Night Race needs another classic finish
BRISTOL — The stage was set for another classic Bristol finish. Mark Martin was on the back bumper of Kyle Busch as the two drivers entered the final lap of last August’s night race. Could it be another in the line of the two Dale Earnhardt-Terry Labonte clashes?
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Posted on August 23rd, 2010 by Nascar News
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Ambrose aiming for Watkins Glen trifecta
Marcos Ambrose will attempt to win his third consecutive Nationwide race at Watkins Glen.
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Posted on August 6th, 2010 by Nascar News
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Ten Big Mistakes in NASCAR .
Car owners, drivers, sponsors… Sometimes they make good decisions, sometime they make bad ones. The mistakes on this list highlights some of the worst decisions I’ve seen in NASCAR in my 20 years as a fan. Not all looked bad at the time, but as they say, hindsight is 20-20. Begin Slideshow
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Posted on July 20th, 2010 by Nascar News
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Texas governor Rick Perry has kept no secrets about playing favorites when it comes to NASCAR, and he’ll be cheering along Bobby Labonte’s No. 71 stock car from the Texas Motor Speedway at the April 18 Samsung Mobile 500. Perry has officially merged politics with NASCAR, as his re-election campaign is sponsoring Labonte’s car at the upcoming Texas race.
For racing fans with NASCAR tickets to this month’s Texas Sprint Cup race, a first glance at history in the making will be seen zooming around the racetrack. Labonte’s No. 71 Chevy will feature red and blue lettering with the words “Governor Perry” adorning the front and “Perry Governor 2010″ penned on the car’s backside. Perry coughed up $225,000 for the one-race sponsorship, and the Republican will be rooting for the underdog (Labonte is currently 31st in point standings) to take the Samsung Mobile 500 Sprint Cup Series race in mid-April.
Speaking to Dallas Morning News about the unlikely sponsorship, Governor Perry likened Bobby Labonte’s driving to Texas’ “strong economy,” stating, “You build it right and you know what it’s capable of.” Perry continued, “I know that he’s going to take the checkered flag at the speedway and we’re going to take the green flag for the economy.”
Despite the overflowing racing quips to compare politics and racecar driving, a burn was delivered from his rival â Democrat Bill White â earlier this week in the form of White’s spokeswoman Katy Bacon. Responding to Perry’s speech, Bacon said, “Given Perry’s record on education, we’re assuming this car is going to go mostly in reverse or drop out of the race.”
No matter how politics plays out, Bobby Labonte will get to drive in one more race this season, this time under the sponsorship of Rick Perry. He still has a ways to go, however, if he wants to take that checkered flag by storm in the April 18 race at Texas. Labonte’s 2010 NASCAR season has gotten off to a slow start this year, with his best finishes at Daytona and Bristol, where he placed 21st at both.
The TRG Motorsports extraordinaire has been on the Sprint Cup circuit since 1991, and Labonte’s longstanding clout with NASCAR is perhaps what has led a Texas governor to make history in becoming the first politician to ever sponsor a stock car. Labonte spent most of his peak career years with Joe Gibbs Racing in the late ’90s and early ’00s, and No. 71 has notched some very impressive numbers on the Cup Series circuit, winning the Cup championship in 2000 and coming in second overall in 1999.
Though last year was only mildly successful for Labonte, who finished 30th overall after the 2009 season, perhaps Governor Perry’s backing will help ignite a fire under the 45-year-old driver. The Labonte name has deep NASCAR roots, with Bobby’s brother Terry Labonte also having been a NASCAR legend of old, and the Corpus Christi, Texas native will have more than a little support from his home state of Texas as he makes his way to the Texas Motor Speedway later this month for the Samsung Mobile 500. As for Rick Perry’s re-election campaign, that’s a story for another day.
Posted on July 3rd, 2010 by Nascar News
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