Petty Enterprises Heading To Best Track
Cheerios Dodge Riding Momentum

This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the .526-mile Martinsville ( Va. ) Speedway for Sunday's Subway 500.  The race is the last short track race on the Nextel Cup schedule.

Petty Enterprises is one of the most successful teams at Martinsville .  The organization has 153 starts at the track with 73 finishes in the top 10.  In fact, 52 of those finishes have been in the top five.  Petty Enterprises machines have won 19 times at Martinsville .  Richard Petty is the all-time leader at the track in wins with 15.  Lee Petty won three times and John Andretti also won for Petty Enterprises at Martinsville .

Labonte has one win at Martinsville in 2002. He also has five top -five and 12 top-10 finishes on the tight paper-clip shaped oval.  Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team have finished in the top 10 in three of their last four races.

Questions for Labonte as he prepares for this weekend's Subway 500:

How has this team maintained the momentum the past month?

“I think things are going our way right now.  We should have had a few more top 10 or top five finishes the past few races, but we didn't have the luck.  We had bad luck in Kansas and got wrecked in New Hampshire- two finishes that could have been good.  It was frustrating, but now we're getting some of that better luck.

“It's just good for everyone. It's good for Paul (crew chief Paul Andrews ) and the entire Cheerios team.  These guys are working hard and seeing good results.  That's great for everyone.  It's getting us closer to our goals.  It's exciting to be a part of this team right now.”

Can this team keep it up?

“I think we can, but we still have to keep working hard.  We're getting better resources and building on a lot of things.  The drivers sometimes gets a lot of credit, but it's Richard (Petty), Kyle and Robbie (Loomis) who are making decisions that affect what we do on the track.  I give a ton of credit to them and the guys at the shop.

“We are still testing and still researching. We have done a lot in one year here, but we had a great foundation too.  We are climbing that hill, but it's been easier for us. Charlotte was a great run for us.  That gives everyone confidence.”

Is Martinsville a good track for you?

“It's a great track for Petty Enterprises.  The history they have there is unmatched.  Richard is truly ‘The King', but he owns all the crowns at Martinsville .  He has an unbelievable record there.  It's amazing to look at what he has done here.

“It's an honor to drive this car and it's going to be special when we pull this Cheerios Dodge back into victory lane.  I think Martinsville is a place where Petty Enterprises knows how to win.  I've had some good runs there too.  We're anxious to get to the track.”