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Track Facts:
Turns: 12°
Distance: 1.058 miles
Shape: Oval

Lenox Tools 300
Sunday, June 29
New Hampshire International Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire
Sunday, 2:00 p.m. EST

Schedule
Practice
12:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. EST, Friday, June 27
9:00 a.m. 9:50 a.m. EST, Saturday, June 28
11:45 a.m. 12:45 p.m. EST, Final Practice Saturday, June 28

Qualifying
3:10 p.m. EST, Friday, June 27, Two lap all positions

Race Day Sunday, June 29
2:00 p.m. EST Sunday
TV: TNT 2:00 p.m.
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), XM Radio
2007 winner: Denny Hamlin

Check the SPEED Channel schedule (speedtv.com) for various programs on the race this weekend.

Race Preview

Quotes from Terry Labonte:
 “I’m even surprising myself in how much fun I’m having with this No. 45 Dodge team.  These guys are a lot of fun to be around.  We’re running okay but the main thing is that we are getting better every week.  Each week we have improved on the week before.  That was my goal coming in.  I wanted to have fun and do what I could to help this team continue to move forward.  We’ve been able to do both.  I guess you could say that I’ve caught the racing bug again.”
 
“When I get to the racetrack it’s like old times again.  Bobby and I always parked our motorhomes next to each other and we’ve been able to do that again.  We both have similar driving styles so we are able to bounce things off of each other once again.  In the process I think you’ve seen us both have decent runs but we just need a little luck.  I couldn’t be happier with the decision to come back for a few races.”
 
“You know, it’s good to see my brother relaxed and ready to focus on nothing but winning races.  When you are in the middle of a contract negotiation and rumors are swirling about what you are going to do, it can take you off your game.  He’s at ease knowing that he’ll be at Petty Enterprises for a long time and that he will be able to help them restore their legacy, along with Boston Ventures.”

Qualifying Report

1. Patrick Carpentier, Dodge
2. Bobby Labonte, Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
3. Scott Riggs, Chevrolet
4. Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet
5. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevrolet
34. Terry Labonte, Victory Junction Gang Camp Dodge

Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team will start inside the top-five after grabbing the outside pole position for Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tool 301 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. B. Labonte started fourth in last week’s Sprint Cup race at the Infineon (Ca.) Raceway. Sprint Cup rookie, Patrick Carpentier, won his first career pole to give Dodge Motorsports both front row starting positions.

Qualifying was delayed for nearly two hours after heavy rains came through the Loudon area. Only 24 cars had made qualifying attempts before the delay. The top-five qualifiers all made their qualifying laps after the delay.

This is the best starting spot for B. Labonte since winning the pole for the “spring” race at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2004. It is the best start for the No. 43 team since John Andretti started second at the Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in 2002.

“The track cooled off considerably after the rain delay and that played into our favor,” said B. Labonte. “We were happy with the car in practice, but we needed to pick up a few tenths. So we made a few changes and picked up over three and a half tenths, so we’re really happy about that. It surprised me, actually, with the amount of forward bite the car had. I thought we would hang on to the pole, but I’m happy for Patrick. Plus, that’s two good qualifying efforts in a row for the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team.”

Terry Labonte and the No. 45 Dodge team will start Sunday’s race from the 34th position. T. Labonte had to deal with a “loose” condition off of the flat corners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during practice. T. Labonte and crew chief, Stewart Cooper, made several changes to the No. 45 Dodge and both feel good about the car for Sunday’s 300-miler.

“We qualified our way in and didn’t have to use the past champion’s provisional,” sounded T. Labonte. “That is something that we have been striving to do. This team keeps getting better and we’re showing that we can make these races by our qualifying time. The car was better than it was in practice, so that gives us confidence going into the race on Sunday.”

Race Results
1. Kurt Busch, Dodge
2. Michael Waltrip, Toyota
3. J.J. Yeley, Toyota
4. Martin Truex, Jr., Chevrolet
5. Elliot Sadler, Dodge
10. Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
35. Terry Labonte, No. 45 Victory Junction Gang Camp Dodge

Bobby Labonte and the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team garnered their first top-ten finish of the season by coming home 10th in the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The finish was Labonte’s tenth top-ten finish in 27 starts at the paperclip oval.

Kurt Busch picked up his first win of the season in a race that was shortened by 17 laps due to rain showers that moved through the area.

B. Labonte began the race from the second position, which was his best starting spot since 2004. When the green flag fell, B. Labonte radioed to crew chief Jeff Meendering that his No. 43 Dodge was “tight” from the center of the corner to the exit. However, he kept his car inside the top-five until the first round of pit stops, which came under green on lap 65. Meendering made several air pressure and track bar adjustments as the track surface itself began to “tighten” up.

With rain threatening the area, Meendering and B. Labonte came up with a pit strategy to capitalize on the potential of a shortened race in hopes that they would pick up valuable track position at the right time. In switching between four-tire, two-tire and fuel-only stops, the team had to endure the occasional loss of positions on pit road to teams that were making fewer services and adjustments. However, the team remained steadfast with their strategy and when the rain finally began to fall on lap 284, B. Labonte was running in the 10th position.

“Jeff made great calls all day long on pit road,” said B. Labonte. “That allowed us to pick up track position at the right time. Everyone knew that rain would be coming through the area later in the day. On our last pit stop we just took fuel and that put us close to our fuel window. We never came back in and were sitting in the top-ten when the rain fell. You don’t like to manufacture finishes like this all the time, but we’ll take it now. It rounds out a good weekend for the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team.”

Terry Labonte and the No. 45 Dodge team finished 35th in Sunday’s event. T. Labonte also had to deal with a car that was “tight” in the center of the corners on the flat oval. New Hampshire has long straights and sharp corners and this usually leads to cars developing a “push” with the front tires. Crew chief Stewart Cooper made several adjustments on the car and T. Labonte radioed that it was better just before the rain started to fall.

“Having a ‘tight’ racecar is pretty typical here at New Hampshire,” sounded T. Labonte. “It gets worse when you are in heavy traffic. I was happy with the car everywhere else on the track, but the center was just too tight. That’s where we were losing ground. But this team is still getting better each week and I’m looking forward to going down to Daytona.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway next weekend for the Coke Zero 400. Qualifying for the event will be held on Friday. It will be televised on the Speed Channel and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius channel 128.

Kyle Petty name and/or likeness used under license by Petty Marketing Company, L.L.C.
Richard Petty name and/or likeness used under license by Petty Marketing Company, L.L.C.