CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte won’t race this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, his best track, because of sponsorship issues at Yates Racing. The team had seven races to sell this season for the No. 96 Ford, and the sponsorship it secured wanted Erik Darnell in the car. The 26-year-old will make his Sprint Cup Series debut at Atlanta, where Labonte has six career victories.

It’s early - just three races into a 36-race season - but NASCAR’s Top 12 has some different faces so far. Twelve is the magic number in stock car racing’s major series, because 12 drivers make the Chase for the Cup, the 10-race postseason competition that decides the Sprint Cup championship. Jeff Gordon has taken the series lead. That’s no surprise since he has been a NASCAR star his whole career. But heading into the KOBALT Tools 500 Sunday at the fast 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway, only five drivers who were in the top 12 at this point last year are there now.

CONCORD, N.C. - Bobby Labonte lost his Sprint Cup ride amid the shuffling and merging of teams when Petty Enterprises reorganized at the end of the 2008 season. But the veteran driver will be back behind the wheel for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15. Labonte, the only NASCAR driver with both Cup and Nationwide titles, was introduced yesterday as driver of the No. 96 Ford owned by Hall of Fame Racing and operated by Yates Racing.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Hall of Fame Racing became the latest NASCAR team to use a merger to stave off collapse, aligning Tuesday with Yates Racing to keep its operation running into the new season. The team quickly signed former Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte to drive the No. 96 Ford, which will operate out of Yates’ shop. “With our new Yates partnership and having a true champion and class person in Bobby Labonte behind the wheel, we’re expecting great things on the race track,“ said Hall of Fame co-owner Tom Garfinkel.

ARCHDALE, N.C.—Former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte said Tuesday he is disappointed equity firm Boston Ventures couldn’t do more for Petty Enterprises. Labonte, who voided his four-year contract extension last week, will explore the free-agent market instead of waiting to see if Petty can complete a merger with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.