Harrisburg, N.C. (September 7, 2010) – The last time Bill Stavola entered a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was in 1998 with driver Hut Stricklen.Today, a dozen years later, he is back. This time Stavola is loaded with a two-time Sprint Cup champion in Terry Labonte, who serves as co-owner/driver, and with primary sponsorship support from outdoor specialty retailer giant Gander Mountain and associate support from American Cement. Together the team will compete in three events before the end of the 2010 season as they prepare for 2011.
This weekend, Stavola Labonte Racing will begin the first of three races as they debut the No. 10 Gander Mountain Chevrolet in Saturday night’s Air Guard 400 at the 0.75-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The car is powered by Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines.
Labonte will enter Richmond with stats as impressive as any other driver competing. He has three wins at the track to go along with three poles. Labonte has also collected 28 top-10 and 13 top-five finishes in 54 starts at Richmond. He is no stranger to leading the pack either, having led 663 laps in race events at the short track.
Comments from Terry Labonte on the Team’s Debut this Weekend:
“Yeah, this seems like it’s been a long time coming for everyone, but probably more for Bill. He has been around the sport for a while, and we talked about doing something. He has such a passion for the sport and for doing things the right way. That’s why it was easy to partner with him. He’s put together some good people, and I think he’s gone about this in a way that gives us the best chance to succeed. I’m happy to be with him this weekend.
“I think we’re all anxious to get out there and see how it goes. We got some help from Richard Childress Racing and their group. Everyone knows that they have been extremely competitive this season. That gives us confidence that we have a good car to go to the track with.
“It’s great to see a company like Gander Mountain come on and join us. Being a native of Texas, and having a hunting ranch there, I’m pretty used to going to their stores in Texas. I think they have about 11 stores in Texas alone, so it’s a great fit. Right now, through the end of September, they are collecting used footwear for Soles4Souls. Hopefully fans can check that out and help donate some used shoes or boots for a good cause.”
Comments from Bill Stavola on Returning to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend and putting that ‘owner cap’ back on. It’s been a long time, but we’re ready. This is a great opportunity to go back with folks like Terry, Gander Mountain and American Cement. There are so many people to thank, but the help from our sponsors and Richard Childress from the competition side have been amazing.
“I think we’ve got a plan to go out there and do the best we can. We’ve put together all the parts and pieces to race, but we haven’t done it yet as a group. So, we’ll set some modest goals and put on a good race for Gander Mountain, American Cement and the rest of our partners. I have a lot of faith in Terry that we can have a good run Saturday night.”
About Stavola Labonte Racing
Stavola Labonte Racing was formed by NASCAR veterans Bill Stavola and Terry Labonte. Stavola owned and managed teams with Rookies of the Year Dick Trickle and Jeff Burton as well as veteran drivers including Bobby Allison. Labonte is a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion (1984, 1996). The two look to award-winning sports marketing and sponsorship professional Bill Henneberry as a partner to oversee their sales and marketing efforts. Together they have the experience, instinct and vision to understand how to field a competitive team and deliver on sponsorship objectives.
To learn more about their plans and sponsorship opportunities, contact Bill Henneberry at bhenneberry@stavolalabonte.com.
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