NASCAR Winston Cup Goody's Headache Powders 500 Report: #18, Bobby Labonte
27 August 1997
#18 Bobby Labonte, Interstate Batteries Pontiac Grand Prix
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Goody's Headache Powders 500 Race Report
Bristol Motor Speedway
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! LABONTE SURVIVES AT BRISTOL
BRISTOL, TN - Bobby Labonte's mission in Saturday night's Goody's Headache
Powder 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway was survival. After struggling during
qualifying and starting 38th in the 42 car field, Labonte's game plan was to
stay out of trouble and see the checkered flag. Labonte accomplished his goal
and finished eighth, on the lead lap. Labonte's finish was his best effort in
five career starts in the night race at Bristol.
Labonte quickly worked his way through the field, moving into the top ten by
lap 186. Despite wrestling a loose race car for most of the night, he stayed
on the lead lap and was in contention to win the race despite the fact he was
pitting on the backstretch. Labonte now has a total of three career top-10
finishes in 10 career starts at Bristol.
"Our plan was to survive," Labonte said. "We knew we had our work cut out for
us because we started way back in the field. I had a good car and all the
guys on the Interstate Batteries Racing Team did a good job in the pits all
night. We were lucky not to be taken out in any accidents. We had a good
night and gained a few points on the leaders."
Labonte remains seventh in the Winston Cup Series Championship standings, 510
points behind point leader Mark Martin. He trails sixth place Dale Earnhardt
by 105 and leads eighth place Ted Musgrave by 163 points.
A busy week lies ahead for the Interstate Batteries Racing Team. The team
will be at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia, for a three
day test Monday through Wednesday preparing for the September 6th Richmond
400. The team will leave late on Thursday afternoon for Darlington Raceway,
site of the August 31st Mountain Dew Southern 500.
By Camp & Associates, Inc.