Is Terry Labonte getting equal equipment to Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson?
The answer is not just ‘no,’ it is ‘hell no.’ Terry Labonte is much better than the results the Kellogg’s team has logged in the last few years. The difference is money. The DuPont and Lowe’s sponsorships provide big dollars, unlike the Kellogg’s and Delphi deals. The cars and motors start out the same, but the day-to-day resources do not match up. Another difference is the personnel – the more money, the bigger the payroll. The 5 car has never been on the same resource level as the others, and Kellogg’s does not provide the big dollars. Most people believe that Labonte can do the job if given equal resources to those of his teammates. The cold hard truth: Money buys speed and adds to payroll. Rick Hendrick says the teams are equal. But until the money is equal, the teams won’t be. Did Casey Atwood get the shaft from Evernham? A qualified yes. Qualified only because some of this was of Atwood’s own doing. Evernham saw greener pastures when Jeremy Mayfield became available. If he wanted
