Terry Labonte has 22 career victories in 29 years of racing. Credit: Autostock

Labonte's final race to be Texas-sized celebration

Special paint scheme, fan appreciation highlight Dickies 500

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Having been nicknamed "The Iceman" early in his career, two-time Nextel Cup champion Terry Labonte is widely known for his cool, calm and collected demeanor. But even he was surprised following the unveiling of his No. 44 Kellogg's/Terry Labonte Tribute Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday.

Terry Labonte scored 24 top-10 finishes in both of his championship seasons. Credit: Autostock

Inside the Numbers Terry Labonte's career stats Year Starts W T5 T10 1978 5 0 1 3 1979 31 0 2 13 1980 31 1 6 16 1981 31 0 8 17 1982 30 0 17 21 1983 30 1 11 20 1984* 30 2 17 24 1985 28 1 8 17 1986 29 1 5 10 1987 29 1 13 22 1988 29 1 11 18 1989 29 2 9 11 1990 29 0 4 9 1991 29 0 1 7 1992 29 0 4 16 1993 30 0 0 10 1994 31 3 6 14 1995 31 3 14 17 1996* 31 2 21 24 1997 32 1 8 20 1998 33 1 5 15 1999 34 1 1 7 2000 32 0 3 6 2001 36 0 1 3 2002 36 0 1 4 2003 36 1 4 9 2004 36 0 0 6 2005 14 0 0 1 2006 14 0 1 1 Totals 845 22 182 361 * Denotes championship

Labonte, in town to give driving tips to members of the Dallas Cowboys prior to a session with the "Team Texas" racing school, was unaware he would also be pulling the car cover off the Monte Carlo SS he will pilot in his final Nextel Cup Series race, the Nov. 5 Dickies 500 at TMS.

"It was quite a surprise," said Labonte, a native of Corpus Christi who was joined by speedway president Eddie Gossage and Cowboys players. "It's a truly unique racecar, that's for sure. I've never seen anything quite like it."

The speedway, along with Hendrick Motorsports, is gearing up for a Texas-sized sendoff for Labonte as he ends a career that spanned four decades. And the special paint scheme is just one piece of the puzzle.

The vision of car designer Jim Gravlin, the scheme features moments from Labonte's 1996 championship and each of his 12 Cup victories with Hendrick Motorsports since 1994. The images include his 1995 win at Bristol, the historic 2003 Southern 500 triumph at Darlington and his 1999 victory at Texas, which is appropriately showcased on the hood.

The rear bumper of the car is inscribed simply with, "Thanks for the memories."

It was a fresh challenge for Gravlin, who said it took an untried process to give the car its bright metallic appearance.

Black and white images were initially printed onto a special silver decal, which was then used to wrap the car's body. The photos were then given three coats of apple red candy paint to finish off the car's unmistakable look.

"To my knowledge, no one has ever painted over a wrap," said Gravlin, who has designed cars since the mid-1990s and now works exclusively for Hendrick Motorsports. "The final product turned out even better than we thought it would. Hopefully, Terry's fans will like it as much as we do."

"I'm definitely looking forward to showing it off to all the fans here in November and hopefully giving the car a good run," Labonte said. "Everyone did a great job keeping this a secret because I had absolutely no clue it was happening."

Labonte is one of only 14 drivers in NASCAR history to win multiple Cup titles, having won his more than a decade apart (1984 and 1996). He has 845 starts, 22 wins, 182 top-five finishes and 361 top-10s in a career that spans 29 years.

His home-state success includes the 1999 trip to Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway. In 11 starts at TMS, Labonte has five top-10 finishes as well as a pole position in 2000.

"Terry Labonte is one of the great champions of our sport," Gossage said. "He has made a lifetime of memories for race fans, and we are planning a number of special ways to say 'thanks' to one of Texas' great sports legends."

SUPERSTORE •   Get Terry's merchandise

Fans will have an opportunity to sign a giant greeting card designed especially for "Texas Terry." It will be located in the 10 Years Strong Experience exhibit, located in the midway area near Gate 4, and available throughout the race weekend.

On Thursday, Nov. 2, the All-Star Tribute to Terry Labonte will be held in the Texas Grand Ballroom on the ninth floor of The Speedway Club. The special dinner gala will honor Labonte's career and benefit Speedway Children's Charities, Texas Chapter. The evening will also include a live auction featuring items from Labonte's career courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports. Fans can reserve a table or seats by contacting Speedway Children's Charities at (817) 215-8421.

On Sunday, Nov. 5, prior to the start for the Dickies 500, Texas Motor Speedway, in association with NASCAR, will present a special pre-race salute to Labonte. NASCAR and key sponsors through the years will present special gifts to Labonte and his family on stage at the start/finish line, followed by a video tribute to Labonte on the NextelVision screens.

During driver introductions prior to the Dickies 500, Labonte will be the final driver introduced, regardless of his qualifying position. He and his wife, Kim, will be given a parade lap around the track in a Corvette so fans can have a chance to show their appreciation.

Following the command to start engines, Labonte will lead the field on the parade lap in his specially designed No. 44 before falling back to his qualifying position for the pace laps.

In addition to the pre-race festivities honoring Labonte, the official Texas Motor Speedway Collector's Edition Souvenir Program will highlight his career. An eight-page special section will be included in the Dickies 500 edition focusing on the life and accomplishments of "Texas Terry." Fans also will receive a special Labonte poster that will be inserted in each program.

"Because Terry has meant so much to NASCAR and to Texas Motor Speedway, it is only fitting he receive all-star treatment for his final Cup race," Gossage said.