for Jimmy Jack, a combination of his uncle’s name Jimmy and his father’s name Jack. Yeley says “The two of them went in when I was born and took turns being with my mom. It was a lengthy labor unfortunately so they took the initials of the two. I actually got “Chris” as my given name about a week later. I like J.J., it’s a good racing name.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(11-15-2005)
#18 Team wins Checkers Double Drive-Thru Challenge: The #18 Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Team with driver Bobby Labonte won the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge at the on November 13th at the Phoenix International Raceway with a pit-road-service time of 272.609 seconds. As the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, Checkers/Rally's recognizes the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team with the best pit road performance each week with a $10,000 prize. At the end of the season, Checkers/Rally's will award the $100,000 grand prize to the team that garners the most Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge
wins throughout the race season. Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge takes place at all 36 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point races. To win, teams must finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time in pit lane. For details on the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge, visit checkers.com/nascar.(MARC PR)(10-21-2005)
Yeley to the #18 UPDATE It's OFFICIAL: been told that Joe Gibbs Racing's Busch Driver, J.J. Yeley will be named the driver of the #18 Chevy at a press conference in Phoenix.(11-9-2005)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that JJ Yeley will drive the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in 2006. He will continue to run in the Busch Series in 2006 with JGR; the amount of races in the Busch Series will be between 22 to the full season. Attending today's press conference was JD Gibbs (President), Jimmy Makar (President of Racing Operations) and JJ Yeley (Driver).
JD GIBBS: "We're excited. We obviously had a great relationship with Bobby Labonte for many years. We like doing things for a long, long time. That worked out. Obviously Bobby made his announcement for, as well as I could imagine, with a hard situation. For us to have JJ sitting here ready to go was obviously a big reason why we were able to make that decision with Bobby. JJ can go forward and win races and challenge for championships. We're excited about that. Jimmy is the technical one and he's been to a lot more testing than I have."
JIMMY MAKAR: "Yeah, I'll tell you, we're really excited about JJ. We've got a lot going on at JGR right now and from a technical standpoint, it's been a pleasure to work with JJ and see him and his ability to work with the car and understand the car and converse with the crew chiefs and the guys that work on the car. I think that's a big plus for him-to be able to understand that and to be able to converse with his crew chief and let's everybody know what the car needs. His driving talents are excellent and those abilities are something that's going to make him stand out for others as well. We're really excited to move forward and long relationship with him. Like JD said, win some races and challenge for a championship."
JJ YELEY: "I'm very excited to get the opportunity to drive the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet out there. I've got some big shoes to fill out there with Bobby Labonte, past champion and a guy that's won 20 races. I'm just very proud to be a part of JGR. JD and Mr. Makar have given me an opportunity and obviously the equipment is there, Tony leading the points and Denny Hamlin doing very well here lately. So, I'm just very excited for the opportunity they've given me and proud that they have the confidence in me. I want to thank a lot of people-Vigaro and Home Depot have been with me in the Busch Series to get me to this point. My parents have obviously sacrificed a lot to get me to this point. There's a lot of people that have helped me get to this point and hopefully I can go out there for them and make them very proud."(More at the Joe Gibbs Racing site)(11-12-2005)
Bobby Labonte to the #43? UPDATE 3 It's Official: Bobby Labonte to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride Jeff Green would vacate [for the #0 Chevy].(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)
UPDATE 1 Announedment Sched: Petty Enterprises is scheduled to make an announcement on Friday, Nov. 11th at Phoenix International Raceway..........Bobby Labonte driver?(11-10-2005)
UPDATE 2: On Friday, November 10th at Phoenix International Raceway, Petty Enterprises will announce that Nextel Cup champion, Bobby Labonte, will drive the #43 Cheerios / Betty Crocker Dodge in 2006. Labonte won the NEXTEL Cup championship in 2000 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, has 21 career NEXTEL Cup victories and claimed the NASCAR Busch Series Championship in 1991. Labonte started racing quarter midgets at the age of five in his hometown of Corpus Christi, TX. His brother is NASCAR champion Terry Labonte.(11-10-2005)
OFFICIAL: Bobby Labonte, 2000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, will drive the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge beginning with the 2006 season, it was announced this morning by Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President of Operations, Petty Enterprises. Labonte, 41, joins Petty Enterprises from Joe Gibbs Racing where he won 21 Cup races and the 2000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship during his 10-year stretch with the team. He will be a teammate to Kyle Petty, and will also work first-hand with Loomis, who is rejoining the organization after a successful championship-winning stint at Hendrick Motorsports.
"Winning in our sport is a learned process," said Loomis. "The heritage of Petty Enterprises, coupled with a talented, successful driver like Bobby Labonte, will lead to some great things. There's a lot of work to be done, but we have some tremendous tools here and we're excited about the future."
"We're bringing some serious firepower to the #43 Cheerios Dodge next year and I am excited about having Bobby Labonte as a teammate," Kyle Petty said. "Bobby knows how to win races and how to win championships, as does Robbie Loomis."
"I'm really pleased to be part of Petty Enterprises," Labonte said. "When I first came into this sport, my heroes were Terry Labonte and Richard Petty. To have the opportunity to drive Richard Petty's #43 car is something I could not have imagined growing up. The #43 knows its way to victory lane, and we'll get it back there. I am looking forward to working with Robbie, Kyle, The King and the entire Petty team. And, I'm excited about working with households names like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, along with the entire General Mills team. I had a great run at Joe Gibbs Racing, and have the utmost respect for that organization and appreciate all they did for me. I am fortunate to be going to another high quality organization in Petty Enterprises," Labonte said.
"Just like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, Bobby Labonte is committed to winning, to family and to community," added General Mills Vice President Laurie Greeno. "We at General Mills are thrilled to have Bobby join the #43 team."(Williams Company)(11-11-2005)
Labonte to run Madagascar scheme at Phoenix: #18-Bobby Labonte will run the Interstate Batteries/Madagascar scheme on the #18 Chevy at Phoenix International Raceway's Cup race on Sunday.(Joe Gibbs Racing), Labonte was to drive this scheme the Coca-Cola 600 in May right after the movie premiered, but when the #11 FedEx car failed to make the race, FedEx moved to the #18 and the Madagascar scheme then ran in the June Pocono race. The movie is now being released on DVD, hence the promotional scheme, see an image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(11-9-2005)
Yeley to the #18: been told that Joe Gibbs Racing's Busch Driver, J.J. Yeley will be named the driver of the #18 Chevy at a press conference in Phoenix.(11-9-2005)
Bobby Labonte to the #43? UPDATE 3 Labonte parts ways with JGR: Bobby Labonte to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride Jeff Green would vacate [for the #0 Chevy].(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)
UPDATE: Speed Channel's Bob Dillner reported on Saturday's Speed News that he is hearing Bobby Labonte will go to Petty Enterprises and drive the famed #43 Dodge....while I WAS hearing he would go to Ganassi Racing in the #42, it seems that deal broke down and ALSO hearing Labonte could end up in the #22 Caterpillar Dodge....looks like the Dodge part is a lock.(11-6-2005)
UPDATE 2 - Yeley to the #18? #18-Bobby Labonte has refused for several months to talk about his future plans, and he has become increasingly testy when pressed on the issue. Labonte is being actively wooed by both Bill Davis and Kyle Petty for 2006, and Joe Gibbs, Labonte's current car owner, has been told that Labonte won't be back, according to sources. Gibbs has tentatively set a press conference for next week at Phoenix to announce J. J. Yeley as Labonte's replacement, regardless of which direction Labonte takes.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-7-2005)
UPDATE 3: Bobby Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing will conclude an 11-year relationship at the end of the 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series season, Labonte and officials from JGR announced Nov. 7. Labonte’s future plans, as well as a replacement driver for the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, will be announced at a later date. “I regret to say that this is the final year that I will be at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Labonte said. “One of the things that made this decision so difficult was thinking of all the fans that have supported me at JGR throughout the past 11 years. This relationship has lasted a long time, and I hate that it has to end. Joe Gibbs and his family gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I want to thank them, and all the employees at JGR, for 11 years of hard work. I will always cherish the times at JGR, and the only thing that I regret is that we didn’t win more races and or championships. I wish everyone at JGR continued success in the future and I want to thank J.D. (Gibbs, president of JGR) for giving me the chance to be released from my contract early and letting me pursue other opportunities.”(Joe Gibbs Racing)(11-7-2005)
Interstate Batteries Rewards Local Dealer: When Bobby Labonte competes at the Dickies 500 NEXTEL Cup Series event Nov. 6 at Texas Motor Speedway, the hood of his #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy will look a little bit different than most fans are used to seeing. Following a nationwide contest that Interstate conducted earlier this year, the car will carry the name of Main Street Getty, an Interstate Batteries dealer located in Tewksbury, Mass., a city of about 28,000 people, located about 20 miles north of Boston. In addition, IBS of Massachusetts, the Interstate Batteries distributorship that services Main Street Getty, will also adorn part of Labonte's hood. Both were winners of Interstate's '500 Miles of Fame II' promotion, a program designed to increase its dealers' focus on batteries and give them and Interstate's distributors a chance to be seen by millions of consumers both in person and on television in a location normally reserved for multi-million dollar corporate names. Winners not only receive an all-expense paid trip to the race, but will also get the opportunity to meet Labonte prior to the event. Interstate is one of the longest-running major sponsors in NEXTEL Cup racing having been associated with Joe Gibbs Racing since 1991.(Camp and Associates/JGR)(11-1-2005)
IMAGE: see image of the hood on my #18 Team Schemes page.(11-2-2005)
Labonte to the #42? UPDATE 4: Hearing Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy, is the top candidate to replace Jamie McMurray in the #42 Texaco-Havoline Dodge at Chip Ganassi Racing, which would allow #97-Kurt Busch to drive the #2 in 2006 and McMurray to head to Roush Racing and drive the #97. Both McMurray and Busch signed deals to go to those teams in 2007 and both are trying to get out of their contract to run with their new teams in 2006.(10-21-2005)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte could hold the key to the Jack Roush-Chip Ganassi-Roger Penske driver-swapping puzzle that has bedeviled the NASCAR garage area since July. Labonte's name has been circulating for months in the NASCAR rumor mill, though he has insisted several times he's not particularly interested in leaving Gibbs, his boss for more than a decade. However several car owners have said they are actively pursuing him, if he is available. Labonte's contract with Gibbs isn't up, but that would apparently not be a stumbling block if the two do decide to split.
The scenario under debate: Labonte moving to Ganassi, who would in turn free Jamie McMurray to join Roush as a replacement for Kurt Busch next season and then as a replacement for Mark Martin in 2007. In turn, Roush could then release Busch to join Roger Penske as a replacement for Rusty Wallace, who is retiring at the end of this season. Kyle Petty, meanwhile, said if Labonte is looking, Petty Enterprises wants to talk to him: "Oh, gosh, yes, if Bobby were available, his name would be in our hat." Petty is in the market for a driver to take over Jeff Green's ride in the team's 43 car.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND Queried about his plans for where he’ll drive in 2006, Bobby Labonte declined to offer any specifics. “It’s not in my best interest to tell you, so I’m not going to tell you,” said the 2000 NASCAR Cup champion. Labonte did confirm that he has two years left on his contract with Joe Gibbs, but he’s been rumored to be on his way out, possibly to drive for either Petty Enterprises or Chip Ganassi.(Speed Channel)(10-24-2005)
UPDATE 2: Native Texan Bobby Labonte laughed off a rumor that he is being considered for the driver's job with Hall of Fame Racing, the start-up Cup team co-owned by former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach. Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, has driven for Joe Gibbs Racing since 1995. Interestingly, Hall of Fame Racing's 2006 Chevrolets will be supplied by Gibbs, making the team a satellite operation of Joe Gibbs Racing. Labonte declined to divulge the duration of his current contract with Gibbs. "That's my business, not yours," Labonte said. "As far as I know, I'm driving their car."(Fort Worth Star Telegram), no mention of the #42 rumor........(10-26-2005)
UPDATE 3: hearing that Bobby Labonte has signed with Ganassi Racing for next season. Supposedly they are only waiting for the lawyers to finish up with the paperwork. There was no mention as to whether or not Interstate Batteries would be going with him.(11-1-2005)
UPDATE 4: Perhaps the final piece to the puzzle is Ganassi securing a new driver for McMurray. Bobby Labonte has been in the rumor mill however Labonte, who is attending the 2005 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, told PRN’s Garagepass “I figure if you don’t run good you might as well start some stuff. Until something happens there’s nothing to say about it because there’s only two people that hold the
key to the situation and a lot of people can talk about it but they don’t know what they’re talking about.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)...clear as mud?(11-1-2005)
Dominos Should Fall this week - Busch-McMurray released? UPDATE 2 McMurray release DENIED:: This will be the crucial week for a decision, Roush Racing president Geoff Smith says, in the long-running driver-swap negotiations involving Jack Roush's Kurt Busch, Chip Ganassi's Jamie McMurray, and Roger Penske. If it does happen, McMurray would join Roush [#97], and Busch would join Penske [#2]. "In order for it to work, there has to be a driver for Chip," Smith said. "Ten days ago it wasn't working for Chip, but now it can work, so I presume he's got somebody." That could be Ricky Rudd, who isn't saying what his 2006 plans are, but who is reportedly very close to a decision simply to retire at the end of the season. Or it could be Bobby Labonte. Or Labonte could be headed to Bill Davis, according to sources. If Labonte leaves Chevrolet's Joe Gibbs to join the soon-to-be-Toyota Davis team as Michael Waltrip's teammate, that would be a major pick up by Toyota, expected to join the Nextel Cup tour for the 2007 season. If Davis doesn't get Labonte, he will likely get Dave Blaney, according to sources. Blaney once drove for Davis. Penske officials, saying that Rudd isn't one of their options, agree that this is the week that will tell the tale, and they agree with Smith that the complicated deal will in fact be completed.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-31-2005)
UPDATE: ESPN's Mike Massaro is reporting that Roush Racing has released 2004 Nextel Cup Champ #97 Kurt Busch from his 2006 contract obligations, allowing Busch to go to the #2 Miller Lite Dodge that Rusty Wallace will be retiring from at the end of 2005. ALSO Massaro is reporting that Jamie McMurray has been released from his 2006 Ganassi Racing contract to drive the #42 Texaco Dodge, allowing him to go to Roush Racing, taking over for Busch in the #97/#28 car or whatever number they will use with Crown Royal as the primary sponsor. So......who goes to the #42 Texaco Havoline Dodge? I am still hearing it'll be Bobby Labonte, and other reports have Ricky Rudd taking the #42 ride over.(10-31-2005)
UPDATE 2: Jamie McMurray has not been released from his 2006 contract commitments at this time.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(11-1-2005)
More on Labonte looking: #18-Bobby Labonte apparently is on the short list of "proven winners" NASCAR legend Richard Petty plans to consider as driver of the famed #43 beginning in 2006. Labonte, the 2000 Nextel Cup champion, has a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing that runs through 2008. But a source said Friday that Labonte had informed some crewmen two weeks ago that he would not be returning to the #18 Chevrolet in 2006. The team's primary sponsor is Interstate Batteries. A team spokesman said Labonte has been "noncommittal" about his plans for next season. The source added that though Labonte respects Gibbs and his organization, he wants a change of scenery.(Fort Worth Star Telegram), still hearing Labonte to the #42 Texaco Dodge.(10-29-2005)
Special Scheme for Labonte at Atlanta: GlaxoSmithKline will display a unique message paint scheme on the #18 Chevrolet that Bobby Labonte will drive at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The sponsorship is to help raise awareness of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and to motivate asthma patients to assess their level of control and encourage them to talk with their doctor about their asthma symptoms.(Joe Gibbs Racing), the ACT scheme was run at Calfornia in Sept., see an image of teh scheme on the #18 Team Schemes page.(10-26-2005)
Addington Wins Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race Award at Martinsville: #18-Bobby Labonte may have received two speeding tickets in this week's Subway 500, but they never slowed him down. With help from crew chief Steve Addington, Labonte overcame his pit road infractions to land a top-five finish, his best since the Coca-Cola 600. For leading his driver from the back to the front, Addington was voted the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. "We had a really good car today," said Addington after the race. "Bobby (Labonte) knows how important track position is here (Martinsville) and was trying to get as much as he could on pit road. It ended up costing us twice. Fortunately our car was strong enough to get it back. We had the longest green flag run of the day after one of our penalties and that was a huge help. Our car was great on long runs and that allowed us to make up a lot of distance. If we didn't have to start in the back, we probably could have been battling the leader." The panel of voters, including Mike Mulhern of the Winston-Salem Journal, a Wypall Wipers representative and Robbie Reiser, split their votes on the crew chief of the race. Mulhern cast his vote for Pat Tryson, who overcame a brake problem on the #6 Ford. The Wypall representative and Reiser both voted for Addington.
Doug Richert leads the Wypall Wipers Crew Chief of the Year standings with five wins. Alan Gustafson and Greg Zipadelli are tied for second-place with three wins. Bob Osborne, Jimmy Fennig, Robbie Reiser, Chad Knaus, Steve Addington and Robbie Loomis are tied for third-place with two wins. Tommy Baldwin, Scott Miller, Fatback McSwain, Steve Hmiel, Greg Erwin, Slugger Labbe, Pat Tryson and Pete Rondeau are tied for fourth place, each with one win. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most weekly wins will receive $20,000. Fans can also vote for their choice at wypall.com.(SMC 500)(10-24-2005)
Green to the #0? Labonte to the #43? #18? Mike Bliss is the latest driver to learn he's out after the season finale at Homestead. Jeff Green appears to be the top candidate for Bliss' #0 Haas CNC ride. If he gets it, the dominoes really would start to fall. The most curious possible replacement? Bobby Labonte for the Petty Enterprises ride Green would vacate. Labonte, who drives the #18 for Joe Gibbs Racing, has been less than thrilled lately, and his name was mentioned earlier as a candidate for the Penske Racing #2 and Richard Childress Racing #29. Gibbs is auditioning Busch drivers Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley for the #11 Chevrolet. Hamlin finished eighth in Saturday night's crashfest at Charlotte, so give him the nod. But should Labonte leave, it would open the door for both drivers to move up to Cup in 2006.(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)
Labonte track to have a promo day [trying again:: NCQMA (Bobby Labonte's race track) is having a promotional day at the track this Sunday Oct. 16th [it was rained out on the 8th]. Info at ncqma.com(10-13-2005)(
Harvick rumors won't die....to #11? UPDATE: #29-Kevin Harvick and car owner Richard Childress have said they intend to team again next season, the last year of their current contract, but that hasn't stopped speculation that car owner Joe Gibbs has been looking at Harvick for a full-time ride with his #11 FedEx-sponsored team.(Winston Salem Journal)
BUT been told that there was a 'trade' discussed not too long ago, Harvick to Gibbs and Bobby Labonte to RCR, but it all fell thru and was never really serious.(9-26-2005)
MORE: hearing talk was pretty strong that the Harvick-Labonte trade was moving along until the night of the Bristol race, and Gibbs decided he didn't want Harvick. Think both drivers are still looking to go to other rides but Harvick's comments at Bristol ended the Gibbs possibilities. So don't expect Harvick to go to the #11 car.(9-27-205)
NASCAR Race Points scheme: #18-Bobby Labonte will run a MBNA NASCAR RacePoints scheme at the Dover International Speedway, for Sunday’s MBNA Race Points 400. MBNA has added the Red Cross logo to the trunk deck. Labonte will be wearing a white fire suit with the American Red Cross logo on the front and 1-800-help-now on the back. The #11 FedEx Chevy of Joe Gibbs Racing will also carry the Red cross logo on the trunk. Fed Ex and MBNA are teaming up to take credit card and cash donations at the track on Saturday and Sunday to help with the Hurricane relief., see an image of the car and suit on my #18 Team Schemes page.(9-20-2005)
WIX Filters Extends Joe Gibbs Racing Sponsorship: WIX Filters has announced that it will extend its associate sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing through 2007, taking the mutually beneficial relationship into its 15th year of NASCAR competition. The Joe Gibbs Racing associate sponsorship is the cornerstone of WIX Filters' involvement in NASCAR - more teams use WIX Filters than any other filter, making WIX the #1 filter in NASCAR - and the filter manufacturer leverages its relationship with JGR in marketing communications efforts. Joe Gibbs Racing's NEXTEL Cup #18 car, driven by Bobby Labonte, and its #20 car, driven by Tony Stewart, offer powerful visuals and voices in WIX Filters advertising; WIX uses its track-side research in its public relations efforts; and customers benefit from at-track events, racing-related promotions and the assurance that thanks to teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, the filter they are buying has succeeded on the toughest testing ground around. In addition, Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing President J.D. Gibbs will make personal appearances on behalf of WIX Filters - a benefit that WIX shares with its customers, giving them a chance to bring a taste of NASCAR to their own events. WIX has been a partner with Joe Gibbs Racing since 1993, just two years after Gibbs launched the race shop, and have continued a strong partnership ever since. Since 1939, WIX Filters has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX also has the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award, which recognizes the drivers leading the most laps in each race. For more info on WIX Filters' go to wixfilters.com.(PR)(9-13-2005)
GlaxoSmithKline and Labonte Fight Asthma with ACT at California: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will display a unique message paint scheme at California Speedway during the Nextel Cup Sony HD 500 race on September 4. The sponsorship is to help raise awareness of the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and to motivate asthma patients to assess their level of control and encourage them to talk with their doctor about their asthma symptoms. GlaxoSmithKline will also bring an AsthmaControl mobile exhibit to the California Speedway on Sunday, September 4th to allow asthma patients to take ACT on site and to learn more about their asthma.(JGR), see image of the scheme on my #18 Team Schemes page.(8-30-2005)
No Decision on 2006 #11 driver; No FedX to #18: Joe Gibbs Racing Team Manager Jimmy Makar said no decision has been made yet on a driver for the team’s #11 FedEx-sponsored Chevrolet for next season. Makar said the team’s Busch drivers, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley, will each get seat time in the Cup car before the end of the year and are both in contention for the ride “if they show promise.” Makar also said the team definitely will run three cars in 2006, adding there was no truth to the rumors that FedEx could move to Bobby Labonte’s #18.(Speed Channel)(8-29-2005)
Gibbs lands Logano despite Roush interest: For years, it seemed like a lock that teenage driving phenom Joey Logano would wind up at Roush Racing because of the interest that Mark Martin, Roush's veteran driver, has shown in the youngster, who sometimes competes against Martin's son Matt. But Logano, a 15-year-old, recent signed a driver development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. Tom Logano, who handled the negotiations for his son, said he had hoped to work a deal with Roush, but he and team officials couldn't work out a contract so he called Gibbs. Four business days later, he said, the paperwork was signed, and his son will race under Gibbs' banner. "It looks like I tried to shop Joey, but the chemistry at Roush just wasn't there," he said. Roush's team has been reluctant to hire drivers under legal age since Kyle Busch reneged on an agreement to race for the team and moved to Hendrick Motorsports after he turned 18.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(8-19-2005)
LeBron James Paint Scheme on #18 at Bristol: Coca-Cola will test LeBron James' crossover appeal when the company puts the Cleveland Cavaliers guard on Bobby Labonte's hood next Saturday night. A comic book character resembling the 20-year-old NBA marketing icon will be plastered on the hood of the No. 18 car for the Sharpie 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway to promote POWERade's new James-inspired flavor, SourMelon. Coca-Cola officials say that recent data shows that 74% of all NBA fans are also NASCAR watchers. Coca-Cola will be flying in James to see his first live NASCAR race. "I really like the look of the race car," James said in a statement. "But I'm thinking we need to add some new rims." Coca-Cola will hand out commemorative comic books, with James and Labonte as characters, to fans at the track. The flavor, which is scheduled to hit shelves in 32-ounce bottles on Oct. 1, is the second in the line called FLAVA23. Sourberry, which matched the colors of his Cleveland Cavaliers jersey, hit supermarket and convenience store shelves last September. James helped chose the flavor, which is colored an emerald green, the color of his jersey at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Coca-Cola signed James two years ago to a six-year deal worth $2 million annually. Per the contract, James endorses both the POWERade and Sprite brands. Sources with knowledge of the contract told ESPN.com that James receives a bonus if POWERade's market share grows. La Kier would not confirm details of the contract. For every four Gatorade bottles sold in the United States, one POWERade bottle is sold, but the Coca-Cola sports drink brand is doing extremely well. La Kier said that total volume sold has increased 23 percent year-to-date. POWERade is an official sponsor of NASCAR, but in recent years has battled for placement with Gatorade, which owns victory lane at some tracks and has individual deals with drivers.(ESPN.com)(8-17-2005)
More Labonte rumors...to Evernham? Fed-Ex to the #18, Interstate Batteries? what might happen next at [Joe] Gibbs' [Racing] is uncertain. While #18-Bobby Labonte insists he has no plans to leave Gibbs, that has not quieted the NASCAR garage, with the talk continuing, focused on the possibility car owner Ray Evernham would like to hire Labonte for his new third team [#10 Valvoline] next season. Gibbs may be moving his FedEx sponsorship from his new third team, with #11-Jason Leffler, to the team for which Labonte currently drives, which has been sponsored for years by Interstate Batteries, according to sources close to the team. And there could be more to the change, though it's not at all clear just what [Jimmy Spencer reported this last week on NASCAR This Morning]. And it's not clear just how Gibbs' Interstate Batteries sponsorship might be aligned next season. Interstate boss Norm Miller is a close friend of Gibbs and is the man whose sponsorship helped launch Gibbs in NASCAR more than a decade ago. But over the years, the Texas battery maker has watched bigger and bigger companies join NASCAR as sponsors.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND rumors have Michael Waltrip possibly being aligned with Interstate Batteries somehow in 2006.(7-25-2005)
Claification of Labonte/Gibbs Racing rumors: See all the rumors below. Some updates to claify some of those rumors:
1. Joe Gibbs Racing is not planning a sports car team for 2006 and while Bobby Labonte enjoys the Rolex races, he is still a full-time Cup driver and is signed with JGR through 2008.
2. Interstate Batteries will be back on the #18 Chevy in 2006, as they have been since 1992, one of the longest running primary sponsors/team relationships in NASCAR.
3. And, as pointed out through various articles and in Bobby Labonte's comments. The rumors are untrue and that's about all that can be said.(JGR team spokesman)(7-19-2005)
Gibbs to four teams? Not looking at Sorenson: Joe Gibbs Racing [#11, #18, #20] is contemplating an expansion to a four-car effort next season, according to team sources. However, J. D. Gibbs, who runs the team for his NFL coaching father, insists the company isn't looking at hiring Busch hotshot Reed Sorensen, despite reports.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-18-2005)
Gibbs to kill the #11 team? Jimmy Spencer stated on Speed Channel's NASCAR This Morning that he expects Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Fed-Ex team to go away, Gibbs teams to go back to a 2 car team with Fed-Ex going to the #18 Bobby Labonte team as it is not well funded with Interstate Batteries.(Speed Channel's NASCAR This Morning)(7-17-2005)
Labonte not back with Gibbs? UPDATE 3: CBS Sportsline story reports: Although a former series champion, Bobby Labonte might not be back in the #18 in 2006. Stay tuned.(CBS Sportsline), however back in 2003, Labonte signed an extension with Joe Gibbs Racing thru the 2008 season.(7-14-2005)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte and team manager Jimmy Makar were noncommittal about reports that Labonte may be leaving car owner Joe Gibbs at the end of the season after 11 years, including the 2000 championship run. Labonte, according to other team owners, has been checking out the marketplace, and he is being mentioned for three possible rides: with Roger Penske, replacing retiring Rusty Wallace; with Ray Evernham, as a teammate with Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield; and with Nelson Bowers [MB2 Motorsports], if Scott Riggs leaves.(Winston Salem Journal)
MORE Car owner Joe Gibbs is interested in hiring Busch series hotshot Reed Sorensen for a Nextel Cup ride next season, according to sources close to the situation. While Tony Stewart is Gibbs' hot driver at the moment, teammates #18-Bobby Labonte and #11-Jason Leffler have had disappointing results. Makar, while enjoying Stewart's dominating performances these last few weeks, has been struggling to right the staggering other two teams in the Gibbs stable. The Leffler team, new this season, has struggled to get its sea legs, despite new crew chief Mike Ford taking over two months ago. The Labonte team, on the other hand, has struggled since losing crew chief Michael McSwain last summer; those close to Labonte say that the relationship with Gibbs may have "grown stale."(Winston Salem Journal)(7-16-2005)
UPDATE 2: #18-Bobby Labonte said Saturday that it bothers him when people put his name in the rumor mill without even asking him whether anything's going on. So, Bobby, is there anything going on? "The real deal is there is no real deal," Labonte said at New Hampshire International Speedway, where he'll start 10th in Sunday's New England 300. "I have got a contract and I am driving the snot out of our car." Labonte's name first appeared in the NASCAR rumor mill during the Nextel Cup weekend at Infineon Raceway, with Labonte supposedly looking to leave the #18 Chevrolets despite having a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing that goes through 2008. The rumors surfaced again this week as discussion about who'll go where in 2006 picks up speed in the Cup garage.
"Anytime you're not running good and there are things changing, people include you (in rumors)," Labonte said. "In some people's situations, sometimes they do help. But you don't know how bad it screws up a race team when people write something with no facts at all. You don't realize how bad it can screw up an organization when you're all trying real hard to make things work."(ThatsRacin.com/David Poole)(7-17-2005)
UPDATE 3: Even though Bobby Labonte has a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing through the 2008 Nextel Cup season, CBS Sportsline reports Labonte might not be back in the #18 car he's driven since the beginning of the 1995 season and in which he won the 2000 Cup Championship. What didn't get reported by CBS is a persistent rumor that Labonte, tired of the Nextel Cup grind but enamored with his Rolex Series Daytona Prototype ride, will swap to that series with Gibbs in 2006.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(7-17-2005)
#18 Scheme for Chicago: Boniva (ibandronate sodium), a new medicine for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, will serve as primary sponsor for Bobby Labonte on the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy at Chicagoland. The primary car for the USG Sheetrock 400 is Chassis No. 91, which has never been raced before. The car was involved in an accident in May during practice for the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR/Site)(7-7-2005)
Hard to beileve....OOPS and CORRECTION #20-Tony Stewart’s victory gave owner Joe Gibbs a new distinction. It was the first time Gibbs-owned cars had ever won two races in a row. Stewart followed up his victory at Infineon Raceway with his first official victory in a restrictor-plate race. “First time in 14 years,” said Gibbs. “It’s hard to do. And it’s been a hard, tough year for us. This is a big deal for Joe Gibbs Racing as a whole.”(Gaston Gazette), Gibbs also owns the #18-Bobby Labonte and #11-Jason Leffler teams.(7-5-2005)
CORRECTION: Stewart's back-to-back triumphs at Sonoma and Daytona marked the fourth time in his seven-year Nextel Cup career that he has logged back-to-back wins. In 1999, Stewart's second career Nextel Cup win at Phoenix in November was followed one week later by his win at Homestead. And twice in 2000 Stewart scored back-to-back wins - in June at Dover and Michigan and again in late September and early October with wins at Dover and Martinsville.(True Speed Communication)(7-5-2005)
Bank of America buys MBNA: Bank of America Corp. will buy MBNA Corp. in a stock and cash deal valued at $35 billion, combining the third- and fifth-largest credit-card companies in the country into what could be the largest.(Charlotte Business Journal), no word how this will effect the MBNA sponsorship of Joe Gibbs Racing or the MBNA Halfway Leader program.(6-30-2005)
Daytona USA to sponsor Labontes: DAYTONA USA, the Official Attraction of NASCAR, will sponsor the #44 Doran Racing Pontiac Doran driven by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champions Bobby and Terry Labonte in the June 30 Brumos Porsche 250 Rolex Sports Car Series race at Daytona International Speedway. In the Rolex 24 At Daytona earlier this year, Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Series champion, and Terry, the 1984 and 1996 NEXTEL Cup champion, co-drove the #44 Daytona Prototype with Jan Magnussen and Bryan Herta to a ninth-place overall finish. The Brumos Porsche 250, which features the Daytona Prototypes as well as GT class machines, will kick off the Pepsi 400 Weekend on Thursday, June 30 with a new starting time of 7:15pm/et.(DIS)(6-25-2005)
Gibbs FanFest returns: The annual Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Fall FanFest returns in 2005, where from 9:00am to 2:00pm/et on Fri., Oct. 14, JGR’s drivers from the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Weekly Racing Series will be available for autographs at the team’s recently renovated race shop in Huntersville, North Carolina.(JGR Site), see more on my Racing Charities page.(6-25-2005)
FedEx, Interstate Batteries Team Up for Coca-Cola 600: Due to Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 race car failing to qualify for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Charlotte, officials from Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx and Interstate Batteries agreed that FedEx would become the primary sponsor of the #18 Chevrolet for the Coca-Cola 600, replacing Interstate Batteries. Bobby Labonte will remain as the driver of the #18. Crew chief Steve Addington and the entire #18 crew will also retain their normal duties. The #18 Chevrolet was to have run a Madagascar paint scheme in the Coca-Cola 600. However, DreamWorks and Action Performance Co. have graciously agreed to postpone the Madagascar promotion until the June 12 Pocono 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. “We can’t thank Interstate Batteries and FedEx enough for enabling us to deal with this setback in the most positive manner possible,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We stress teamwork throughout Joe Gibbs Racing. To have Interstate Batteries, who has been with us since day one, and FedEx, our newest sponsor, and Bobby Labonte and the #18 crew work through this bit of adversity so seamlessly speaks volumes about the quality of our sponsors and the character of our team.”(Joe Gibbs Racing site)(5-27-2005)
IMAGE: see an image of the car on my #18 Team Schemes page, thanks to Cup Scene Online for the image.(5-28-2005)
Gibbs undergoes heart procedure...last month - back to work and fine: Joe Gibbs Racing owner [#11,#18,#20] Joe Gibbs was hospitalized for a heart procedure to open a clogged artery last month, The Washington Post reports. Gibbs, who is 64 and who coaches the Washington Redskins football team, said doctors placed a small, spring-like wire tube known as a stent in the artery at a Washington hospital in mid-April. Gibbs said he remained overnight but returned to work the next day and was back to his regular workout routine, which includes a 45-minute run, within several days. "I understand the public interest, but it has no effect on my work, or my tenure with the Redskins," he said. "I considered it a private matter."(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-12-2005)
Bobby Labonte To Drive Boniva Car at Richmond: GlaxoSmithKline, Roche, and Joe Gibbs Racing, plan to help raise awareness of Boniva(ibandronate sodium), a new medicine for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Boniva will be the primary sponsor for the #18 Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte at the Chevy American Revolution 400 May 14 at Richmond International Raceway. In addition to the Richmond race, which is during Osteoporosis Awareness Month, Labonte will drive a Boniva-sponsored car at a second race later this summer. The sponsorship comes in the wake of the Surgeon General'sReport elevating osteoporosis to a major public health threat on par with smoking and obesity.(Camp and Associates/Joe Gibbs Racing)(5-6-2005)
Labonte to make some Demo laps at Talladega: Labonte will drive demonstration laps in the #44 Doran Labonte Racing DORAN JE4 Pontiac Grand American Rolex Series car prior to NEXTEL Cup drivers’ introductions Sunday morning at Talladega. Labonte, along with brother, Terry, IRL IndyCar Series standout Brian Herta and road-racing star Jan Magnussen finished ninth with the car in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in February. Bobby Labonte will drive the car in three more Rolex events in 2005: the Brumos Porsche 250 June 29-30 at Daytona International Speedway, the 400-kilometer event July 29-31 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and the Watkins Glen 200 Aug. 11-12 at Watkins Glen International. Events at Daytona and Watkins Glen are in conjunction with NEXTEL Cup Series events, while the Birmingham event is during the off-week between the Pennsylvania 500 and the Brickyard 400.(JGR)(4-27-2005)
Joe Gibbs Racing Drivers Make History on Saturday: With three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers winning their three respective races, April 9 marked yet another milestone in Joe Gibbs Racing's ongoing 14-year history. Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series undercard race at Martinsville Speedway. Following Labonte's Saturday triumph were Joe Gibbs Racing's diversity drivers Chris Bristol and Aric Almirola. The two Late Model drivers competing in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series won their respective races at Hickory Motor Speedway and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA. Bristol, in his #92 MBNA Chevrolet with associate sponsorship from Rockwell Automation and Cintas, started fifth in Hickory's 50-lap Late Model race and ended the race in first, becoming the first African-American driver to win in Hickory's 55-year history. The win also placed the 27-year-old Bristol in a three-way tie for first in the track's championship point standings.
Almirola, in his #92 Home Depot Chevrolet with associate sponsorship from Rockwell Automation and Cintas, started sixth in the Motor Mile's 150-lap Late Model feature and finished first. It was the 20-year-old's first win of the 2005 season and his second top-three
finish at Motor Mile. The Hispanic driver from Tampa, Fla., finished third in the March 19 Doughton Racing Products 300. Both cars are carrying the number 92 in tribute to the late Reggie White, co-founder of Joe Gibbs Racing's diversity program. The #92 is the number White wore throughout his football career, playing at the University of Tennessee before becoming a Hall of Fame defensive end
in the National Football League. Also of note on Saturday was the seventh-place finish of 23-year-old Woody Howard in Saturday night's USAR Hooter's Pro Cup race at South Boston Speedway. Howard, Joe Gibbs Racing's recently signed development driver, started his first career Hooter's Pro Cup race in his Dean Motorsports entry from the outside pole before finishing a solid seventh in the 250-lap race.
(True Speed Communication/Joe Gibbs Racing)(4-11-2005)
Labonte Golf Tourney Raises over $130k: The Bobby Labonte Celebrity Golf Classic presented by ConAgra Foods raised more than $130,000 for the Bobby Labonte Foundation, officials from the foundation announced April 10. The Bobby Labonte Foundation supports numerous charities and non-profit organizations, including the Victory Junction Gang Camp and the North Carolina Quarter-Midget Association. The event took place over two days at the prestigious Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte, N.C., with dinner and auction on April 4 followed by golf on April 5. In addition to Labonte, NASCAR drivers Terry Labonte, Tony Stewart, Jason Leffler and Johnny Benson participated, as did J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, Steve Addington, Labonte's crew chief and Greg Zipadelli, Stewart's crew chief. Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel, Marty Roe, lead-singer for Diamond Rio and Larry Ziegler from the PGA Champions Tour also participated.(Camp and Associates)(4-10-2005)
Bobby Labonte wins at Martinsville: #47-Bobby Labonte won the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, becoming the 12th driver to win at least one race in the three National Series [Cup, Busch, Trucks]. Not only has Labonte won a race in all three series but he did it at the same track: Labonte has won a Cup, Busch and Truck Series at Martinsville [which has to be rare since the Busch Series hasn't raced at Martinsville since 1994].(4-9-2005)
AND - Labonte Truck Stuff: Labonte became the 50th different driver to win the truck series and, he and brother, Terry, became the first set of brothers to win in the series. Terry Labonte won at Richmond in Sept. 1995. The Labonte brothers have a combined eight starts in the Craftsman Truck Series (Bobby with five and Terry with three, all in 1995) and have two victories and six top-three victories.(JGR PR)(4-9-2005)
Bobby Labonte to run Alabama Grand Am race: #18-Bobby Labonte has added the July 29-31 [an off Cup weekend - the last one of the season] Grand American Rolex Series race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., to his 2005 Grand American Rolex Series race schedule. Barring unforeseen circumstances it will be Labonte's third race start -- two in a span of just one month -- of the four now-scheduled 2005 races in the #44 Pontiac-powered Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype. He will also have raced the car the previous month in the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona International Speedway with brother Terry Labonte during the Pepsi 400 Nextel Cup race weekend. An Aug. 12 Rolex Series race, part of NASCAR's Aug. 14 Sirius at the Glen weekend, also is on the brotherly duo's Rolex Series' schedule. Terry Labonte, with whom Bobby will pair for the other two remaining scheduled Rolex Series races, is expected to be with son Justin Labonte for a Busch Series race scheduled for the same weekend. Also, word has it that Bobby Labonte will take a demonstration spin in the #44 Pontiac-Doran in pre-race ceremonies at the May 1 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Motor Speedway. However, his tight, pre-race schedule must first be massaged to allow him to undertake it.(Motorsport.com)(4-6-2005)
Woman killed at JGR Construction site UPDATE: A woman was killed Wednesday afternoon while helping finish construction on an addition to a race team's facility. Authorities were called about 2:30pm/et about an injury at Joe Gibbs Racing on Reese Boulevard in the Huntersville Business Park, about 15 miles north of uptown Charlotte. The woman, whose identity was being withheld until authorities notify her family, died on the scene. Although officials with the company and the police released few details, preliminary reports suggested a joist had struck the woman, said Juan Santos, a N.C. Department of Labor spokesman. The woman worked for the general contractor at the site, not the race company, according to a statement released by Joe Gibbs Racing. Officials with Precision Walls Inc. declined to comment as they left the site, while officials from Shelco Inc., the general contractor, could not be reached. Huntersville police and state officials are still investigating the incident.(Charlotte Observer)(3-31-2005)
UPDATE: Huntersville police on Monday released the identity of the woman killed last week while helping finish construction on an addition to a race team's facility. Asia Mena Diez, 42, of Charlotte died Wednesday afternoon when the platform lift she was in slammed her into the rafters in a Joe Gibbs Racing building in the Huntersville Business Park, Lt. Ken Richardson said.She worked for Queen Drywall, a subcontractor under general contractor Shelco Inc., he said. There were no signs of foul play, Richardson said. It appeared she had hit a button on the lift, he said.(Charlotte Observer)(4-6-2005)
JGR's Diversity Program Ready for 2nd Season: After scoring three wins, three poles, 15 top-five finishes and 34 top-10 finishes in its first season of NASCAR Weekly Racing Series competition in 2004, Joe Gibbs Racing's (JGR) diversity program hit the ground running in 2005 as second-year drivers Aric Almirola and Chris Bristol finished third in their respective early-season races. Almirola drove his #92 Home Depot Chevrolet to a strong third-place finish in the March 19 Doughton Racing Products 300 Late Model stock car race at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. Bristol equaled his teammate's mark a week later, piloting his #92 MBNA Chevrolet to third in the March 26 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series season-opener at Hickory Motor Speedway. In 2005, Almirola moves from being a regular Late Model driver at Ace Speedway to campaign his Home Depot Chevrolet at big Late Model races throughout the Southeast. Bristol, meanwhile, moves to the .363-mile Hickory oval to compete regularly in that track's Late Model program. Both cars will carry the number 92 in tribute to White, the number he wore throughout his football career.(Joe Gibbs Racing/True Speed Communication)(4-1-2005)
Bobby Labonte to run Truck at Atlanta: Even though Bobby Labonte has more wins than any other full-time driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he’ll be a rookie on Friday, March 18. That’s when Bobby Labonte will compete for the first time at Atlanta in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. It will be his fourth career truck race and third in the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado, which he will try to drive to victory in the World Financial Group 200. Labonte will be pulling double duty that weekend, also driving his usual #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the March 20 Golden Corral 500 NEXTEL Cup race. But Labonte was focused entirely on his Chevy truck on Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, when he was preparing for his Craftsman Truck Series debut at the fast track. His first few laps didn’t set any speed records, but Labonte said he was just getting warmed up when he turned a lap around the 1.54-mile speedway in 31.19 seconds (177.749 mph). Great seats are still available for all three days of racing action. Weekend ticket packages start at just $65 and are limited in quanity. For more information call Ticketmaster, or the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, or visit www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.(AMS PR)(3-2-2005)
Special Schemes for Gibbs #18 and #20: DreamWorks Animation, Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries, The Home Depot and Action Performance Companies Inc. announced details about their latest NASCAR racing special centered around the upcoming animated feature film, Madagascar. The film follows the story of four "wild" animals who are treated to a pampered existence in the zoo until they accidentally are shipped to the island of Madagascar. The four principle characters - Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippopotamus - provide the basis for paint schemes that will decorate the #18 Interstate Batteries and #20 The Home Depot Chevrolet race cars owned by Joe Gibbs Racing. DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar opens
nationwide in theaters on May 27, 2005. Tony Stewart will drive the #20 The Home Depot/Madagascar Chevrolet during the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge on May 21. Bobby Labonte, Stewart's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, will pilot the #18 Interstate Batteries/Madagascar Chevrolet during NASCAR's longest race, the Coca-Cola 600, on May 29, 2005. Both races will take place
at the NASCAR track near Charlotte, N.C.
The cross-promotion marks the second time that DreamWorks Animation has teamed with Joe Gibbs Racing in as many race seasons. Last year, the organizations teamed to showcase a pair of Shrek 2-themed stock cars that also saw action during the all-star and Memorial Day weekend races. Action Performance Companies, the leader in licensed motorsports merchandise, designed the Madagascar machines, including a limited edition program car. Action also will create die-cast replica versions of both the #18 and #20 Madagascar-edition race cars. In addition to the specialty paint scheme, each collectible comes in its own unique Madagascar-themed packaging. The collectibles will be available through Action's standard distribution channels.
DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar is a computer-animated comedy starring four civilized animals - a lion, a zebra, a giraffe and a
hippo - who have lived their entire lives in blissful captivity, growing up as best friends at the Central Park Zoo...until the day they are put on a boat to Africa and suddenly find themselves washed ashore onto the exotic island of Madagascar. Now, these native New
Yorkers must learn to survive in this strange land and discover the true meaning of the phrase, "it's a jungle out there."(Action Performance PR), see images on my #18 Team Schemes page and #20 Team Schemes page.(2-26-2006)
Coca-Cola Racing Family New Anime Ad to Debut During Daytona 500: In the first-ever NASCAR-themed Anime ad, Coca-Cola Racing Family members Tony Stewart, Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte and Kevin Harvick are seen as animated superheroes engaging in adventurous activities such as scuba diving with sea monsters and flying fighter planes before they return to the track for a Coke and a bit of racing. Breaking during the broadcast of the Daytona 500 on February 20 -- a growing showcase for new advertising -- the 60-second ad, entitled "Fantastic Four," is the only animated spot in the new Coca-Cola "Make It Real" campaign. It will also run in more than 10,000 movie theaters across the country and a 30-second version of the spot will be featured on NASCAR broadcasts throughout the season. The spot concludes with one word -- 'Adrenaline' -- followed by the campaign tagline, 'Make It Real.' The word 'adrenaline' underscores the drivers' energetic attitude both on and off the track. Created by Berlin Cameron / Red Cell, the new 'Make it Real' campaign also includes print and outdoor executions. Additional ads are planned for later in 2005.(Coca-Cola PR)(2-15-2005)
Labonte's to run Watkins Glen road race: Kevin Doran, president of Doran Racing, and Bobby Labonte announced yesterday that they will join forces and plan to field a car in three Grand American Rolex Series races in 2005, including the race at The Glen during the SIRIUS Satellite Radio at The Glen August 11-14. This weekend's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Raceway will be Doran Labonte's first event. They will also participate in the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona June 29-30 and will run a third time at Watkins Glen International on Friday during the Grand American Rolex Series race on August 12. The two races will be held in conjunction with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events. Bobby Labonte drives the Interstate Batteries Chevy for Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR. His older brother, Terry Labonte, a two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, is doing a limited NASCAR schedule in 2005 and 2006 with Hendrick Motorsports in the Kelloggs Chevy. The Labonte brothers along with endurance sports car superstar Jan Magnussen, will comprise the driver roster for the two races this summer. The Rolex Series Daytona Prototype will be registered as a Doran Labonte Racing entry. It is a bright red DORAN JE4 powered by a Pontiac engine, and carries #44. Doran Racing also fields the gold Crown Royal Special Reserve DORAN JE4 Lexus #77 of Didier Theys, Matteo Bobbi and Fabrizio Gollin. All of the Grand American Rolex Series races will be televised on Speed. For more information, please see www.doranracing.com and www.bobbylabonte.com. For tickets and additional information, including pricing, please contact the Watkins Glen ticket office at 866-461-RACE, log on to the official Watkins Glen website at
www.TheGlen.com(Watkins Glen PR)(2-5-2005)
Labonte's buy a sports car for the Rolex 24 at Daytona...UPDATE: hearing that Bobby and Terry Labonte bought themselves a Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype and will be running in the Feb. 5-6 Rolex 24 At Daytona and will additionally run two other races in the Rolex Series: the Thursday-night June 30 Paul Revere 250 at Daytona and at the Friday Aug. 12 Watkins Glen Cup race weekend. I'm hearing they MIGHT also run July 31 at Birmingham's Barber Motor Sports Park, which is a free date between Cup's Pocono and Brickyard dates. Their Pontiac-powered Doran JE4, built by Doran Designs, will be maintained by the car's constructor, Kevin Doran, through another company, Doran Racing. The Brothers Labonte have actually tried to get a Rolex 24 team together for the last two or three years. So it's something they've wanted to do but, for one of any of the myriad reasons that racing deals can fall apart, just weren't able to get an effort off the ground until this year.(12-17-2004)
UPDATE: Past Nextel Cup champions Bobby and Terry Labonte will be teaming with IRL IndyCar Series' star Bryan Herta of Andretti-Green Racing and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen for the Feb. 5-6 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The four will be one of two team cars fielded by Doran Racing. "Bobby tested the car at Homestead the second week of December,' team owner Kevin Doran said of the 2000 Nextel Cup champ. "He put in a couple of 10-12 laps stints and he was completely comfortable with the car by the second stint.' While the upcoming Rolex 24-Hour will be Bobby Labonte's first such race, older brother Terry ran in five 24-hour races at Daytona in the early to mid-1980's. Indeed, the two time Cup champion Terry Labonte scored his first Cup championship in the same year in which he had earlier scored a GTO-class victory and a sixth-place overall finish in the classic twice-around-the clock race. Interestingly, in that Rolex 24 victory, Labonte teamed with his Cup car owner of that year, Billy Hagan. Gene Felton rounded out the driving team.
Doran's second car will be driven by Italians Fabrizio Gollin, Matteo Bobbi and Doran Racing veteran Didier Theys. As a car owner, Doran won the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona in 1998 and 2002 and Theys went on to win the Grand American Sports Racing Prototype championship in 2002.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-1-2005)
2004 News
Gibbs announces own oil: on Dec 9th at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Joe Gibbs Performance announced the introduction of Joe Gibbs Performance Brand Racing Oil, the same synthetic racing oil used by Joe Gibbs Racing and two time Champion engine builder Mark Cronquist. "Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil delivers un-compromised power, protection and performance for our race cars at every level of competition," said J.D. Gibbs, President of Joe Gibbs Racing. "Over the past five years we have invested substantial resources in developing our own racing oil and now racers at every level can use the oil we use in all our race engines." Used in every Joe Gibbs Racing engine since 1999, Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil puts five years of R&D and championship proven performance in the hands of professional engine builders and local racers throughout the United States. "We looked for a product that could provide the wear protection we needed without sacrificing horsepower," said Mark Cronquist. "We were not pleased with the performance of the racing oils that were on the market, so we contracted a world leader in lubrication technology to custom blend synthetic oils to meet our extreme needs. We designed Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil to control valve train wear in our flat tappet Nextel Cup engines. Before we developed Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil, we were seeing wear in the valve train that kept us from being as aggressive as we wanted to be. Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil solved our valve train wear problems, and we've seen significant horsepower and torque gains when we've tested Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil against other race oils." Now, engine builders and racers across the United States can now use the same racing oil that Cronquist himself relies on to power Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart's NASCAR Nextel Cup race cars. Joe Gibbs Performance Racing Oil will be available for shipment in mid December and can be purchased direct from Joe Gibbs Racing or through CV Products. For more information or to place an order, visit www.joegibbsracingoil.com. Orders can also be placed by calling 866-611-1820 or contact CV Products.(JGR PR)(12-17-2004)
New Crew Chief for Bobby Labonte: Steve Addington has been named Bobby Labonte's crew chief on the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for the 2005 season. Addington comes to the #18 Interstate Batteries car after one year as crew chief for the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Busch Series car for JGR, which was driven by Mike Bliss in the 2004 season and finished fifth in the final Busch point standings. "Steve brings a great deal of racing knowledge and leadership to the Interstate Batteries team," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. "He did a great job with the #20 Rockwell Automation car in the Busch Series last year, and we look forward to a lot of success with him in 2005." During the 2004 season, Addington helped Bliss to his first career Busch Series victory Oct. 15 at Charlotte and 14 top-10 finishes. Prior to working with JGR, Addington was crew chief for Jason Keller in the Busch Series, first at KEL Racing from 1990-96 and then at ppc Racing from 1999-2003.
Addington, 40, from Spartanburg, S.C., becomes only the fourth crew chief in the illustrious 13-year history of the #18 Interstate Batteries team. Jimmy Makar served as crew chief for Dale Jarrett (1993-94) and then Labonte (1995-2002) until being promoted to senior vice president of racing operations for JGR. Michael "Fatback" McSwain served as crew chief for the 2003 season and 18 races of the 2004 season when Brandon Thomas took over as interim crew chief for the final 18 races of the season. Thomas will continue with JGR in the engineering department. Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion, has 21 career victories and finished 12th in points in 2004. The 2005 season will be his 11th season with JGR and his 13th full-season of NEXTEL Cup competition. "Steve brings a lot of experience to the #18 Interstate Batteries team," Labonte said. "He had a good year with the #20 Rockwell Automation Busch team last year, and I think he'll be able to helps us get back to Victory Lane and into the championship hunt."(JGR PR)(12-1-2004)
An Evening with Bobby Labonte: Former Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be honorary chairman and the featured guest for an American Lung Association benefit on Dec. 8. "An Evening with Bobby Labonte" is scheduled at the Speedway Club ballroom at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Sponsorship opportunities remain available and tickets and keepsake prints are limited. More info on my Racing Charities page.(11-28-2004)
Bobby Labonte's car to be at D-Day memorial: The National D-Day Memorial will host NASCAR star Bobby Labonte’s #18 D-Day show car on Friday and Saturday [Oct 29, 30]. The car’s appearance comes following a D-Day-themed NASCAR race in Delaware in June during the Normandy invasion’s 60th anniversary. The car will be on display from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Regular admission fees to the memorial will apply. Miniature replicas of the car will be on sale, with a portion of sales benefiting the memorial. A drawing will be held for a replica signed by Labonte.(Lynchbug NewsAdvance), see images of the car on my #18 Team Paint Scheme page.(10-26-2004)
Bobby Labonte to run first Truck race since 1996: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy, will attempt to start his second career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, almost eight years to the day of his first. Labonte started 24th and finished 34th in the #77 Rotary Lift Chevrolet on Oct. 26, 1996 in the GM Goodwrench 300 at Phoenix International Raceway. Labonte completed only 31 of the 186 laps after a valve problem ended his day.(JGR PR)(10-19-2004)
Personnel Chnages at JGR? Pink slips were handed out to several crew members at Joe Gibbs Racing last week, leading some to wonder where the manpower to run three [#11,#18,#20] teams in 2005 will come from.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(10-18-2004)
MBNA Primary Sponsor of #18 at Dover: MBNA is the primary sponsor of the #18 Chevrolet for Dover. The company, which is based in Wilmington, Del., has sponsored races at Dover since 1995 and is a long-time sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(9-22-204)
Benson Beats Labonte and wins at Berlin: Johnny Benson Jr. outran the field in Wednesday night's The Chet Late Model Invitational, a 125-lap feature race at the Berlin Raceway in Marne. Benson held off the T.A. Gentry cars of Joe Bush and Lee Anderson, just as he did in June when his NASCAR buddy, Michael Waltrip, made the trek up to Marne. Bobby Labonte finished 14th after qualifying 26th in the No. 1 Late Model he borrowed from former track champion Randy Sweet of Kalamazoo. It was Labonte's first Berlin appearance, and he was never in the hunt for the $5,000 first-place cash prize. Labonte arrived on the Berlin Fairgrounds around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, and fans were already waiting to meet the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup champion. Labonte, who is ninth in Nextel Cup points, signed autographs and posed for pictures throughout the afternoon and early evening while acclimating himself to the car and race track. He said he hadn't raced a Late Model since 1989. Wednesday's program drew 6,277 spectators, and he signed the usual items, from caps, T-shirts, diecast cars and photos. He headed to his souvenir hauler outside the track after the race and continued to sign. Labonte's race was nearly cut short when he was tapped from behind on lap 97. Labonte bobbled, drifted up and pushed Billy Shannon of Kalamazoo around and hard into the frontstretch wall. Shannon was transported to the hospital to treat his injured arm, while Labonte was able to continue.(Michigan Live)(8-19-2004)
Makar, Busy Guy: Jimmy Makar is just back from a few weeks of missionary work in South America, and he may now wish to return, given the headaches on his desk as general manager at Joe Gibbs Racing. Talk about being in the eye of the storm. Look at it this way - the boss is about to embark on a return to the NFL, and attempt to revive those glory years with the Washington Redskins. But it's been 10 years since Gibbs last played that game, which he quit then for health reasons. The never-ending Tony Stewart saga is playing out more chapters, and Stewart found himself dodging debris-throwing fans after winning in Chicago the last time out. Two days after that Makar and J.D. Gibbs, Joe's son and Makar's immediate boss, found themselves faced with a major shakeup on Bobby Labonte's team, dealing out crew chief Michael "Fatback" McSwain and plugging in Brandon Thomas, the new crew chief. On top of all that, Makar and J.D. Gibbs are under the gun to put together a third Nextel Cup for FedEx, a $24 billion company, certain to want its money's worth and not willing to wait out a long-term investment. "Want my shoes?" Makar asked with a laugh.(see full story at the Winston Salem Journal)(7-25-2004)
New #18 Crew Chief: Brandon Thomas, a member of the Joe Gibbs Racing engineering department, will serve as interim
crew for Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Series, team officials announced July 15. Thomas takes over for Michael McSwain, who was released from his duties as crew chief July 14 after severing as crew chief for the 2003 season and 18 races in the 2004 season. Team officials have not set a timetable for when a permanent crew chief will be hired. Thomas, 30, from Kingsport, Tenn., spent the 2003 season as the engineer for Labonte and served as crew chief for Mike Bliss' JGR-prepared No. 80 Slim Jim/Act II Chevrolet July 11 in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Bliss was the
top-qualifying JGR car at Chicago, starting seventh and finishing 31st after an accident on Lap 205. Thomas began his JGR career in December 2001 in the shock department, before leaving in June 2002 to serve as John Andretti's crew chief at Petty Enterprises for the remainder of the 2002 season. After his stint at Petty, Thomas returned to JGR for the 2003 season as Labonte's engineer. During the 2004 season he has served as the head of Superspeeedway research and development for JGR. Prior to coming to JGR in 2001, Thomas served as engineer for Rusty Wallace at Penske Racing South from Aug. 1999-Nov. 2001. During that time, Wallace scored six wins and finished seventh in points in 2000 and 2001. From 1998-July 1999, Thomas was the assistant race engineer for Dan Gurney's All-American Racers and driver Alex Barron in CART. Thomas earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech
University in 1997. Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing, will assist Thomas and the team until a permanent crew chief is announced. Makar served as crew chief on the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet from 1992-2002, winning the 1993 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett and the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Championship with Labonte.(Joe Gibbs Racing)(7-15-2004)
Crew Chief Change coming at the 18? Denied...UPDATE 3 Yep: Insiders say that a crew chief change on the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Chevy of Bobby Labonte is imminent. Current crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain was involved in an altercation with a crew member at Pocono. Rumor mill has Jimmy Makar returning as crew chief.(Motorsport.com)(7-11-2004)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing has informed me that this is NOT true, no changes planned.(7-13-2004)
UPDATE 2: been getting this memo sent to me all day......Joe Gibbs Racing has decided in their Chase for the Championship with Bobby Labonte and the Interstate Batteries race team to make a crew chief change effective immediately. Michael "Fatback" McSwain is officially released from his position, and a new crew chief will be announced in the next few days. While McSwain has been a successful crew chief, Joe Gibbs Racing is looking for an individual who will better fit the Interstate team's style and personnel. As soon as the new crew chief has been selected, we will communicate that to you. Supposedly it will be announced tomorrow [Wed]
AND Been told by sources, this is true.(7-13-2004)
UPDATE 3: Gibbs Racing released Michael McSwain from his duties as crew chief of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy in the NASCAR NEXTEL Series, team officials announced July 14. McSwain joined Joe Gibbs Racing in December 2002 and served as Bobby Labontes crew chief for the 2003 season and the first 18 races of the 2004 season. "Over the past two years, Michael McSwain has worked extremely hard for Joe Gibbs Racing," J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR, said. "This was a difficult decision, but it was time to go in a different direction. We appreciate all that he has done for the team and wish him the best of luck in the future." McSwain, 37, scored victories with Labonte in 2003 at Atlanta (spring) and the season-finale at Homestead-Miami, en route to an eighth-place finish in the point standings. "Joe Gibbs Racing and I had a successful relationship," McSwain said. "I wish them the best the remainder of the year and in the future." An interim crew chief will be named in the near future. Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing, will assist the team as the interim crew chief while team officials search for McSwains replacement. Makar served as crew chief on the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet from 1992-2002, winning the 1993 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett and the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Championship with Labonte. "We hope to make the decision on a permanent crew chief in the near future, but we are going to take our time to find the best person for the job," Gibbs said. "Michael did a great job when he came in and took over for Jimmy Makar after the 2002 season," Labonte said. "We won a couple of races in 2003 and won some poles. He works hard, and I wish him success down the road." Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, fielding two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams for drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart, and two NASCAR Busch Series teams for drivers Mike Bliss and J.J. Yeley.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR/Site)
McSWAIN Surprised: McSwain plans to take a week off to further evaluate his options and determine why he was let go. He says he simply doesn't know. "It's no different than anybody else -- we've had good weeks and bad weeks, but it was a big surprise, I'll give you that," he said. "It really was. I can't say we didn't do good together, because we did. We had some success together. Sometimes, though, things work out and sometimes they don't. It was as big a shock to me as it was the rest of the world. If we were 25th in points I probably wouldn't be so disappointed. But being in the position we were in (sixth), it's disappointing."(see full story and quotes at NASCAR.com)(7-14-2004)
Fatback Interview: Michael "Fatback" McSwain, former crew chief for Bobby Labonte's #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, has agreed to an exclusive interview with radio show NASCAR Performance Live to discuss his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing. The radio show will air from 7:00-8:00pm/et on XM Satellite Radio (Channel 144) as well as on some MRN (Motor Racing Network) radio affiliate stations across the country. The show also airs on WFMX-FM (105.7) in Charlotte, at a delayed time from 8:00 - 9:00pm/et.
McSwain, who is expected to grant no other interviews in the near future, will be interviewed by Steve Post, MRN's Pit Road Reporter and the show's regular host, along with in-studio guests Doug Richert, Crew Chief for Greg Biffle and Tony Eury Jr., a member of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team. The interview will provide more insight for fans on McSwain's sudden, mid-season, dismissal.(NASCAR PR)(7-14-2004)
Different look for Bobby Labonte at Daytona: Wellbutrin XL, a medicine indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder in patients 18 years and older, will serve as the primary sponsor for the #18 Chevrolet that Bobby Labonte drives this weekend at Daytona. Wellbutrin XL served as primary sponsor March 28 at Bristol and April 25 at Talladega and will serve as the main sponsor at Chicagoland (July 11), Michigan (Aug. 22), California (Sept. 5), Richmond (Sept. 11) and Atlanta (Oct. 31). The car is blue and yellow, not purple as it was ay Bristol and Talladega.(JGR Site)(7-2-2004)
WIX working JGR on a cabin air filtration system: WIX Filters Inc., is working with Joe Gibbs Racing to develop a cabin air filtration system that can remove everything from carbon monoxide to dust, rubber and noxious fumes from the air breathed by drivers. "A few teams have tried to come up with their own (air filtration) system, but the deal for us was the safety of our drivers," said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, which employs top drivers #18-Bobby Labonte and #20-Tony Stewart. "We want our drivers to be alert and feeling good throughout the race." While the WIX system is a complicated piece of engineering, its operation in a race car is relatively simple. Air enters through an intake in the passenger side window and passes through a hose into the filtration system. The air is scrubbed to remove most of the carbon monoxide, and then passed through another air filter that removes soot, debris and fumes. The cleaned air is cooled and sent into the driver's helmet. NASCAR has been trying to find a way to filter the air drivers breathe during races - which can last five hours with cars approaching speeds of 200 mph - for the last 18 months, since veteran driver Rick Mast announced he would retire at 45. Mast, who made 364 starts at NASCAR's top level, said years of exposure to toxic fumes in his car gave him acute and chronic carbon monoxide poisoning, a feeling he described as "the worst hangover in your life. You wake up feeling nauseated and you want to throw up and you can't," he said at the time. "Your head is pounding all the time and you just feel awful." When Stewart began complaining of similar symptoms, Joe Gibbs Racing approached WIX about a filtration system that could be installed in their race cars. "Tony is particularly sensitive to carbon monoxide fumes," Bruce Johnston, brand manager for WIX Filters, said in an interview at the company's headquarters in Gastonia. "They wanted to see if we could provide them something to make it easier for him to run at tracks like Martinsville and Bristol." J.D. Gibbs became a believer after blood tests on Stewart and Labonte following races showed the drivers had been exposed to potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. "In racing, you are always looking for small advantages," he said. "We think this is a big advantage for our drivers. And both of our guys told me it was a good move." Greg Rhyne, a WIX product designer, said improved aerodynamics in NASCAR cars have exacerbated the carbon monoxide problem in recent years. "These cars are so aerodynamic that almost no air flows into them," he said. "Essentially, the drivers are breathing the same air for 500 miles." Carbon monoxide's effects on the human body are cumulative, building up each time a driver is exposed to it. Some drivers have undergone oxygen treatments after races to decrease the effects of breathing the fumes. NASCAR's research and development center has developed a device, called a catalyst, that reduces carbon monoxide in cars and is encouraging teams to design filtration systems around it. The WIX filter uses NACAR's catalyst, as does a system developed by Penske Racing South and NASA. The Penske system uses two filters - one containing carbon and the other the catalyst developed by NASCAR - to convert carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. In May, during a Nextel Cup race in Richmond, #12-Ryan Newman and #77-Brendan Gaughan tried the Penske system in their cars. Johnston said WIX will offer its system to all racing teams that want to use the technology. After Stewart used the system in his car for the first time at Martinsville last year, he emerged from his car saying: "I could have run 500 more (laps)."(AP/Fox Carolina)(7-1-2004)
Chris Bristol claims first win for Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing: Chris Bristol qualified second and led every lap to claim his first win at Caraway Speedway in his MBNA - Rockwell Automation sponsored Chevrolet. It is the first win for the Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing diversity program.(JGR PR)(6-6-2004)
Special D-Day scheme and diecast deal: MBNA is the primary sponsor of the #18 Chevy for Dover, and Labontes car is painted in a style reminiscent of World War II military equipment. A 1:24 scale die-cast replica of Labonte's MBNA D-Day car is available and a portion of the royalties from sales of the die-cast will be donated to the D-Day Memorial Foundation and to the Armed Forces Family Scholarship and Assistance Fund (AFFSAF), administered by the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation (MCLEF).(JGR PR), check out the die-cast at www.full-victory.com.(6-4-2004)
#18 Wins Pit-Crew Challenge: The #18 Interstate Batteries Racing Team won the POWERade Pit-Crew Challenge in front of Coca-Cola Stage on Speed Street May 28 in Charlotte, N.C. The eight-man crew changed four tires and simulated a refill of Sunoco gasoline in 15.93 seconds to defeat #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team in the final round. The team, which performs pit stops for the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet driven by Bobby Labonte in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, collected a check for $15,000. "It's a great accomplishment for them," said crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain. "They've had some ups and downs this year, but they've worked really hard. I think by winning the competition, they're seeing that hard work pay off. I'm proud of them. Hopefully, this will give us some great momentum for not only the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, but for the remainder of the year." Members of the Interstate Batteries Racing team over-the-wall crew are: Mark "Hollywood" Armstrong (front-tire changer), Barry Cook (rear-tire changer), Alan Copley (rear-tire carrier), Jason Lee (jackman), Tom Lampe (gasman), Tom McCrimmon (catch can), Todd Meredith (front tire carrier), Adam von Olhausen (windshield). Paul Alepa is the team's trainer and pit-stop coordinator.(JGR PR)(5-30-2004)
Fed-Ex to Gibbs? UPDATE or DEI? Federal Express, which once was in the running to be the title sponsor of NASCAR's top series before Nextel came on board, has been in talks with both Joe Gibbs Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc. Word in the garage: Fed Ex will end up on a third Cup car for the 2005 season at JGR with J.J. Yeley, a Busch rookie this season, behind the wheel. But Gibbs says it's too early to commit. "Right now, we're in the process of moving through things, and we can't announce anything because the deal isn't done," Gibbs says. "We've been in conversations for a long time but right now it's just a work in progress."(FoxSports/Sporting News)(5-24-2004)
UPDATE: On the sponsorship front, Federal Express is being wooed again by both DEI and Joe Gibbs.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-29-2004)
Interstate Batteries to Re-up with Gibbs and the #18: Interstate Batteries will announce today a three-year extension with Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet.(The State)(5-14-2004)
Bobby Labonte to run Busch race at MIS; Bliss to run 2 Cup races: Bobby Labonte and his long-time sponsor ConAgra Foods, Inc. announced that Labonte will return to the Busch Series for the Cabela's 250 Race on August 21, 2004 at Michigan International Speedway. He will be driving the bright red #19 Banquet Chevrolet featuring the Banquet brand and logo. This car was unveiled at the 2004 Food Market Institute Show (FMI) at McCormick Place in Chicago. This extended partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) highlights ConAgra Foods' growing involvement in the sport of NASCAR. Having recognized the power of NASCAR to reach families nationwide almost a decade ago, the company was an early supporter of Labonte's racing team. Under this new agreement, Labonte will appear in advertising and promotions as well as provide personal appearances and publicity for Banquet and ConAgra Foods. The Cabela's 250 Race marks Bobby's return to the Busch Series [JAYSKI NOTE: Actually Labonte ran the Texas Busch race in the #29 ESGR/Army Nat'l Guard-Reserve RCR Chevy and finished 11th]. "I'm excited to run the #19 Banquet Chevrolet in the Busch series later this summer," said Labonte. "My goal is to take Banquet and ConAgra Foods to the winner's circle at the Cabela's 250." ConAgra Foods will continue to maximize its association with NASCAR in 2004 with a series of sponsorships and promotions. Banquet's title sponsorship of the Banquet 400 Nextel Cup Series race at Kansas Motor Speedway in October continues for the second year, and the partnership with JGR will offer several ConAgra Foods brands in the snack and grocery categories the opportunity to appear on the #80 car driven by Mike Bliss during two Nextel Cup Series races. Bliss will race the #80 Slim Jim Chevrolet at the Tropicana 400 in Chicago this July and he will run the #80 Hunts Chevrolet at the Chevy Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International Raceway in September [NOTE: Gibbs would get to use the car #80 over the #80 Hover Motorsports team and driver Andy Hillenburg as that team is listed as #280 in Owners Points]. This summer Banquet will be rolling out a retail promotion called "0 to Dinner with Banquet," which gives fans the opportunity to collect five proofs of purchase from frozen and grocery products and receive a die cast #19 Banquet Chevrolet. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.(Ketchum PR)(5-3-2004)
Bobby Labonte to run Busch race at MIS; Bliss to run 2 Cup races: Bobby Labonte and his long-time sponsor ConAgra Foods, Inc. announced that Labonte will return to the Busch Series for the Cabela's 250 Race on August 21, 2004 at Michigan International Speedway. He will be driving the bright red #19 Banquet Chevrolet featuring the Banquet brand and logo. This car was unveiled at the 2004 Food Market Institute Show (FMI) at McCormick Place in Chicago. This extended partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) highlights ConAgra Foods' growing involvement in the sport of NASCAR. Having recognized the power of NASCAR to reach families nationwide almost a decade ago, the company was an early supporter of Labonte's racing team. Under this new agreement, Labonte will appear in advertising and promotions as well as provide personal appearances and publicity for Banquet and ConAgra Foods. The Cabela's 250 Race marks Bobby's return to the Busch Series [JAYSKI NOTE: Actually Labonte ran the Texas Busch race in the #29 ESGR/Army Nat'l Guard-Reserve RCR Chevy and finished 11th]. "I'm excited to run the #19 Banquet Chevrolet in the Busch series later this summer," said Labonte. "My goal is to take Banquet and ConAgra Foods to the winner's circle at the Cabela's 250." ConAgra Foods will continue to maximize its association with NASCAR in 2004 with a series of sponsorships and promotions. Banquet's title sponsorship of the Banquet 400 Nextel Cup Series race at Kansas Motor Speedway in October continues for the second year, and the partnership with JGR will offer several ConAgra Foods brands in the snack and grocery categories the opportunity to appear on the #80 car driven by Mike Bliss during two Nextel Cup Series races. Bliss will race the #80 Slim Jim Chevrolet at the Tropicana 400 in Chicago this July and he will run the #80 Hunts Chevrolet at the Chevy Monte Carlo 400 at Richmond International Raceway in September [NOTE: Gibbs would get to use the car #80 over the #80 Hover Motorsports team and driver Andy Hillenburg as that team is listed as #280 in Owners Points]. This summer Banquet will be rolling out a retail promotion called "0 to Dinner with Banquet," which gives fans the opportunity to collect five proofs of purchase from frozen and grocery products and receive a die cast #19 Banquet Chevrolet. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.(Ketchum PR)(5-3-2004)
Labonte Track close to completion: The North Carolina Quarter-Midget Association Speedway, which #18 driver Bobby Labonte initiated with members of the NCQMA, is nearing completion. A webcam located at www.ncqma.com provides a live look at the construction taking place in Rowan County, NC.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(4-30-2004)
Jessica Lynch Booksigning - Labonte in line: Roughly 200 people came to Barnes & Noble to meet Army veteran and former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch and get signed copies of "I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story," written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book Tuesday will be used to buy books for Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem. Before the event, Lynch met in the children's section of the bookstore with a group of kids from the More at Four prekindergarten program at the Clara Cox Children's Center operated by Developmental Day Care.....Others waiting in the book-signing line that snaked through stacks of books -- including NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte -- were equally anxious to meet Lynch.(News and Record)(4-15-2004)
#18 Rotating Sponsors: Hearing Interstate Batteries will 'share' primary sponsorship of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy driven by Bobby Labonte. Glaxo [Wellbutrin at Bristol] will be the sponsor at eight races: Bristol [last week], Talladega (Apr), Daytona, Chicago, Michigan (Aug), California (Sept), Richmond (Sept) and Atlanta. MBNA will be the primary sponsor at both Dover races. Interstate Batteries will be an associat sponsor for the 10 races. Interstate will retain full sponsorship for most of the Chase for the Champoinship playoff, which covers the last 10 races of the season.(4-1-2004)
PLUS Shrek II will be on the car at Lowe's Motor Speedway race in May.(4-2-2004)
Labonte back to the Busch Series in 2005: Bobby Labonte says he and Joe Gibbs Racing are talking about running around 10 Busch Series races in 2005. Labonte says if they can land the right sponsor they'll "dabble in that a little bit."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show), Labonte is running the Busch race at Texas this weekend in the #29 RCR Chevy - the PR in part Bobby Labonte will slide behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) NASCAR Busch Series entry sponsored by the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserves (ESGR) this week at Texas Motor Speedway in the first of a five-race program with an all-star lineup of drivers. The program's driver lineup, announced in February at Daytona International Speedway, also includes Tony Stewart (California), Ricky Craven (Chicago), and RCR drivers Kerry Earnhardt (Dover-Sept) and Kevin Harvick (Homestead). ESGR is a Department of Defense agency whose mission is to gain and maintain employer support from all public and private employers for the men and women who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. ESGR operates through a network of more than 2,000 volunteers throughout 55 committees located in each state, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Europe. Labonte will drive the #29 ESGR Chevry with a paint scheme honoring the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. RCR's #2 ACDelco Chevrolet, driven by Ron Hornaday, is carrying This week's paint scheme will honor the Army Reserve and Army National Guard. the ESGR logo on the rear deck lid for the entire 2004 NASCAR Busch Series season. For more information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and ESGR volunteer opportunities, please call 800-336-4590 of visit our website at www.esgr.com.(RCR PR), see my 2004 Busch Series Paint Scheme page for images of the cars(4-1-2004)
Gibbs Late Models Team to run Sat: the Joe Gibbs Racing Late Model teams are racing now. The #18 MBNA team with Chris Bristol will be in their third race this Saturday at Caraway Speedway [Asheboro, NC] and Aric Almirola will be making his debut in the #20 Home Depot Chevy at Ace Speedway [Altamahaw, NC] on Friday night. This is the Joe Gibbs Racing - Reggie White Racing diversity program teams.(4-1-2004)
Bobby Labonte, Michael McSwain, J.D. Gibbs To Visit "Racing For Life" Mobile Health Unit: Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion, his crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain and J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing will visit the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), "Racing For Life" Mobile Health Unit outside of Bristol Motor Speedway at 10:00am Friday, March 26. Wellbutrin XLT (bupropion HCl extended-release tablets), a medicine indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder in patients
18 years and older produced by GSK, will serve as the primary sponsor for Labonte's #18 Chevrolet at Bristol and seven other races in
2004. In addition to their sponsorship, GSK officials announced in February at Daytona that they would be offering free health screenings to fans across the nation at 23 races in 2004. The unique "Racing for Life" mobile health unit expands into a patient education and health-screening center, and provides screenings and information on such health topics as hypertension, type II diabetes, osteoporosis,
asthma, men's health, smoking cessation, migraine, and depression. Labonte, McSwain and Gibbs will each be screened in the unit as part of the "Green-flag Ceremony," which helps kick off Wellbutrin XLT's primary sponsorship at Bristol.(Joe Gibbs Racing PR)(3-25-2004)
Seven Cup Drivers to run Special Chevy Trucks: The Chevrolet Silverado All-Stars, pairing NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers with superstar musical celebrities in the Truck Series. Michael Waltrip will be the first of seven different drivers to pilot the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado in individual races during the 2004 NCTS season. His musical partner, Sheryl Crow, will be featured in the special paint scheme for the first All-Stars race - the Charlotte Tailgate 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 21. Following the program debut at Lowe's Motor Speedway with Michael Waltrip, the following Chevy drivers with their specific musical partners will pilot the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado: Robby Gordon, Bristol (August 25); Tony Stewart, Richmond (September 9); Ricky Craven, New Hampshire (September 18); Bobby Labonte, Martinsville (October 23); Driver To Be Announced, Phoenix (November 5); and Ward Burton, Darlington (November 12). Serving as primary sponsor of the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado is Acxiom, a worldwide data services company. This Silverado entry will be campaigned by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with whom Acxiom has been partnered since 1998 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.(GM PR)(3-13-2004)
Special D-Day Scheme for Labonte at Dover: hearing that #18-Bobby Labonte wil run a D-Day scheme as this year marks the 60th Anniversary of D-Day, Labonte and Dover race sponsor MBNA will re-paint the Joe Gibbs NEXTEL Cup #18 with a vintage war plane design. The car will carry the decals and the insignias of this war-time in America. June 6 Dover.(3-5-2004)
BEN-LA? [not BEN-LO] Bobby Labonte and actor Ben Affleck met and raced in a Daytona 500 simulator at Daytona USA on Feb. 14, one day before Labonte will compete in the Daytona 500. Affleck will serve as grand marshal for the Daytona 500 and has starred in movies such as Good Will Hunting, Daredevil and Armageddon [Jayski could watch Arenageddon over and over]. “He was a nice guy,” Labonte said. “I actually watched Daredevil the other night, so it was cool to meet him.” Affleck raced using the simulator representing Jeff Gordon’s car, while Labonte used his #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet. “I wrecked him early in the race when I was trying to draft him,” Labonte said. “We talked afterward, and I explained to him about the ‘bump draft.’ We talked a lot about racing, and he really knows the sport.” Labonte will start 13th in the Daytona 500, driving the No. 18 “The Passion of the Christ” Interstate Chevrolet.(Camp and Associates PR)(2-15-2004)
Gibbs OK: Redskins coach [and owner of the #18, #20 and #80 Cup teams, and #18 and #20 Busch teams] Joe Gibbs, 63, was taken to the emergency room at Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, Fla., for a diabetic reaction due to an insulin imbalance during his visit with Jags quarterback Mark Brunell. Gibbs, who was treated and released that night, returned to work Tuesday. Gibbs started to feel poorly on his Monday afternoon flight from Washington and was given some M&Ms on the plane to boost his sugar level. When Brunell met Gibbs at the airport in St. Augustine, Gibbs asked the quarterback to drive him to a hospital. Gibbs, diagnosed several years ago, revealed his diabetes during his introductory press conference when he returned to the Redskins last month. "He had an imbalance in his insulin, they gave him the required dosage to correct the imbalance and he went on his way," Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson told the Washington Post. "They didn't keep him there. They gave him what he needed and he left."(ESPN)(2-10-2004)
Gibson Movie on #18 Hood: Norm Miller, chairman of Dallas-based Interstate Batteries, replaced his own company's hood-sized logo with an ad for "The Passion" on NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte's #18 Chevrolet. The car will carry the ad during the Daytona 500 race Feb. 15. Miller said he feels "privileged" to offer the giveaway publicity. Miller is yet another volunteer in an effort to turn "The Passion" into a success of biblical proportions. Many think a successful opening will encourage more Christian-themed movies — and win more souls. "We need this film to have the biggest opening on record," said the Web site catholicexchange.com.(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(2-5-2004)
Guard and Reserve Busch Grand National cars schemes: The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a government-funded program that enlists the support of America’s corporations to procure employment of American military service men and women. The ESGR will sponsor 5 Busch races, with Richard Childress in an attempt to create awareness and to promote the 5 Freedom Award recipients selected in 2003. Here are 3 of the drivers that are available for preorder. All cars will be #29, so far three drivers:
Tony Stewart Coast Guard scheme to be run at Homestead in November
Bobby Labonte Army scheme to be run at Texas in April
Jimmie Johnson Marines scheme to be run at California in May.(1-20-2004)
Gibbs/Reggie White Diversity Update: North Carolina A&T graduate Chris Bristol is expected to be one of two minority drivers selected to drive a Late Model for a team owned by NASCAR owner and NFL coach Joe Gibbs and former NFL player Reggie White. The announcement is expected to take place later this month. Gibbs and White announced last year plans to create their own driver diversity program. Steve de Souza, vice president of Busch operations and special projects at Joe Gibbs Racing, said the organization received more than 200 resumes for the two openings. de Souza declined to name the two drivers but said Bristol was one of five who tested for the program last month. Bristol, a Greensboro resident, graduated from A&T in 1999 with a mechanical engineering degree. He finished second in the Late Model Super Truck division last season at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, winning rookie of the year honors, along with three races. Bristol, an African-American, first began racing six years ago in A&T's motorsports program and has been trying to race fulltime since. He was one of 13 candidates selected to try out earlier this week for the NASCAR-backed Drive for Diversity program -- which will put at least four minority drivers with Late Model teams in the Southeast. Bristol called program officials before the tryout to say he had other plans and wouldn't need to take part in the program. Bristol and his new team are expected to race regularly at Caraway. The other team is expected to compete regularly at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw.(News and Record)(1-8-2004)
Gibbs back to the NFL? UPDATE 2 It's Official - He is Back: Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs could make a surprise return to the Washington Redskins. The Washington Post, citing sources with connections to Gibbs, reported late Tuesday on its Web site that Gibbs was in serious discussions about returning to the team that he led to three Super Bowl titles. The 63-year-old Gibbs coached the Redskins from 1981-92 before resigning to pursue a career with his own NASCAR team. He has been adamant over the years about not wanting to coach again, although he has retained NFL connections. He is currently a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. The Redskins are seeking a replacement for Steve Spurrier, who resigned last week. Calls to the Redskins and to Gibbs' racing team were not immediately returned. Gibbs' racing teams have been among the most successful in NASCAR with two Winston Cup championships in the last four seasons. #18-Bobby Labonte took the title in 2000 and #20-Tony Stewart in 2002.(CNNSI/AP)(1-7-2004)
UPDATE: The Washington Redskins [Go Eagles] expect to name Joe Gibbs their coach Wednesday, a source within the NFL told The Associated Press. The Hall of Fame coach has been negotiating a surprise return to the team he led to three Super Bowls, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The source said the team hoped to complete the deal and make an announcement later Wednesday. The negotiations were first reported by The Washington Post and CBS Sportsline.com. Gibbs' oldest son, J.D., is president of Joe Gibbs Racing. The former coach's youngest son, Coy, finished 14th last season in the Busch Series standings [but is not racing in 2004 and is supposedly 'retired'.(ThatsRacin.com/AP), no word on how this effects the team, but Gibbs has his son's in place running most of the day-to-day operation already.(1-7-2004)
AND from the Joe Gibbs Racing site: Joe Gibbs, former head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), announced today his return as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Gibbs retired as head coach of the Washington Redskins following the 1992 season after leading the Redskins to three Super Bowl victories in four appearances. In 12 seasons, Gibbs' record with the Redskins was 140-65 with a 16-5 playoff record.
"The desire to coach has always been with me, even after being away from the game for 11 years," said Gibbs, whose contract with the Redskins will run for five years. "After speaking with my wife Pat, we both agreed it would be a thrill to go back. I appreciate Daniel Snyder giving me the opportunity to coach again. But rest assured, I remain personally committed to Joe Gibbs Racing and each and every sponsor who supports the many employees of Joe Gibbs Racing."
JGR, winner of two NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championships and 40 Nextel Cup victories since its inception in 1992, will not be affected by Gibbs' return to the NFL sideline. Key management remains in place, with Gibbs' oldest son - J.D. Gibbs - continuing his role as team president. All of the drivers and key sponsors have long term deals, and the management structure will not change, with Jimmy Makar and each team's respective crew chiefs directing the racing operations. Joe Gibbs will remain as the race team's CEO.
"I am real excited for my Mom and Dad," said J.D. Gibbs. "I think this move gives our sponsors added value in terms of getting national exposure. JGR is a strong organization and it's in capable hands. I feel great about the state of this race team and its future success on the race track."
Prior to making his decision to return to the NFL, Joe Gibbs met with the race team's key corporate sponsors, most notably The Home Depot and Interstate Batteries. "Joe Gibbs is an integral part of The Home Depot family, and I speak for the more than 300,000 company associates in support of his new challenges as coach of the Washington Redskins," said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and CEO, The Home Depot. "Given Joe's success at building teams, it comes as no surprise that he would add NFL coach to his current responsibilities for the #20 Home Depot car driven by Tony Stewart. We look forward to a successful 2004 season with Joe Gibbs Racing."
"All of us at Interstate are extremely excited for Joe and look forward to the Cowboys - Redskins rivalry heating up again". said Norm Miller, chairma