Bobby Labonte is one of only two drivers to own championships on NASCAR’s top two circuits. Should the right opportunity arise for next season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the veteran driver might be willing to make a run at the sport’s triple crown.
The 49-year-old Labonte hasn’t yet announced any plans for next season, and admitted this weekend his phone hasn’t rung as much as he’d hoped. Labonte has been a fixture at NASCAR’s premier level since 1993, winning 21 races – the most recent a decade ago – as well as the 2000 championship.
His preference, it seems, would be to remain in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season. But if an offer doesn’t materialize, Labonte said he wouldn’t dismiss a competitive ride in the Truck Series, which is the only title at NASCAR’s national level the Texas native hasn’t won.
“If an opportunity came (in the Truck Series) to race for a championship, that would be awesome. Again, it’s not easy. I’m not saying you’re going to pop in and do it. But it would be great to have that opportunity. If that can happen, heck, I’d do it, I believe, just because of the fact that I’ve done this for 20 years.”
The opportunity to claim all three national series titles seems to appeal to Labonte, as does the reduced Truck Series schedule. “It’s kind of one of those things where at this point in time, you know, a Truck Series deal would be really, really nice to run 22 races,” he said. “That would be something that I might not have thought about three or four years ago, but today I’m like, you know, that’s probably not a bad thing.”
