Terry Labonte

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Labonte's journey began in Corpus Christi, Texas, introduced to racing by his father. He started racing quarter midgets at age seven, winning a national championship at nine before moving to local short tracks as a teenager. After graduating Mary Carroll High School in 1975, he won track championships in Houston and San Antonio between 1975 and 1977. His NASCAR debut came in 1978 at Darlington Raceway, where he qualified 19th in the No. 92 Duck Industries Chevrolet and finished fourth. In 1979, driving the No. 44 Stratagraph Chevrolet for Hagan Racing, he was a top-ten points finisher among rookies despite losing the Rookie of the Year award to others like Dale Earnhardt. His first Cup win arrived on Labor Day weekend in 1980 at Darlington. By 1984, with sponsorship from Piedmont Airlines, he won at Riverside and Bristol to clinch his first Winston Cup championship. A pivotal moment occurred in 1985 when he made his Busch Series debut for Darrell Waltrip, winning the 400-mile race at Charlotte. In 1996, twelve years after his first title, Labonte won his second championship driving a broken hand through the final two races. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, his brother Bobby won the race while Terry secured the title, marking the only time a driver and sibling achieved this dual feat simultaneously.

In Their Own Story

The 1999 season featured one of NASCAR's most controversial finishes at Bristol during the Goody's Headache Powder 500. While leading with ten laps to go, Labonte slowed under caution for lapped cars, allowing Darrell Waltrip to spin him out. After pitting for four tires and recovering to lead again with one lap remaining, Dale Earnhardt wrecked Labonte halfway to the checkered flag. Labonte finished eighth while damaged. In victory lane, Earnhardt claimed it was unintentional, but in a post-race interview, Labonte rejected the excuse, stating angrily: "[Earnhardt] never intends to take anybody out...it just happens that way." Another defining chapter occurred in 2003 when Labonte won his first pole since 2000 at Richmond. He then captured the Mountain Dew Southern 500 at Darlington, leading the last 33 laps to mark exactly 23 years since his first win there in 1980. About 90% of fans labeled this victory as the most popular of 2003.

Reader's Guide

Labonte's career trajectory included stints with Hagan Racing, Junior Johnson & Associates, Precision Products Racing, and a long tenure at Hendrick Motorsports starting in 1994. Driving the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, he won three races in 1995, including the fall Goody's 500 at Bristol where Dale Earnhardt crashed into him on the final lap. In 1996, he broke Richard Petty’s streak for consecutive races by winning at North Wilkesboro. His mustache became a trademark until 1998, though it returned mid-season in 2001 before he shaved it off again in 1999. His consistency faced a test in 2000 when inner ear injuries from the Pepsi 400 broke his consecutive start streak at 655 races. He missed the Brickyard 400 and the Global Crossing @ The Glen, marking his first winless season since 1993. A turning point came in 2002 with the appointment of crew chief Jim Long. In 2003, he achieved a tenth-place points finish. By late 2004, Labonte announced it would be his final full-time year, switching to part-time schedules for two years under the nickname "Shifting Gears: Lone Star Style." During semi-retirement in 2005 and 2006, he drove Hendrick's No. 44 research car and five races for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also piloted the No. 96 for Hall of Fame Racing in early 2006, securing a third-place finish at Infineon via a fuel mileage gamble by Philippe Lopez.

Did You Know?

• Labonte won a national championship in quarter midgets at age nine.
• In 1996, Terry and his brother Bobby performed a dual victory lap at Atlanta where the brother won the race and Terry won the championship.
• He appeared on The Dukes of Hazzard in 1984 playing an unnamed pit crew member.
• His consecutive start streak was broken at 655 races due to inner ear injuries in 2000.
• About 90% of NASCAR fans voted his 2003 Southern 500 win as the most popular victory of that year.