03-01-2005 | TruckSeries.com Report
Five-time Cup winner turns first laps at Atlanta in Craftsman Truck - Even though Bobby Labonte has more wins than any other full-time driver at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he'll be a rookie on Friday, March 18.
That's when Bobby Labonte will compete for the first time at Atlanta in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. It will be his fourth career truck race and third in the No. 47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado, which he will try to drive to victory in the World Financial Group 200. Labonte will be pulling double duty that weekend, also driving his usual No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the March 20 Golden Corral 500 NEXTEL Cup race. But Labonte was focused entirely on his Chevy truck on Tuesday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, when he was preparing for his Craftsman Truck Series debut at the fast track. His first few laps didn't set any speed records, but Labonte said he was just getting warmed up when he turned a lap around the 1.54-mile speedway in 31.19 seconds (177.749 mph) "I'm real excited," Labonte said. "At night it's exciting for the fans and drivers. Under the lights, the speeds just look faster." At the other end of the garage, Hendrick development driver Blake Feese was back in a Busch car for the first time since last October's Aaron's 312, when he finished 25 th. Now one of two drivers rotating in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Busch car, Feese was pleased with his performance right off the truck. His fastest lap, recorded early in the day, was 181.830 mph (30.49 seconds). "We were fast this morning," Feese said. "It took a lap or two to build my confidence, but once you get it, it's back." Feese signed on with Hendrick Motorsports as a development driver last year and has since showcased his talent in a handful of ARCA races, including a win at Nashville last year in just his second series start. It wasn't long before Feese was signed on to share driving duties with Boston Reid for the 2005 Busch season. "By far this is the most amazing thing," Feese said. "An opportunity like this is something I've always dreamed of, and I know how hard it is to get to this level. So I'm going to do everything I can to make the most of it." Testing will continue into the night for Labonte and fellow Craftsman Truck driver Brad Keselowski as they prepare for the 9 p.m. start of the World Financial Group 200.