Aside from being brothers, Terry and Bobby Labonte are also the best of friends. Credit: Autostock

Little brother melts in presence of 'The Iceman'

Bobby Labonte is Ben Stein in quilted Sparco.

Emotional outbursts -- joyous, incensed or otherwise -- just aren't his thing.

Not that he's boring. Not even. More a model of composure, like his older brother. I now know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, why they call Terry Labonte, "The Iceman": He was the only Labonte in attendance at his semi-retirement announcement that managed to fully maintain composure.

Marty Smith

It was typical Terry. He didn't say much, didn't revel in the spotlight. Just said what needed to be said and moved on. Bobby's the same way. Usually.

Unless the banter includes physical fitness -- 40 mile bike rides and five-mile runs are standard for him these days -- or technological gadgetry -- say, home theaters or cell phones that mow your lawn -- you're lucky to get much out of him.

Obviously, he's passionate about son Tyler's racing career. He built a quarter-midget Mecca to prove it. And he'll talk about that all day. Matter of fact, he'd much rather attend Tyler's races or daughter Madison's soccer games than discuss his own career.

Unlike many athletes, Bobby isn't enthralled with himself. He is, however, enthralled with his brother. Nothing, it seems, generates more emotion from Bobby Labonte than talking about his big brother, as was evidenced Tuesday morning at Hendrick Motorsports.

During the formal announcement that 2004 would be Terry's final full-time season, Bobby was asked to speak about the brothers' lock-tight relationship. In a rare public display of emotion, Bobby choked back tears as he relived stories of days gone by.

Voice cracking, eyes welling with tears, he nearly broke down. Few of us had ever seen this before.

"I was doing fine until he got emotional," said Terry's wife, Kim. "After that, it was a domino effect for all of us. It's obvious, the respect they have for each other."

Kim should know. Right after she and Terry were married, in 1978, they rented a small apartment in Charlotte. Wasn't long before little brother Bobby moved in. So much for newlywed bliss.

"I know (that) really bugged them," Bobby chuckled.

Bobby Labonte leads brother Terry earlier this season. Credit: Autostock

The brothers still live close to one another, especially on weekends. They dock their motor homes alongside one another at the racetrack. They hang out. They eat together, lean on one another for stability, ask for and give advice. They are the best of friends.

But for Bobby, the admiration runs deeper still. Terry is Bobby's hero, plain and simple. So in a way, a part of him is retiring, too.

"It's kind of like maybe I should be retiring," Bobby said. "I don't know. Anyway, this is an incredible feeling. I'm proud of Terry and his accomplishments and the marks that he's set and the people that he's met that admire him and the examples that he's set for all kinds of people in racing.

"I've always wanted to grow up and be like my brother."

And he has. You'll never hear a fan or industry personality say they don't like Bobby or Terry Labonte. Just ask Rick Hendrick, the gentleman that supplied Terry's Chevrolets for the past decade.

"If you want to see a template of professional values and family and what this sport is all about, it's the Labonte family," Hendrick said.

NASCAR president Mike Helton added, "I have to say it's a bittersweet moment, because there are individuals in the sport that you have an attachment to that helps glue all of this together.

"And to think today that you won't see Terry walking through the garage with a uniform on or his face in the driver's meeting, is a little bit bittersweet."

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Likewise for little brother.

"Obviously there are a lot of things that come to mind with Terry," Bobby said. "I was five years old racing, and he taught me how to race. That was a pretty big deal. And I can remember the first time I was on the racetrack with him -- well, I don't remember exactly but I was told what the story was -- I wrecked him.

"It's just amazing that it's been this long a period of time. We do things on Sundays and we just enjoy. It's been a lot of fun. There are some times that weren't as much fun."

One particular story came to mind.

"I can remember at Riverside, Calif., I think it was in 1985 or '86, Terry crashed on the front straightaway and went over the fence onto pit road. I was working on a pit crew. I took off running. I didn't see the pit wall right in front of me and I fell flat down. Crashed.

"And I still outran everybody to the car because you've got to remember that the safety guy who was there was drinking martinis (laughs). You had to be there to see that one.

"I got there and Terry got out of the car and we checked on him. I said, 'You were upside down'. He said that he saw the gauges were upside down one time.

Terry Labonte announced his limited schedule for 2005-06 earlier this week. Credit: Autostock

"Back that night in the hotel room, I went over to Terry and Kim's room and Terry's got these bruises on him and I said, 'Hey, check this out man -- I've got scuff marks all over me from trying to get to you.'"

For all the memorable moments the Labontes have shared on the racetrack, none stands out quite like the 1996 season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bobby won the race, Terry the championship.

"What a cool deal," Bobby said. "There in Victory Lane were Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, Terry and I and Mom and Dad. I look at that picture quite a bit. It was a monumental day. Our parents won twice that day -- their kids won both deals. You can't go to Victory Lane with both your kids on that day. It was just unbelievable."

Several moments later, the announcement concluded and everyone went their separate ways. I made a point to find Bobby, get some more details about he and Terry and their rare bond.

But he was gone. I had to smile. Only made sense, after all.

He'd already said more than I ever could have imagined.

Marty Smith is a senior writer for NASCAR.COM. His column appears each Thursday.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.