Terry Labonte has not scored a top-10 in his past 25 races, his longest drought since a 23-race stretch in 2002-03. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Terry Labonte

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Terry Labonte thought he had wound his Nextel Cup season down to its final two events driving the No. 44 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. But typically, when a friend called Labonte's team owner, Rick Hendrick, needing a favor, Hendrick and Labonte answered the need.

What started as a probable two-race stand-in replacing Jason Leffler in Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 11 Chevy at the series' two road course races, developed into much more when the Gibbs team released Leffler following the Brickyard 400.

	Credit: Autostock
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Labonte sat down at Watkins Glen International to talk about his sudden career change, the perils of racing in Nextel Cup in 2005 and his son Justin's racing career.

Q: Terry, you were down to having only two races remaining in the 2005 phase of your "Countdown Tour," and all of a sudden it got to be a lot more -- so what's your thought on that?

Labonte: Well, I think we're going to run three or four more, here with the FedEx car; then I have two more left with mine (No. 44) -- so I guess I've got six races to go.

Q: Well, it might not be a full second half, but it's better than just two, right?

Labonte: Yeah, it's OK, and actually we're getting to go to some of the tracks that I didn't get to go to with our (Hendrick) car. I'm looking forward to going to Richmond, for one of them, so I'm excited about it.

Q: Have they determined where you're going to go, at this point? We know you're going to race the No. 11 car through Bristol, and you've said you're going to Richmond. Do you know if any more races are planned, at this point?

Labonte: No, I don't. And (Richmond) might be the last one. I know they're going to let J.J. Yeley and Denny Hamlin drive it. They want to let both of those guys drive it to kind of let them get a feel for it going into next year.

Q: How did this whole thing come about? A month ago we were told Jason Leffler had a three-year deal, so was your brother Bobby being with Joe Gibbs Racing kind of a key to them getting you to do this?

Labonte: No, it all came about before Sonoma, when they went out there and they weren't in the top 35 in (owner) points. That's a tough place to go (and qualify) because you've got a lot of road race guys that go out there and run; and some extra guys from the West Coast, so it's a pretty tough field (to make).

So they asked me if I'd be interested in running the car at Sonoma. I told them they ought to get a road race guy (laughing) to do that, you know?

But then they came back and asked me again if I'd run it. Joe had talked to Rick and Rick said, "Sure, if you want to, go ahead." So I went to Sonoma and we qualified eighth, I guess, and ran pretty well (12th) in the race.

Then after that they said, "We might want you to go to Watkins Glen, it just depends on how things are going." So I said, "OK -- let me know -- whatever."

I hadn't really talked to them since then, for about a month.

Q: So did they contact you when they made the change, or did they call Rick?

Labonte: Yeah, they called me and they called Rick, and then I talked to Rick about it. They wanted me to go to Watkins Glen.

Q: Was it much of a decision for you to do the additional races? It's more than the 10 you planned, but it's less than the whole second half, so was it a pretty easy decision to make?

Labonte: It was easy. I think I told them the tracks I didn't want to go to (laughing) -- the races that I didn't want to run. So they said, "OK, we can work around that."

Q: You know what I'm thinking, being an eight-time grandfather. Was it kind of like having grandkids and you say, "Whoa, poopy kid, here yah go -- racetrack I don't wanna run, let the kids have it?"

Labonte: Kind of (laughing).

Q: How excited are you about having a chance to go back to Bristol? You ran decent there in the spring, but you'd have another chance to go out with a bang -- though I don't know if that's a bad allusion to use?

Labonte: Bristol used to be a lot better than it is today. It's so hard to pass anymore, there -- and I don't know, but it didn't seem like it used to be so hard to pass there, a few years ago.

I know they've got a different tire, this time. But that's always been one of my favorite tracks and the night race at Bristol is definitely one of the most exciting races that we run all year long, so (I can't wait).

Q: Have the advances in technology hurt the racing at Bristol, do you think?

Labonte: It just seems like the field has gotten closed up a lot. The cars run so fast, and whenever we run fast, the faster we go, the harder it is to pass.

Bristol is a pretty fast course, so it makes it hard to pass.

Q: To be in Nextel Cup racing in 2005, do you feel like you're getting out ...

Labonte: At the right time (laughing)? Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too.

Q: You're in a situation at JGR where they started a new program, it didn't go as they had hoped, so after half a season, they pull the trigger and fire their driver. You've straddled a couple different eras in the sport, so what's your take on the way things are now?

Labonte: It's just changed an awful lot, and I'm glad I'm not getting into it right now, honestly. I think it's a great sport and I still like it and all that stuff -- don't get me wrong.

But I just don't know. It's just changed a lot, and I really kind of feel sorry for some of these young guys that are in the sport today.

They might not be in a real good situation and it might not all be their fault, but yet if they don't produce pretty quickly then the team wants to make a change.

All these people are doing the driver development deals with all these young guys and giving them a shot. If I were an owner, I would save my money on the driver development deal and go hire me a good driver (laughing).

I'd hire a good veteran driver. I think that's just kind of a fad they're going through right now and it will probably change in a couple of years. I just don't see where that's going to go.

But it's just so different, though.

Q: Speaking of young, upcoming drivers, you've got a situation real close to home with your son, Justin. Have the opportunities being given to some of these other young drivers swayed you at all to deviate from the plan you and Justin have laid out for his career? Are you comfortable with the path he's taking?

	Bobby, left, and Terry Labonte Credit: Autostock
	Brothers in Arms Cup career statistics   Bobby Terry Starts 424 826 Wins 21 22 Top-5s 108 181 Top-10s 182 359 Avg. Finish 15.8 15.7 Titles 1 2

Labonte: You know -- I don't know. You have to be real careful, because I've seen young guys that come into this sport that I thought did an outstanding job in the Busch Series

And they come up here (to Nextel Cup) maybe too soon, or they don't get with the right people, and it doesn't work out and then they're done and they're only, like, 22 years old (laughing).

You've got to really be more careful today than you used to have to be, because it takes a guy four or five years to get experience on all the different racetracks that we go to -- to get to where he can get around them all and get pretty good at it.

It's kind of hard to expect somebody to come in and just run well everywhere we go. I look at Casey Atwood and I think he's the perfect example.

I mean, that kid, I thought he was just awesome in the Busch Series, and he came over to the Cup deal and driving for (Ray) Evernham and it just didn't work out for him, for whatever reason.

Now, you see him occasionally in a Busch car, but (what happened to him)?

Q: And even hitting closer to home, the program you're in -- Jason had a shot with Ganassi, and then came back with JGR -- but is this a dead-end for him or does he need someone to give him an opportunity with the right personnel, the right chemistry?

Labonte: You know, so much of it is chemistry and (being with) the right people that you're around and the right situation. That is a lot more important than people realize.

You look at some teams and you think, "Boy, this team here is really going to be good," yet things don't ever work out.

And then other teams, you think, "Where did all these guys come from?" All of a sudden they're doing well. So much of it is chemistry, with the teamwork and things like that.

Q: The contractual situations that have come up recently -- with Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch and the teams wrangling over them -- is another thing that's come up recently. I'm not sure what your deal was when you started with Billy Hagan back in 1979, but what's your take on the situation?

Labonte: I'll tell you; it seems to me like years ago it was always a case where there was a lot more loyalty in the sport than there is today. As far as just -- a deal was a deal, you know?

If you told that guy you were going to drive his car for three years, you'd drive it for three years.

Q: Without getting into the specifics, what was your deal with Billy when you started? Did you have a contract?

Labonte: No, I didn't. We just came up and ran. He said, "Why don't you move to North Carolina and run my car?" We ran five races, and then I had a contract after that.

Q: But he made that commitment, and you made the commitment to him and there was no question what you were going to do?

Labonte: And you know, there were times when I had opportunities to go and do other things, but this guy had given me this opportunity, so how could you (just leave him)?

I don't know. Every situation is different and it's just so hard to say.

Q: You've been involved in a few multi-car teams, so if Jack Roush keeps Kurt Busch in his car and Chip Ganassi keeps Jamie McMurray in his car, how do you see those teams going next year with lame duck drivers?

Inside the Numbers Cup Starts Pos. Driver No. 1. T. Labonte 821 2. R. Rudd 815 3. K. Petty 735 4. B. Elliott 715 5. R. Wallace 692 6. D. Earnhardt 667 7. S. Marlin 658 8. K. Schrader 654 9. D. Waltrip 651 10. M. Waltrip 628 Top-Five Finishes Pos. Driver No. 1. D. Earnhardt 280 2. M. Martin 221 3. D. Waltrip 211 4. R. Wallace 199 5. J. Gordon 196 6. R. Rudd 192 7. T. Labonte 180 8. B. Elliott 175 9. D. Jarrett 161 10. H. Gant 123 Top-10 Finishes Pos. Driver No. 1. D. Earnhardt 426 2. T. Labonte 356 3. R. Rudd 353 4. M. Martin 352 5. R. Wallace 344 6. B. Elliott 313 7. D. Waltrip 301 8. J. Gordon 263 9. D. Jarrett 254 10. S. Marlin 213 Points Pos. Driver No. 1. T. Labonte 98,392 2. R. Rudd 95,392 3. D. Earnhardt 92,980 4. B. Elliott 87,840 5. R. Wallace 83,881 6. D. Waltrip 80,718 7. M. Martin 80,115 8. K. Petty 74,355 9. S. Marlin 71,715 10. K. Schrader 68,462 Note: Stats are from 1979-2005

Labonte: I think they're all pretty professional and they've got sponsors that they've got to kind of answer to, and I don't think they'll have any problems.

It just seems kinda strange that it's already come out in the open and you know, it's like, "We've already announced this deal."

It wouldn't have been so bad if they'd already done it and kept it a secret until halfway through next year, (laughing) you know? Then that would have been different.

But Chip's got sponsors and Jack's got sponsors and Kurt and Jamie both want to do as good as they can. I don't really think it will have any big effect on them.

Q: Do you think the biggest element in Chip and Jack's favor is that racecar drivers are proud -- these guys are proud of what they do and even though they have a deal for 2007, will their pride be the biggest thing that keeps them from going out and looking like boo-boos?

Labonte: There again, it's like a deal's a deal. Those guys signed contracts to drive those cars through next year. Don't come back and want out (because) sponsorships are already in place -- all those things are there.

It's just like football players. It just kills me when these guys will have a good year and then they'll hold out and want to re-do their contract.

Well, they already had a contract -- so I don't quite get it.

Q: Justin's season in the Busch Series, like a lot of other guys, has been up and down with some good runs, but some horrendous luck. How would you assess his 2005 season?

Labonte: He's been pretty up and down. But we made a change the other day and hired Harold Holly (as crew chief) and he's been a big help.

We're very excited about that because Harold is really a smart guy and he's the kind of guy that Justin needs. Justin has a lot of confidence in him and they communicate well.

He's been able to come in and look at our cars and see where we had some problems, and try to get them straightened out so I'm looking forward to some races coming up where they've actually been able to try and get their cars better and work on some things.

Q: Has Justin had the opportunity to run one of the cars he had previously, compared to one that Harold's tuned on so he can say, "Hey, that made a difference?"

Labonte: Not really. They haven't gotten to that point yet, but they're working toward that direction, looking at some wind tunnel stuff and trying to get the cars figured out -- and what they've got.

Q: Justin seems like a levelheaded kid, so I assume he's not feeling any pressure as he's seeing these other young guys getting rides? He's comfortable sticking to the plan?

Labonte: Yeah. He wants to move on, but he's been successful at everything he's ever raced, and he wants to whip this Busch deal before he goes to the next level.

And that's what I want him to do, also. So that's our goal.

I think we can get back in the top-15 in points this year and hopefully have a good run next year.

When you look over there in the Busch Series and you look at David Green, who won a few weeks ago. Well, that was his first top-10 of the year!

I think the Busch Series is tougher today than it's ever been. We've got so many Cup owners and drivers that compete over there and it makes it tough (to compete) in the Busch Series for a real Busch team.

Q: Finally, has being a TV star on NASCAR Drivers 360 changed your daughter at all?

Labonte: No (laughing). Unh-unh.

Q: You never know who's going to show up on TV, do you?

Labonte: Yeah (laughing), you don't, I don't guess.