Is TERRY LABONTE Becoming A “Hired Gun”?
– Two-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte left full-time Cup racing at the end of the 2004 season. Several times during 2005, he signed on to race as a “hired gun” for single races. As a past champion, Labonte is eligible to use NASCAR’s past champion provisional rule to insure his team a starting spot. When Joe Gibbs Racing was having trouble qualifying with Jason Leffler behind the wheel of their No. 11 Fed-Ex Chevrolet, they fired Leffler and called on Labonte. Labonte never finished near the front in any of the races he ran in the No. 11, but by merely making the race, Gibbs Racing was able to keep Fed-Ex happy. Kyle Petty, driver of the No. 45 Georgia Pacific Dodge, and a full-time competitor did not make the Richmond race on his qualifying speed. Because of Labonte and the past champion provisional, Labonte was in and Petty’s team was sent packing. Now let’s fast forward to the 2006 season. For the first four races, all new teams and those teams that did not finish in
