Labonte relishes ride

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.

Labonte admitted he considered retirement - or, at least, a long break. Even though he was confident he would compete this season, Labonte nearly lost faith during the holidays when negotiations with Chip Ganassi (DEI-Chip Ganassi Racing) stalled and other potential suitors opted for younger drivers.

"At times, it was a little tough, but I just stayed tried and true and prayed a lot, and things turned out well, way better than I thought, so I feel very fortunate," Labonte, 44, told reporters yesterday on the second day of the NASCAR media tour.

"That was a great opportunity that Chip and I talked about, but he just didn't have a lot of the things in order to make it work for the whole season. I didn't have anything whenever I got out of my deal [with Petty Enterprises]. I wasn't sure what the next chapter was going to be.

"As a twist of fate or whatever, it's not just an 'Oh, by the way, here's something for you to do,' it's a darn great opportunity that I do not consider a job," he added. "Like I said a while ago, this is some great equipment."

Labonte spent the past three seasons driving the No. 43 Dodge for the former Petty Enterprises. He will pilot a Ford for the first time since his 1993 rookie season, while Reed Sorenson will drive the 43 for newly formed Richard Petty Motorsports, which merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.

Labonte and teammate Paul Menard, the two newest members of Hall of Fame Racing and Yates Racing, now have guaranteed top-35 starting positions after the teams transferred points from existing cars.

"I'm still pinching myself because this is a great, great opportunity," said Labonte, who has 21 wins in 546 career Cup starts. "I've spent the last three years at Petty's, which was great, but obviously this is a great opportunity also, and it gets to the point where I can hopefully be a part of a program that is established in a lot of ways."