Terry's Personal Life

Spouse Kim

Kids Justin, Kristen

Height 5'10

Weight 165

Hometown Corpus Christi, Tex.

Birthdate November 16, 1956

Hobbies Hunting

Biography

There was no repeat, but then again it looks like the wait won't be 12 years again this time. Terry Labonte, driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Kellogg's Corn Flakes Chevrolet, followed up his 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship with a sixth-place overall finish in 1997. It may not have been quite what Labonte had hoped for, but with a win at Talladega and 20 top-10s, 1997 would have to rank among the veteran's best seasons. Early in the season, it looked as though Labonte had an excellent chance of repeating as champion. He finished second to teammate -- and eventual champion -- Jeff Gordon at Daytona and finished in the top-10 14 times in the first 17 races. Starting at the second Pocono race, however, Labonte hit a slump. He finished 35th or worse four times in nine races. He fell out of contention for the points title. But that may have made his win at Talladega all the sweeter. The champion posted his first win of the year in the 29th race, and he could scarcely have been happier. Labonte will welcome Andy Graves as his crew chief for 1997. Gary DeHart, who ran things in the 1996 championship season, left for personal reasons during the year. Graves leaves the No. 25 Hendrick team driven by Ricky Craven. Otherwise, though, things will remain the same for the No. 5 team. Driver, sponsor, owner, and make will not change, and why should they? Labonte's time with Hendrick has been arguably the most successful period of his career. Labonte started racing quarter-midgets in the early 1960s back in his native Texas. Nearly 15 years later he made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut, finishing fourth in the 1978 Southern 500. His first career victory came 58 starts later, again at Darlington, in the 1980 Southern 500. And the rest, as they say, is history. Labonte started racing quarter-midgets in Texas in 1964 under the direction of his father, Bob. He was the Corpus Christi Sportsman of the Year in 1979 and 1984. In his first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race , the 1978 Southern 500, he finished fourth. His first win came in his 59th start, the 1980 Southern 500. In 1981 at the Coca-Cola 500 at Atlanta he added another first to his resume, this time a pole. Aside from the two titles, other notable victories on Labonte's ledger include the 1985 Busch Clash, the 1988 Winston Select at Charlotte, the 1989 IROC Championship and the 1990 Christmas 400K in Melbourne, Australia.