The #18 crew for Bobby Labonte’s Interstate Batteries team notched its third victory in the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade by taking first-place honors at Sunday’s Banquet 400 in Kansas City, Kan. Labonte’s crew narrowly defeated its Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and last week’s winner (in Talladega) – the No. 20 Home Depot crew for Tony Stewart. Labonte’s Chevrolet spent 178.515 seconds on the Kansas Speedway pit road compared to 182.148 for Stewart’s Chevrolet. “That’s awesome,” said Paul Alepa, team trainer and pit crew coordinator for Joe Gibbs Racing. “We were just talking earlier today how cool it would be to someday have the No. 18 and the No. 20 teams finish one and two, so to find out it happened in Kansas is just great. It’s a tribute to the guys and how hard they are working. They practice every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as a lot of Wednesdays and all the hard work is paying off.” Labonte’s pit crew, which scored back-to-back victories earlier in the season at Martinsville and California, has now earned $60,000 ($20,000 for each win) and is within striking distance for the season championship and the $200,000 bonus that goes with the title. With six races remaining, Michael Waltrip’s No. 15 crew continues to lead the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade with 1047 points. Dale Earnhardt Jr’s crew is second, 36 points behind at 1011. Kurt Busch’s team is third (1002) and Labonte’s crew is fourth (1001). Labonte’s team got back into the mix by picking up 24 points on Waltrip’s team in Kansas. Labonte’s crew earned the maximum 43 points while Waltrip’s crew earned 19 points for finishing 25th. “We have a deficit to overcome (46 points), but it’s still possible to grab that title and the $200,000 purse,” said Michael “Fatback” McSwain, crew chief for the No. 18 team. “The McDonald’s/POWERade championship has sure been a great incentive for our pit crew.” Labonte’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Jason Lee (jackman), Todd Meredith (front tire carrier), Mark Armstrong (front tire changer), Alan Copley (rear tire carrier), Barry Cook (rear tire changer), Tom Lampe (gasman) and Tom McCrimmon (catch can). The car chief is Scott Zipadelli and the windshield duties are handled by Adam von Olhausen.(DMF PR), see top 10 results at Kansas and the full standings on my Pitcrew News and Links page .(10-9-2003)
