Bristol II: Bobby Labonte preview

Saturday Night Racing 'Just Right' For Labonte
Labonte's Strong Run in March Brings Phoenix Racing Hope

Spartanburg, S.C. (August 17, 2010) - This weekend, Phoenix Racing and the No. 09 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet team are excited to go short track racing with Bobby Labonte at the 0.533-mile track of Bristol (T.N.) Motor Speedway for Saturday nights, Irwin Tools Night Race. This is the second time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has visited the track this season.

Labonte finished 21st in the spring at the fast, concrete-surfaced track. He gained 22 positions with a backup car and gave TRG Motorsports their best finish on a non-superspeedway or road course so far this season.

Labonte has 35 starts with an average start of 20th and an average finish of 19th at Bristol. He has also achieved three top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes.

Comments from Bobby Labonte on Bristol Motor Speedway:

"The No. 09 team and I just really haven't caught a break yet. The guys are working really hard, but we are just having some bad luck. Hopefully we will be able to stay out of trouble this weekend and things will go our way. This is a great team, great organization and it would be great to be able to show that and execute a great finish Saturday night.

"Racing under the lights and Bristol, it's just right. Bristol is such a fun track, and to have this race under the lights just makes it that much more exciting. This is a fan-favorite track and it's always great to see the fans excited. We're hoping that the fans can come and enjoy this race and sell it out again. It's more enjoyable for everyone when the place is packed.

"One of the unique things that the track has done is to allow us to come out to our choice of song for driver introductions. We've done it a few times now, but the fans seem to get a kick out of it. I've got my song picked, but we'll wait until Saturday to let everyone know. It's something neat that the track does and it's pretty cool.

"Racing at Bristol, you have to be patient. This is definitely a place where tempers get hot and accidents are bound to happen. It's feast or famine here. There is a lot of side-by-side racing and a lot of beating and banging. It is hard to come out of Bristol without some sort of damage to your car. It always seems like the guy who has the best looking car usually wins."

-source: bobby labonte PR