Is Terry Labonte considering retirement?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Terry Labonte is nearing the end of his racing career and hinted Friday that this season could be his last.

	Terry Labonte

Labonte, a two-time champion, is in his 26th full season in NASCAR's top series. He's on a year-to-year contract with car owner Rick Hendrick, and after finishing last season 10th in the standings with a victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway decided the end might be near.

"I told Rick last year that this year would probably be my last," the 47-year-old driver said Friday. "You have to sort of decide those things in advance in order to make plans and move ahead."

Labonte is struggling with the decision.

After consecutive seventh-place finishes in Dover and Pocono, he realized he was still having fun racing. But when he ran into Bill Elliott, who has partially retired and will make just his third start of the season in the Pepsi 400 on Saturday night, Labonte started thinking about retiring again.

"When I saw Bill and he said, 'I'm having so much fun, I'm having the time of my life,' I said 'Man, you are killing me,' " Labonte said.

	Terry Labonte won the 2003 Southern 500 at Darlington. Credit: Autostock

So Labonte seemed unsure Friday about what the future holds. Should Hendrick decide he wants to hand the keys to the No. 5 Chevrolet to young Kyle Busch next season, Labonte said he could consider driving for another team.

"There's really only a handful of teams I'd consider driving for," he said. "And it would have to be a Chevy. But if there's an opportunity that I like, I would consider it."

Labonte is only certain of a few things. He knows that when he does retire, it will be for good and he's not likely to consider occasional NASCAR races or events in smaller series. And he has no interest in owning a team, even if it was with his son, Justin, as the driver.

"You couldn't pay me to own a team," he said. "If someone gave me a team, I'd give it back."