NASCAR Cup

Martinsville: Bobby Labonte preview

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Tuesday, April 13, 2004 -- The following are Advance Auto parts 500 pre-race notes and quotes for Bobby Labonte, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing. SAMSUNG/RADIO SHACK 500 PRE-RACE ...

Published: Apr 14, 2004, 5:41 PM

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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C., Tuesday, April 13, 2004 -- The following are Advance Auto parts 500 pre-race notes and quotes for Bobby Labonte, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing.

SAMSUNG/RADIO SHACK 500 PRE-RACE NOTES:

* Labonte will attempt to start his 25th race at Martinsville Speedway. He won the spring race in 2002 and won the pole for the spring race in 1995.

* Labonte has three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at Martinsville. He has finished fourth or better in three of the last five races at Martinsville.

* In 2003, Labonte started 39th in the spring race at Martinsville, but managed to finish second behind Jeff Gordon. In the fall race, Labonte started 20th and finished 41st after engine problems ended his day after 271 laps.

* The primary car for the Advance Auto parts 500 will be No. 84, the car Labonte used at the fall New Hampshire race and the Phoenix event. He finished 16th and New Hampshire and 36th at Phoenix after being involved in a late-race accident.

* The back-up car is No. 64, the car Labonte used to finish second with at Martinsville and Richmond in the spring of 2003.

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS 500 PRE-RACE QUOTE:

BOBBY LABONTE (No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet; 2000 NASCAR Champion): "We've had some good runs in our last few races at Martinsville. We went up there to test (April 6) and had a really good test. We're excited go back up there and try to get into Victory Lane. Martinsville is obviously different than a lot of the tracks we go to. You have to be smart with your brake pedal and not abuse the brakes in the early going, especially if you don't have a great starting spot. We've had an up and down season, and we just need to finish races a little bit better and score some points."

-jgr-

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