Labonte to honor Flight 93 heroes at Dover

CONCORD, N.C. -- Like most Americans, Bobby Labonte had heard Todd Beamer's name countless times in the months following Sept. 11, 2001. He was well aware what occurred on United Flight 93 in the skies over rural Pennsylvania.

However, until Joe Gibbs Racing vice president of marketing Dave Alpern offered up an idea earlier this year, Labonte didn't realize that Beamer was a spearhead in executing one of the most heroic deeds in American history -- grounding that plane, which had been hijacked by terrorists.

"Sure, I'd heard Todd's name, of course, but never really associated it with anything else," Labonte said. "So when (Alpern) came to me and asked about running this paint scheme, and told me what it was for and what it was all about, it was just a natural thing. I thought it sounded great, sounded like a honor."

To honor Beamer and his fallen comrades, Labonte will run a special paint scheme this weekend at Dover International Speedway. The scheme, which includes Beamer's now famous battle cry "Let's Roll" on the hood, will benefit the Todd M. Beamer Foundation.

The Foundation, a non-profit group established by Beamer's friends and family to honor and carry on his legacy of developing character, faith and courage in the lives of young people, especially focuses on those children who lost a parent on Sept. 11.

"It really would mean more to win this weekend, with what we're racing for and all," said Labonte, the 2000 champion who this season has endured one of the most frustrating campaigns of his decade-long Winston Cup career.

How tough has it been?

Last week's fifth-place effort at New Hampshire marked his first top-five since winning Martinsville in April. He currently has five top-10s. Only once in his career has he logged less than six, and since joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 1995, has never finished a year with less than 14 top-10 finishes.

With nine races remaining in the 2002 season, he ranks 17th in the overall standings. Only once since joining Gibbs has he finished a season ranked outside the top 10, an 11th-place effort in 1996.

"We've made some changes. I think we've done some things that have made our team better, made our cars better," Labonte said. "Right now, I think we're definitely looking better than we were six weeks ago, as far as momentum and confidence are concerned.

"I guess I was excited to finish fifth (at New Hampshire), but I was a little bummed, too. I think we were better than a fifth-place car at times."

Though Labonte's season has been taxing, opportunities such as the "Let's Roll" promotion put it in perspective.

"As tough as the season we're having is, and the concentration we need to make the year better, to look out from behind the blinders for a while and see what else is going on in the world and help others out is nice," Labonte said.

"To try and move away from being so focused, so self-centered and help others while doing what you love to do -- that's a unique privilege."

All parties involved in the project -- JGR, Interstate Batteries and Action Performance, Inc. -- will donate 100 percent of royalties from related merchandise to the Todd M. Beamer Foundation.

Action Performance has created a full line of No. 18 Pontiac "Let's Roll" die-cast cars and will also donate all proceeds to the Beamer Foundation.

Race fans can also pledge individual donations for the Let's Roll program online via www.nascar.com, www.bobbylabonte.com, www.joegibbsracing.com and www.beamerfoundation.org.

"It's interesting. To think about winning a race and what it takes, racing this guy or that guy, outrun so and so, you think, man, that's a tough deal there," Labonte said.

"But the pure fact that, you know what, we're going to do something that'll cost us our lives, we're going to do it now and we know the consequences. That's a totally different deal than what most people go through in their lives.

"Most people never have to make a decision like that. It's life or death. That doesn't happen very often. So to me, to represent that spirit, that makes you proud."