IROC – Labonte wins race and championship: The 25th running of the True Value IROC series has been completed with reigning Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte earning his first IROC title by finishing in today’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton led the first 19 laps until a caution for debris bunched the field. At the double-file restart Burton and Labonte went side-by-side down the back stretch where Tony Stewart made it three wide into turn three. At that point Burton and Buddy Lazier got together taking both out of the action. On the final restart, Labonte and Stewart put on a teammate clinic as the two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers went side by side through the corners until lap 44 when Stewart scraped the outside of turn 4 and was not able to challenge after that. Labonte’s margin of victory was .324 of a second. Stewart finished second holding off Kenny Brack, Dale Jarrett and Al Unser Jr. In sixth was Ricky Rudd followed by Eddie Cheever Jr., Jeff Green, Mark Dismore, Jeff Burton and Buddy Lazier.(IROC Racing Site)(8-4-2001)
