Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 16, 1995 TAG: 9506160058
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BROOKLYN, MICH. LENGTH: Medium
Ol' Bob Labonte, tough, colorful and blessed with a heart of gold, has two sons, Terry and Bobby, competing in the Miller 400 here at Michigan International Speedway on Father's Day.
But on Sunday, this 62-year-old racing father will be kicking back at home in Trinity, N.C., watching the race on television, with steaks for the grill and cold beer in the fridge in the kitchen, where the younger son's likeness can be seen on a can of Maxwell House coffee (last year's sponsor) and the older son's photo is on a box of Kellogg's Corn Flakes.
``I was kidding my wife the other day,'' Labonte said. ``I said, `There aren't a lot of parents in the country who can walk in the kitchen and see their son on a box of cereal or a coffee can.'''
Both sons have been on a tear of late in the NASCAR Winston Cup series. Terry, 38, is coming off a victory at Pocono last Sunday in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Bobby, 31, who drives for Joe Gibbs, put his Chevy in victory lane at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte last month.
``I kind of like to see 'em both up front,'' Labonte said. ``I'm sure it's going to be pretty exciting to me when they're really racing each other for the win someday, but I know they're going to race each other fair and square.''
Then, in his typically blunt fashion, the elder Labonte gave a perceptive analysis of how his sons might race, and how they stack up against each other.
``I know Terry will protect the inside, and Bobby is gutsy enough that he might try to go to the outside. That's what he did at Dover when he was trying to pass [race-winner] Kyle [Petty] there at the end.
``In Bobby now, I can see Terry 10 years ago when he didn't have as much track time. Terry is a little bit smarter. He kind of plans ahead a little bit and has a pretty good game plan. Bobby might just dive in there and worry about it when he gets there, but he's not that way as much anymore.''
The elder Labonte spends his days working at the family race shop in Trinity, where he supervises the entire operation while focusing on Terry's Grand National car. He's the crew chief.
Labonte is enjoying his sons' success, but his racing roots are deep and he knows one can never predict what will happen from week to week.
``It would be a great Father's Day gift if one of them could win the race, but the best Father's Day gift I ever got came a long time ago when they were born. All of this is just icing on the cake.''
by CNB