BOBBY LABONTE TO ENTER CON-WWAY FREIGHT 200
 
MARTIN TRUEX JR. ALSO SET TO JOIN CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES FIELD ON SATURDAY AT
MIS
 
BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 14, 2006) -- Bobby Labonte raced a truck at Michigan
International Speedway for the first time in 2005, and despite finishing 32nd
in his Michigan NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut, he's back to the
two-mile oval for this weekend's Con-way Freight 200.
 
Dodge Motorsports announced this week that Labonte will enter the No. 4 Dodge
Motorsports Dodge in this Saturday's Con-way Freight 200. A 15-year veteran
of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the 2000 NEXTEL Cup Series champion,
Labonte has made eight previous truck starts, garnering one win and four
top-fives.
 
"Bobby Labonte has been an awesome asset to Dodge in the NEXTEL Cup
Series,"
said Scott Richter of Dodge Motorsports. "We thought this would be an
excellent opportunity for him to assist with our NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series Program."
 
The Con-way Freight 200 start will be Labonte's first in the Craftsman Truck
Series since October 2005, when he placed fifth in Atlanta. The 2005 season
was Labonte's most extensive and successful Craftsman Truck Series season
since his 1996 debut, as he collected one win and three top-five finishes in
five starts.
 
In 37 previous starts at MIS, Labonte has three NEXTEL Cup victories and one
Busch Series win to his credit. In 1995, Labonte entered elite MIS company
when he became just the fifth driver in speedway history to win two Cup races
in the Irish Hills in one season, joining Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Cale
Yarborough, and Bill Elliott.
 
Labonte won't be the only NEXTEL Cup regular piloting a pickup this weekend.
In addition to Labonte and Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr. will also enter the
field behind the wheel of the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet. It
will be Truex's second career Craftsman Truck Series start and his first of
2006.
 
Truex has had two top-five finishes at MIS over the past two seasons,
finishing third in 2004 and fourth in 2005 in the NASCAR Busch Series. In
addition to his truck start, Truex is set to join the NEXTEL Cup field at
Michigan for the first time in Sunday's 3M Performance 400 presented by
Post-it(0xa9) Picture Paper.
 
Tickets for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup 3M Performance 400 presented by Post-it(0xa9)
Picture Paper and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Con-way Freight 200 are
currently on sale at MIS's official website, www.MISpeedway.com, or by
calling the MIS ticket hotline at 1-800-354-1010. Tickets to all other
events, which include the IRL IndyCar Series, the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and the
NASCAR Busch Series, are also now available.
 
##MMR 2.61(beta). 


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