DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The No. 77 Dollar General stores team unloaded in Daytona Beach, Fla. on Wednesday for the Winn-Dixie 250 event scheduled for Friday night. Teams endured three days of Florida rains, which eventually postponed the 100-lap event until Saturday morning. Labonte started 31st in the field and quickly made his way up to 20th within the first three laps of the event. Unfortunately the car slipped out of gear and caused Labonte to slow on the track. From that point on, it was a day of catching up and trying to make up track position. Labonte finished out the day in the 23rd-place.

NASCAR Busch Series teams returned to the track Friday afternoon for Busch Pole qualifying and the Winn-Dixie 250 under the lights. Labonte drew an early qualifying draw and lined up 31st on the starting grid. Teams were preparing for the Friday night race when the rain came and the radar showed inclement weather in the area for the duration of the evening. NASCAR officials postponed the race until 9:00 a.m., Saturday.

Saturday morning brought the Florida sunshine and humid conditions for the 100-lap event. As Labonte made pace laps he radioed to the crew and commented, “this isn’t the first time I’ve raced at Daytona (Fla.) this early in the morning, I raced here in the 24-hours.” As the green flag waived over the field Labonte quickly made his way toward the front. By lap one he had jumped four positions and by lap three had jumped 11 positions to 20th place.

The Dollar General stores crew watched in anticipation from pit road as Labonte raced down the frontstretch on lap 10 and suddenly slowed. Panic struck the Dollar General stores crew as they scurried around to gather their equipment fearing that something was mechanically wrong with the No. 77. Labonte radioed to the crew that the car had “jumped out of gear.” Losing momentum and track position, Labonte slipped back to 38th but was able to get the car back into gear and rejoin the race. Luckily NASCAR had scheduled a competition caution on lap 20. Labonte reported that the Dollar General stores Chevrolet was loose on entry of the corner. Labonte came down pit road on lap 22 for a routine pit stop and to have a bungee cord secured around the shifter handle. The bungee cord will hold the shifter handle so that the car could not jump out of gear again.

Upon the green-flag restart Labonte was slowly making headway toward the front of the field, restarting in the 38th position. On lap 51 the field was slowed for a caution and Labonte was running 31st. Labonte was reporting that the car was very loose, especially on the entry of the corner. Crew chief Wally Rogers called Labonte down pit road for a scheduled pit stop. The Dollar General stores crew went to work making an air pressure adjustment, changing four tires and fuel. As the field took the green flag for the restart on lap 56, Labonte was in the 23rd-position.

Just over half-way through the 100-lap event, Labonte radioed to Rogers and said that he was way too loose on the entry of the corner and now on the exit of the corner. Rogers directed the Dollar General stores crew to make another air pressure adjustment for the next scheduled pit stop. On lap 73 the caution flag flew and Rogers called Labonte down pit road. The Dollar General stores crew had made the air pressure adjustment and went over the wall changing four tires and fueling the car, gaining two positions on pit road. The field barely made it to full speed on the restart on lap 78 when the caution flag flew once again on lap 79. Labonte reported that the air pressure adjustment didn’t help the handling of the car and that the crew should reverse the adjustment. Labonte came down pit road for the final time on lap 81 for four tires with the requested air pressure adjustment and fuel.

Labonte crossed the start/finish line on lap 83 for the restart running 33rd. By lap 91 Labonte was running 27th as the field was slowed for a debris caution. The field was scheduled to restart on lap 95 which would have been a five-lap sprint to the finish. As the field raced with two laps remaining the caution flag flew over the field once again. This caution would force the restart on lap 100 resulting in a green-white-checkered finish. Labonte would cross the start/finish line in the 23rd-position.

The No. 77 Dollar General stores team maintained the 20th position in the NASCAR Busch Series Owner’s Point Standings. Race No. 20 of the 35-race Busch Series season will be at Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway. Bobby Labonte will be at the wheel for the USG Durock 300 that can be seen live at 3:00 p.m., ET Saturday, July 14, 2007.

STATS RECAP

Date: July 7, 2007

Track: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway

Driver: Bobby Labonte

Event Name: Winn-Dixie 250

Race 19 of 35

Started: 31st

Finished: 23rd

Busch Series Owner Points Standings: 20th

NEXT ON SCHEDULE

Date: July 14, 2007

Track: Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway

Driver: Bobby Labonte

Event Name: USG Durock 300

Broadcast Times:

TV: NASCAR Countdown pre-race coverage can be seen live on ABC at 2:30 p.m., ET. Followed by the USG Durock 300 on ABC at 3:00 p.m., ET.

Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast pre-race coverage at 2:30 p.m., ET.