Despite the nightmarish season, Bobby Labonte jokes that his time in the garage has minimized his time with the new spoiler. Credit: Autostock

Texas ends as another spoiled day for Labonte

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Bobby Labonte stood in the garage during the Samsung/RadioShack 500, leaning against his Chevrolet's spoiler.

In hindsight, he may have been hoping the spoiler would break. He dislikes it that much.

	Bobby Labonte finished 102 laps behind after having to repair the front end to his No. 18 Chevrolet. Credit: Autostock
	SAMSUNG/RADIOSHACK 500 •   Results •   Standings Inside the Numbers Bobby Labonte in 2005 Track Finish Laps Daytona 43 14 of 203 Fontana 13 250 of 250 Las Vegas 41 15 of 267 Atlanta 37 266 of 325 Bristol 22 468 of 500 Martinsville 33 435 of 500 Texas 38 232 of 334 Totals 32.4 1,680 of 2,379

While Labonte was in the garage, tire changer Gus Hinton put his arm around Labonte, who remained 37th in the standings after finishing 38th. It was his fifth finish of 30th or worse this year.

Part of the reason for that is because Labonte has found himself driving cars that do not feel anything like he is used to. That is where the spoiler comes in.

Labonte has been qualifying poorly, which puts him in heavy packs for the early going of the race. It is those times when Labonte has found himself at the wrong place at the wrong time.

And he certainly does not have much use for the shorter spoiler that was implemented for the 2005 season.

Labonte says the rules may have played a part in the early carnage at Texas, which saw 11 cautions, including five in the first 80 laps.

"Such a fast place like this, I am not 100 percent sure such a small spoiler is the way to go," Labonte said. "That was bad. We've had four wrecks in less than 75 laps. But that is the way it is. People just spin out. You get close to people and they just spin out."

One of those cautions occurred when Mark Martin and Jeff Green got together, starting a chain-reaction crash that involved Labonte.

Going into Texas, Labonte had completed just 70 percent of his laps in 2005, and he wound up 102 laps down after the crash Sunday.

Labonte does not like the new spoiler, but he also was kicking himself in the garage after the accident, which ripped off the front of his Chevrolet.

"I probably could have missed that one if I had been more observant," Labonte said. "I just happened to flip some switches to tighten my car up, and I looked up and it was too late."

Despite the nightmarish season, Labonte has retained his humor, joking that his time in the garage has minimized his time with the new spoiler.

"I have been sitting in the garage too much," Labonte said, "I have not gotten to race anyway."