2 lucky Hanover students get ride with NASCAR legend Labonte

The doorbell rang at the Satterwhite household in Hanover County yesterday morning, and for a few seconds, 10-year-olds Kara Satterwhite and Janak Jaini didn't move.

They knew who was on the other side, and the excitement seemed to momentarily stop them in their tracks.

After all, it's not every day a NASCAR legend is waiting on your front porch to escort you to school.

The fifth-graders from Cold Harbor Elementary School hitched a ride with former Nextel Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte in a No. 96 Ford that was decorated with their names and the name of their school.

The students earned the opportunity through the Web Wise Kids and Ask.com Safe Search Schools program, in which students create lesson plans on Internet safety. Ask.com is Labonte's team sponsor.

Kara and Janak were chosen from 185 entries submitted by Richmond-area fifth-graders. Their idea features a boat lost at sea, surrounded by hungry sharks. For each Internet-safety question answered correctly, the boat gets closer to land. A wrong answer means the sharks get closer.

After meeting the students and numerous relatives and others who had assembled at the Satterwhite home, the kids got ready for school and headed out the door.

Labonte asked how long it takes to get there, and Janak said about 15 minutes.

"We can make it in three," Labonte joked. "We won't speed, we'll just take some shortcuts through the woods and people's backyards."

Once en route, the conversation in the No. 96 car jumped around, with Janak and Kara asking questions about Labonte's favorite track -- Michigan; how fast the cars will go -- 200 mph; and whether, during a race, "Have you ever had to turn right?"

Janak also asked whether the Ford they were riding in was Labonte's actual race car. It wasn't, but that didn't take away from the thrill.

"I can't believe you're actually driving us to school," Janak said.

"People that pass us are probably wondering" what's going on, Kara said.

The students were even more excited when they arrived at school and saw the entire student body waiting for them along the bus loop.

"Oh, my gosh, they weren't kidding about the whole school thing," Kara said.

"I did not expect this," Janak said.

Labonte drove around the bus loop twice as Kara and Janak waved to their friends and teachers.

In addition to Kara and Janak getting the ride to school and passes for Saturday night's race at Richmond International Raceway, Cold Harbor also wins $10,000 for new computers. Labonte, who is racing this weekend, helped make the presentation to students and staff.

As the father of two children ages 11 and 15, Labonte said he knows the importance of online safety. He said keeping an eye on each other and practicing good Internet habits is like having a crew chief and spotters watch you during a race.

Both NASCAR races and today's Internet speeds "go pretty fast," he said, and "things can happen pretty fast." His crew and spotters "help me stay out of trouble," he said, the same way kids and their parents can monitor each other while surfing the Web.

Before heading to class, Kara and Janak said they had an "awesome" time and that the ride to school was over before they knew it.

"Even though it was actually 10 minutes," Janak said, "it felt like only a couple seconds."

Contact Holly Prestidge at (804) 649-6945 or .