Terry Labonte was supposed to have a much lighter schedule this year in the Nextel Cup Series. Credit: Autostock

10 Questions: T. Labonte

This veteran driver won't be staying at Holiday Inns any time soon

SONOMA, Calif. -- Terry Labonte's final season in the Nextel Cup Series picked up steam when the Hendrick Motorsports veteran was hired to fill-in when Jason Leffler was released as driver of the No. 11 Chevrolet.

Labonte, a two-time Cup champion, has done three races in the Joe Gibbs Racing car and has at least two more left, including Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Labonte sat down recently to answer 10 questions not necessarily related to his racing career.

Credit: Craig Jones/Getty Images

Inside the Numbers Terry Labonte's 19 top-five finishes at Bristol Date Start Finish Aug. 22, 1981 16 3 March 14, 1982 10 4 Aug. 28, 1982 2 4 Aug. 27, 1983 5 5 April 1, 1984 2 2 Aug. 25, 1984 6 1 April 6, 1985 4 3 Aug. 23, 1986 7 2 Aug. 22, 1987 1 4 Aug. 26, 1989 16 5 April 8, 1990 14 4 Aug. 25, 1990 16 4 April 5, 1992 15 4 Aug. 26, 1995 2 1 March 31, 1996 2 2 Aug. 24, 1996 3 5 April 13, 1997 17 3 March 29, 1998 3 2 March 26, 2000 7 5 NOTE: Labonte's average finish in 53 starts at Bristol is 11.7.

1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?

Labonte: A Unimog truck.

Q: Where did you get exposed to one of those?

Labonte: I've seen two of them, and they're the coolest truck you've ever seen. They're like, about a two-ton pickup truck.

You've got to check it out, because that would be it.

Q: What kind of engine does it have?

Labonte: It's got a diesel engine of some kind. I think it's a Mercedes diesel.

2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?

Labonte: A dog.

Q: Would it be any particular breed?

Labonte: Not really. I like all dogs.

3. What's your biggest pet peeve while driving on the road?

Labonte: I don't know. People that cut you off, I guess.

Q: You're impeccable in using your turn signals?

Labonte: Yeah, yeah -- I use mine, oh yeah.

4. You've had a long career racing in a few different divisions, so that's a lot of travel; so what's your worst hotel experience?

Terry Labonte: My worst hotel experience was in St. Louis, Mo., at the Busch race over there without a doubt.

Q: How bad was it?

Labonte: Well, they tried to rob us at the motel. And the people that worked at the motel were part of the gang there -- so it was terrible.

It was at a Holiday Inn, in St. Louis, downtown -- and it was absolutely the worst hotel experience I've ever had in my life.

Q: That kind of causes you to lose some faith in the franchise system, doesn't it? You'd think a Holiday Inn would be a good place?

Labonte: You'd think so, but that particular one wasn't.

5. What's your favorite food?

Labonte: My favorite food would be steaks, probably.

Q: Again, with a lot of time out on the road, what's your favorite place for steaks?

Labonte: Oh I don't know. I don't have a real favorite place, I guess.

6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest, or being nice?

Labonte: That could be a touchy situation (laughing).

Q: I could see where it could be.

Labonte: If it involved some of my friends, I would have to say, "nice" (laughing).

7. What's your fondest childhood memory? It seems to me your brother Bobby remembered something about getting your room when you left Texas -- but what's your favorite?

Labonte: Gosh, I had so many I think it's hard to pick. I don't think I really have any one of them that stand out, you know?

Q: Your dad was kind of a legend around the Texas short tracks, so might it involve something to do with that?

Labonte: We had, and still have a great relationship. It was kind of funny, because I was one of the only kids that liked to hang out with my dad and his friends, because they were a whole lot more fun than my friends were (laughing).

8. This next one is a cross-sectional thing, because we've asked everyone from 19-year-olds up to guys older than us, but what would your dream date be? Where and with whom?

Labonte: My dream date would be with my wife, Kim, and it would probably be in Hawaii or the Bahamas -- someplace like that.

9. Racing and pranks seem to go hand in hand, so what's your worst prank, either perpetrated by you, or done to you?

Labonte: I don't think I've ever really pulled any pranks on anybody that I can remember.

Q: Being around this sport as long as you have, with guys such as Henry Benfield, I can't believe you didn't witness a good prank or two -- so what's a good one that stands out to you?

Labonte: Man, I don't know. I'd have to think on it, though I'm sure there's got to be one. I didn't do it (after thinking a while) -- I didn't pull any pranks on anybody.

Labonte will finish the season in the No. 11 Chevrolet. Credit: Autostock

Q: Were you afraid it might not be too pretty when it came back around on you?

Terry Labonte: No (laughing).

10. Finally, what would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR" moment?

Terry Labonte: You know what, I don't really have a good one there, either.

Q: You came in at an interesting time, and made your debut at Darlington, of all places.

Terry Labonte: Hey -- you know, I do have one. I guess the moment that stands out the most would be at that first Darlington race -- the 1978 Southern 500 -- and sitting in the rookie meeting for that race.

They have a video camera, and I mean, this was an antique video camera -- and it's playing last year's video. And all they have is the highlights of things not to do.

And the car that I was driving -- car 92, Billy Hagan's car -- was in every highlight of the things not to do.

And I'm sitting there, and the car looks identical to the one that I'm going to drive. So I'm sitting there, going, "Oh, my God."

So I knew right there that I had to do everything I could do, not to make the next year's highlights -- because here was my car: How to exit pit road wrong, how to enter wrong -- you know, how to stay in the way.

It was just everything, and I'm just saying, "Oh, my God." That poor car was in the middle of everything.

Q: Now I'm assuming that was about in the Bill Gazaway era as Cup director, and knowing what a kindly fellow he was, he didn't happen to point out that one of his current crop of rookies was driving that car, the year you were there, did he?

Terry Labonte: No, he didn't. He didn't have to -- I was sitting right there on the couch -- with my mouth shut (laughing).