Bobby Labonte lasted just 14 laps in Sunday's Daytona 500. Credit: AP

Former Cup champs forced out of 500 early

Engine problems send Labonte, Kenseth off the track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bobby Labonte and Matt Kenseth both lost engines in the early going of the Daytona 500, bringing an abrupt and exasperating end to what had been a successful Speedweeks for both former champions.

	Credit: Autostock
	Daytona disappointment Bobby Labonte's career Daytona 500 stats Year Start Finish 1993 25 20 1994 42 16 1995 20 30 1996 35 17 1997 15 21 1998 1 2 1999 3 25 2000 13 6 2001 37 40 2002 10 34 *2003 22 41 2004 13 11 2005 20 43 * -- Rain-shortened event Early troubleBobby Labonte exits early after he blows an engine on Lap 14 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Labonte started 20th in the 47th running of NASCAR's biggest event, and had progressed through the field well before smoke began billowing out from behind the No. 18 Chevrolet.

He will finish 43rd.

"It just blew up," said a visibly dejected Labonte. "It don't matter. It's just the way it is. We blew up today. You just can't have problems like that."

Twenty-two laps later, Kenseth broke a connecting rod in the No. 17 Ford. He started 14th, but felt from the get-go he had a car capable of going to Victory Lane.

"I'm definitely disappointed -- best car I've ever had in the Daytona 500," said Kenseth, the 2003 Cup Series champion. "There's going to be days when things go bad, this is just one of those days.

"We have a great engine program, but this is just a disappointing way to start the season. It's the best car I've ever had down here, by far. I thought we could have been a contender today for the first time in our career here."

By no means is either driver out of the championship hunt. Tony Stewart battled back from an early blown engine and subsequent 43rd-place finish in the 2002 Daytona 500 to win the series championship.

But the Chase format leaves both former champs 25 weeks, not 36, to make up the ground lost Sunday.

Labonte, the 2000 Cup Series champion, said he didn't run long enough to get a true feel for his car and that he had no warning the engine might blow.

Kenseth's best finish in the Daytona 500 is ninth in 2004. Credit: Autostock

The 43rd-place finish marks the worst of Labonte's career in the Great American Race. His previous-worst finish was 41st in 2003, when he was involved in an accident on Lap 81 of the 109-lap, rain-shortened event.

This is the sixth time Labonte has finished 40th or worse in a Nextel Cup Series race at DIS. Three of those -- 2001, '03, '05 -- were in the Daytona 500.

"He said he didn't have any warning," said Steve Addington, crew chief for Labonte. "We broke a valve or a piston. It's nobody's fault."

Kenseth sees his engine failure as a freak occurrence, as well.

"We have a great engine shop and I have a lot of faith in Doug Yates," Kenseth said. "They just need to go back there and figure out what happened. I look forward to going to California and trying to run up front there."