What’s Next For Bobby Labonte?

Another sure sign of changing times came when Petty Enterprises and Bobby Labonte parted company yesterday. There were no theatrics, no “Look what Petty did to me” moments. Like the Eagles say in their song “Waiting In The Weeds,”: “It didn’t go down in flames, there was no final scene, no frozen frame. I just slowly watched it fade away.”

The 2000 NASCAR Cup champion had every chance to jump ship on Richard Petty back in March. Rumors abounded that the 44-year-old would bolt Petty Enterprises for Richard Childress- an organization Labonte has run some for vis a vis the Nationwide Series. The winner of 21 Cup races elected to re-sign with Petty- giving every appearance that Labonte would finish out his racing career driving “The King’s” fabled #43 Dodge. There were those that argued that though he would become RCR’s number four man behind the likes of Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton- it would be better for Bobby to be a sword bearer in the army of Richard Childress, than to be a prince in King Richard’s court.

They may have been right, but you can’t fault Labonte for his loyalty and commitment to try to lend his support to pull Petty out of the doldrums.

Then the economic downturn hit hard and Petty Enterprises found itself striking a deal with Boston Ventures. Before you know it, word comes out that Richard’s son Kyle is getting kicked to the curb, on top of the already known fact that the organizations long-time relationship with sponsor General Mills is coming to a close. We won’t even get into the troubles experienced by Wells- Fargo- a primary sponsor Kyle’s #45.

Today- we find two veteran drivers on the free agent market, and Petty attempting to work a merge with Gillett- Evernham racing. Further complicating matters here is the fact that Ray Evernham is buying a North Carolina dirt track and seems to be completely leaving the organization he founded in the hands of Canadian businessman George Gillett.

Geez- talk about silly season! Is there anybody not going anywhere?

Word has it Labonte may take over the #41 ride at Earnhardt- Ganassi, a car left behind by the upstart Reed Sorenson, who’s career thus hasn’t matched the expectations envisioned for him when he jumped into the Sprint Cup series.

If Bobby doesn’t catch on there, I sure hope someone else out there sees what I believe he still has. Labonte got everything he could out of that “43″- which was far from its glory days. I get the fact that Texas Terry’s little brother hasn’t won since Homestead in 2003, the latter days of his career at Joe Gibbs. I also understand he’s approaching that age when drivers appear to lose their reflexes, and in some cases, lose their fire. I hope Labonte gets a chance to prove it was sub-par equipment that kept him out of victory lane, rather than diminished desire and reflexes.

Let us not forget that another Bobby- Allison, that is, won 19 races after the age of 44. Dale Earnhardt won 12 races after turning 44 in 1995, and that Harry Gant won 15 races after his 44th birthday- including an amazing 4 races in a row in September, 1991 at the age of 51! I mean if he runs a couple of more years and gets shut out, I’d say then that the writing is on the wall, but let’s not go shoveling dirt on Labonte’s career just yet.

With Labonte- you get a reliable veteran who carries the “Champion” label- a plus for any organization. Bobby also has the reputation for running “clean” and finishing races- a positive for the cost-concious. Labonte may not be quite as photogenic as Kasey Kahne (but ask the ladies, and they’ll tell you he’s the leading man of NASCAR’s older set), or as colorful as Carl Edwards, but Labonte- who owns a marketing firm- knows how to represent his sponsors well.

The #41 job seems perfectly suited for an old-school driver to associate with an “old school” name like Earnhardt. But if the doesn’t pan, there still should be a place in NASCAR behind the wheel for Bobby Labonte.

There OUGHT to be a place in NASCAR for one of it’s true class acts.