Bob Labonte, the father of NASCAR Cup Series champions Bobby and Terry Labonte, passed away earlier this week.
“This week, Terry and I last our Dad,” Bobby Labonte said Tuesday on X. “To many of you who knew him around the garage, you knew he was larger than life. To us, he was our Dad and also a crew chief, a mentor, our biggest fan, our motivation at times, and our hero.”
“He and our Mom dedicated their lives to our racing careers and our family. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Dad, although we know he is in a far better place. We thank everyone for their support during this difficult time.”
This week, Terry and I lost our Dad. To many of you who knew him around the garage, you know he was larger than life. To us he was our Dad and also a crew chief, a mentor, our biggest fan, our motivation at times, and our hero. He and our Mom dedicated their lives to our racing… pic.twitter.com/ew97oN4LZQ
— Bobby Labonte (@Bobby_Labonte) April 9, 2024
Bob Labonte, born in the state of Texas in 1933, was the introduction to racing for both Terry and Bobby Labonte, who both pursued careers in NASCAR and found great long-term success throughout their careers.
Terry [Labonte] would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Darlington in 1978, the beginning of a career spanning four decades. In that time, the Corpus Christi, Texas native captured a pair of NASCAR Cup Series titles, 22 victories, and 182 top-five finishes.
The older of the Labonte brothers would spend a significant portion of his career driving for Hendrick Motorsports, the organization in which he captured his second and final championship in 1996. Terry would make his final NASCAR Cup Series start in 2014, driving for GoFas Racing.
Bobby [Labonte] followed a slightly different career path to his brother, Terry, debuting in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at 18 years old in 1982, driving for his father’s operation. Labonte would make sporadic appearances with the team, before moving full-time in 1990.
Labonte would run three full-time seasons, winning the NASCAR Busch Series championship in 1991, and finishing runner-up the following season before jumping to the NASCAR Cup Series with Bill Davis Racing in 1993.
Bobby’s career at NASCAR’s top level would span from 1993 to 2016, including 21 victories and the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, a title he won with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Labonte is still very much ingrained in the NASCAR world, competing part-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, while also juggling his position as a brand ambassador for Joe Gibbs Racing and an analyst for FOX Sports.
Outside of fostering the racing careers of his sons, Bob Labonte served as a car owner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, netting seven victories over the course of 11 seasons. The organization scored a pair of championships in 1991 with Bobby Labonte and in 1993 with David Green.
2 Responses
R.I.P. Mr. Labonte God gained another Angel for sure. Condolences to all the family from me Ethel Doyle. I’m a die-hard racing fan for 40 years.
YOU SURE WILL BE MISSED, IF WE NEEDED SOMETHING, A PART OR JUST SOME HELP WE COULD STOP BY THEIR SHOP AND A LOT OF TIMES WALK OUT WITH EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED, FREE ALOT OF TIMES. I HELPED A FRIEND WITH HIS LATE MODEL STOCK CAR. WE RACED AT CARAWAY, MAN I MISS THOSE DAYS……..