@nascarcasm: The All-Texas NASCAR team

This is the opposite of a spoiler. No Texas-themed NASCAR gallery would make it onto this site without the inclusion of the Corpus Christi’s very own Labonte brothers. First off would be Texas Terry Labonte -- two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, 2016 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, winner of 22 races and a mustache thick enough to strain the peas out of vegetable beef soup. Labonte’s storied career included stints with Junior Johnson & Associates and Hendrick Motorsports, and he holds the record for longest stretch between championships -- 12 years. He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

Terry’s brother Bobby Labonte obviously makes this dream team as well. The younger Labonte also scored a Cup Series championship in 2000 –-- the first for Joe Gibbs Racing -- and an Xfinity Series championship in 1991. When he won his Cup Series championship, it made him the first driver in NASCAR history to score championships in both series. And just like his older brother, Bobby was also enshrined into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame in 2020, and named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. You’d have a hard time finding a pair of siblings more beloved in the sport than these two.

Honestly, we’d put him on the list for his nickname of “Super Tex” alone because it sounds like a superhero that carries a six-shooter and a hot branding iron. A.J. Foyt epitomizes the archetype of a Texas bad-ass, reinforced by a list of motorsports accolades longer than a CVS receipt. He’s the only driver to have won the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 (which he did four times), the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. Foyt would win seven NASCAR races in 128 starts. Texas Motor Speedway was actually the site of a legendary Foyt moment in 1994 where he backhanded Arie Luyendyk in Victory Lane following an IRL race. Rumor has it that Arie regained consciousness a few weeks ago.

The pride of Prosper, Texas -- population 30,000. Chris Buescher is that dude -- a friendly, blue-collar wheelman that puts in the work and reaps the rewards. Chris worked his way up the ranks and notched championships along the way, winning the ARCA championship in 2012 and the Xfinity Series title in 2015. You know him now as RFK Racing’s breakout star of the 2023 season, where he won three races during the regular season, including back-to-back races Richmond and Michigan. He’s an affable fellow and one of Texas’ proudest sons.

Bobby Hillin Jr. hails from Midland, Texas and for a brief period, held the record for being the youngest winner of a NASCAR Cup Series race. At the tender age of 22 years, one month and 22 days, Hillin Jr., driving for Stavola Brothers Racing, pulled off a surprise win at Talladega Superspeedway. That would be his final win in the Cup Series and his career would begin to suffer setbacks, as he bounced from team to team without a great deal of success. Drivers like Kyle Busch and Joey Logano went on to break his record, but regardless, we think he’s earned a spot on this team. Also, if you search "Bobby Hillin Jr" on Google it asks you "Did you mean Bobby Hill?" and gives you a bunch of "King Of The Hill" fan sites. Win-win.

Rounding out the list is Vernon, Texas’ very own Cory Roper. Roper runs part time in the Craftsman Truck Series. We are including him as an honorable mention more for his striking resemblance to Patrick Swayze in his heyday and his ability to break up fights, as he did with the Nick Sanchez/Matt Crafton brawl at Talladega last fall. This dude looks like he surfs every day. You can picture him working the door at some road house on the outskirts of Houston. Plus, his last name is "Roper" which predestines him to the rodeo at some point in his life. Welcome to the team.