HIGH POINT, N.C. — NASCAR legend and Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductee Bobby Labonte returns to the race track this Saturday, August 10 to compete in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series modified race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Labonte will be driving the No. 36 Alliance Insurance Services open-wheeled modified car — his first-ever modified race.
The race marks Labonte’s return to competition in the U.S. since becoming the first American NASCAR champion to join the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2017. He raced full-time in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series in 2018, finishing 14th in points with 1 top-5 and 4 top-10s. At Tours in France, in what was his first outing on a European short track, the Corpus Christi, Texas native grabbed his first NWES podium finish under the checkered flag at the end of a breathtaking bumper-to-bumper battle for the win.
His upcoming Twin 50-Lap race at Bowman Gray Stadium, also known as “The Madhouse,” presents a different challenge for Labonte. It is NASCAR’s first and oldest weekly series sanctioned track, and it also plays host to Sportsman, Street Stock, Stadium Stock and Classic Modified Division races throughout the season.
“I have been to Bowman Gray Stadium a few times, watching and testing this summer, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Labonte. “It reminds me of some of the racing I did before Cup racing. The modified races there are really competitive, and the teams and drivers are serious and talented. I am sure they will make it tough on me, but I am looking forward to strapping on my helmet and giving them a run for it in the No. 36 Alliance Insurance Services car on Saturday night.”
The first-ever NASCAR driver to win a championship in both the NASCAR Cup Series and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Labonte won 21 races at the highest level of NASCAR in the United States, conquering some of NASCAR’s crown jewels like the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, the Southern 500 at Darlington and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. Labonte is set to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in January 2020.