Driver Jeremy Mayfield, left, and crew chief Slugger Labbe have the No. 19 Dodge in position for a second consecutive Chase run. Credit: Autostock

Shop Talk with ... Slugger Labbe

Slugger Labbe opened the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season as crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield's No. 19 Dodge.

And while the veteran chief mechanic was a new element at Evernham Motorsports, the team has proven this season that making the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup was no fluke as, with only Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 remaining until the cutoff to determine the field for the Chase, Mayfield is solidly in the show.

	Jeremy Mayfield Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Jeremy Mayfield 2005 (thru 25 races) Category No. Wins 1 T-5 4 T-10 6 Avg. Start 14.2 Avg. Finish 14.6 DNF 1 (crash) Note: Victory came three weeks ago at Michigan

Labbe took a break from race preparation at California Speedway to talk with NASCAR.COM senior writer Dave Rodman about his team's continued consistency, what it will take to win at Richmond and his driver's perfect demeanor for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Slugger, a year ago this weekend Jeremy and your Evernham Motorsports team won the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 to qualify for the Chase. How does that achievement rate, to you?

Labbe: I mean, last year it was pretty cool because they knew they had to win the race and they had to lead a bunch of laps and that was the only way they were gonna make it, you know?

This year, we're fortunate that we're [seventh] in points and we've got a [reasonable] cushion to 11th -- so it's a little bit more comfortable, but we're still nervous.

We went there and tested for two days [last] week, and we ran just over 500 laps -- we worked Jeremy pretty hard.

But we've built a brand new car just for Richmond and we brought the car that won the race there last fall and compared them, back-to-back -- and the new in-house chassis was better -- so that's what we're bringing back.

We had an awesome test. It was like we couldn't do no wrong -- everything we did was perfect. It doesn't happen like that often, but we had a great test. We were able to make some 50-lap runs -- a bunch of 'em, so it really worked out good.

In a nutshell, does that tell you that the team has definitely improved, because you're now running your own cars and they are an improvement?

Labbe: That says a lot about the competition in Nextel Cup racing. Every day every team is stepping up, and we're just trying to keep up -- or get better -- than they are.

To me, the biggest thing that's helped our team a lot is that Jeremy has become a smarter driver. When he has a 15th-place car, he doesn't try to push it to a fourth-place car. He'll just finish 11th or 12th and rack up points.

Shop TalkSlugger Labbe talks about Chase strategy for the No. 19 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

He doesn't take a 15th-place car, wreck it and finish 40th. He's been real smart this year about racing when he has to and when he has the right car, and when he doesn't have the right car he'll chill out a little bit and let us work on it and get it better.

So Jeremy, overall as a racer, has become smarter this year and that's the biggest thing I've seen.

Are you satisfied that your team has proven it's a consistent, top-10 contender, now?

Labbe: Well, are we the best team out there? No, I can't say that, because if we were we would have won five races like Stewart and Biffle have. But are we a top-10 contender? Hell yeah.

That's what we get paid to do, is to run the best that we can every week and to win races. We're a top-10 team and we're going to stay there. When we go to New Hampshire we're all going to be within 50 points of each other, so can we win the championship?

Hell yeah. Absolutely.

With Evernham Motorsports become even more diversified, with Erin Crocker in the development loop and adding a third team next season for Scott Riggs, are you and Jeremy comfortable with being the team's elder statesmen -- the go-to guys for information and advice?

Labbe: I think everyone expected Kasey [Kahne, Evernham teammate] to be in the chase and the [No.] 19 not to be in the Chase. And I'm glad that we showed the reporters up.

I know that when we did the [preseason] shop tour in December, everyone was focusing on Kasey and I'm glad that we showed them up -- not verbally, but on the racetrack.

	The Dodge stable of Evernham Motorsports -- Jeremy Mayfield (19) and Kasey Kahne . Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Evernham Motorsports 2005 Driver No. W T-5 T-10 J. Mayfield 25 1 4 6 K. Kahne 25 1 5 7 B. Elliott 8 0 0 0 Note: Kahne's win came at the first Richmond race

We did our jobs and did what we had to do. We're not in [the Chase] yet, but we're closer -- a lot closer than what we were last year, so with two races to go we've got some breathing room.

We decided to go to Richmond to test, just to make sure that we were going to be in the Chase.

With what the team learned being in the Chase in 2004, how will you approach 2005?

Labbe: The one bad thing is the [No.] 19 team is out of tests. We've tested hard the last seven races, to make sure that we did everything we could to get into the Chase -- because to me if you don't get in the Chase, your season's over.

So we wanted to make sure we got into the dance. We've tested hard and done a lot of work. So how do we approach the Chase? We approach it one race at a time.

We're building new cars and the motor shop has got new motor packages -- so even though we're out of tests, we can go to Kentucky and Nashville and places like that and run ourselves to death if we want to.

But we're not going to do that. We're going to make sure we win races in the shop by being prepared and taking our best stuff to the racetrack each week.

So is it a case where having teammates can help you -- if Kasey and his crew chief, Tommy Baldwin can test they can feed you information?

Labbe: The good thing is the [No.] 9 team [Kahne] has a couple tests left and the [No.] 91 team [partial season outfit for driver Bill Elliott] has, like, five tests left.

So they can go to those tracks and work some things out for us and figure out some things. Everyone at Evernham Motorsports is committed to helping the [No] 9 win some races the rest of this year and for the [No.] 19 to get into the Chase and once we get in there, to be as competitive as we can be.

So everyone is behind that vision of Ray's.

Do you feel like Jeremy has a good demeanor to compete in the Chase format?

Jeremy Mayfield and the No. 19 pit crew celebrate his win at Michigan. Credit: Autostock

Labbe: Sure. We didn't get in the Chase yet, but if and when we do get in, we didn't get there by riding around in 30th every week, you know?

We've torn fenders up and got in some wrecks and done some things, but I think Jeremy got the experience of it last year. He didn't start off good when he got wrecked in New Hampshire and that first race kind of put us in a hole.

So I think he learned from that -- if you wreck, you're done. So I think his demeanor, from that race in New Hampshire forward, really taught him a lot and that's really helped us this year -- that one race at New Hampshire.

So he's an experienced veteran and I think he's up for it. He's going to drive aggressively and you're going to have to.

I think a seventh-place average won the championship last year. Our average right now is 11th, so if we step up, hell, who knows?

Getting you to step out of your shoes and play omniscient crew chief here, if you were going to Richmond and you had to win to get into the Chase -- kind of like Jeremy did last year -- how would you achieve that?

Labbe: By pit strategy. Like you said, we went to Richmond [for the test] and made a lot of long runs -- 50 laps or more -- and we learned about our tires and our chassis setup after 50 laps.

So we already have a good plan for Richmond. We know what we've got to do and we know the "what if" situations so hopefully we'll come out of California locked-up -- so we can go to Richmond to win the race.

(After the race at California Speedway, Mayfield can clinch a spot in the Chase by finishing 39th or better at Richmond).

Does the Chase specifically drive what you're doing, or does it not enter into your thought process, because you're trying to win races no matter what?

Labbe: To me [the Chase] was a big effect to what we did at Michigan. I knew that all the leaders -- or all the guys that we were running around, from sixth to 12th place [in the standings] -- would have to pit for fuel.

I knew that if we stayed out and no yellows came out, that we could make it and win the race -- and spread open the point gap. So the whole time, I'm thinking in my head, 'Man, if this works out, we'll be set [for the Chase] and we'll be really close to making it.'

Sure enough, we left Michigan with a 218-point lead over 11th place. But for the whole time we were there -- and our strategy from the test -- was that we could run this many laps, and if it comes down to Lap 145, hell, we're pitting and we're done.

And we knew by testing that that would help us get in the Chase -- and lo and behold, it did.

Some people would say that was too risky a decision for a Chase contending team -- but you're saying, 'No.'

Labbe: It was risky, to an extent, but I knew that I had three more races to get in, if it didn't work out.

Would I do it here in California if I was ninth in points? Probably not, but I had three more races -- with Bristol, California and Richmond, if it didn't work out -- so to me it was worth it.

I knew we could make it. The only gamble was if a caution would come out, so yeah, my gut was torn up for 52 laps, I can tell you that, but I knew if it worked out it would benefit us to get into the Chase.

And to me, the first 26 races are important, because it puts you in a select field.

The prestige of getting into the Chase, especially for this team, getting in two years in a row, that says a lot.

What do you feel like is going to be the critical piece on the racecar at Richmond, to run well?

Labbe: To me, on the racecar it would be tires -- and it's going to come down to pit strategy because the tires last forever.

Like, in the past at Bristol, people would just stay out until the last 100 laps. And last Saturday night it didn't work out that way.

But at Richmond, I believe it will. Time will tell, but I believe if your car is handling good then you can do it.

At Richmond, do you feel like track position will overrule getting new tires?

Labbe: Yeah, I do. But we'll see. It's going to be interesting.

It's going to be just like last year. It's going to be a nail biter and that's great for our sport, you know -- because I'm sure there are going to be a lot of fans tuned in and hopefully we'll put the [No. 19] Dodge Dealers Dodge Charger in Victory Lane.