Bobby Labonte doesn't want to talk about last season. It was one of his most difficult ones, driving for four owners, and he failed to record a top-10 finish.
Instead,
Labonte is focused on this season and has a rejuvenated energy with his
new team, JTG Daugherty Racing. He opened the season with a
fourth-place run at the Daytona 500, and has had a competitive car in
every race since, including a 13th-place finish in Bristol, Tenn., three
weeks ago.
Labonte appeared to have another top-15 finish in him during the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, but a five-car wreck on Lap 229 knocked him out of contention. He wound up 27th.
Labonte said he believes he can rebound this week at Texas Motor Speedway, driving the No. 47 Bush's Beans Toyota in the Samsung Mobile 500 on Saturday night.
"This season has been interesting, to say the least," said the Corpus Christi native. "We've had some really good race cars and some bad luck. I think we've shown we'll be competitive, and I think Texas is a great venue.
"The race track really widens out to many grooves, so you can drive high or low on it. We're really looking forward to Texas, and we know we can have success there."
Labonte has never won a Sprint Cup race at TMS, but he has two poles and three third-place finishes -- including at the inaugural race in 1997. Recently, however, Labonte has struggled. In his past nine races at TMS, he hasn't finished in the top-15 and his best starting position was 13th.
But that's been the story for Labonte since he won the 2000 championship, when he won four races and posted an average finish of 7.4. Labonte hasn't visited Victory Lane since 2003, and has had an average finishing spot in the 20s since 2005.
His low-point came last season with an average finish of 31.7. Ownership instability played a role in it. He drove for TRG Motorsports, Robby Gordon Motorsports, Phoenix Racing and Stavola Labonte Racing.
"Last year is behind me," Labonte said. "I'm not thinking about that anymore. You learn from everything you do, and I'm just glad that this season is here upon us, and we're able to get after it."
Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing have been a nice fit. JTG Daugherty is a single-car operation that saw Marcus Ambrose quit the team last year, and Labonte was a veteran driver looking for a steady ride.
When former NBA player and team owner Brad Daugherty signed Labonte, he said the team wanted to be consistently competitive and felt that signing a veteran such as Labonte would help take it to the next level, opposed to going with a young up-and-comer.
"We still have the get-to-know-you-type stuff, but we're getting a better understanding and feel in the race car," Labonte said. "We're getting better at communicating the changes and things that we need to do to the race car and how to go about making those changes.
"I know that we can have success, and I do believe all the parts and pieces are in place. We just need to get consistency, and start gaining confidence and momentum."
Labonte appeared to have another top-15 finish in him during the Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, but a five-car wreck on Lap 229 knocked him out of contention. He wound up 27th.
Labonte said he believes he can rebound this week at Texas Motor Speedway, driving the No. 47 Bush's Beans Toyota in the Samsung Mobile 500 on Saturday night.
"This season has been interesting, to say the least," said the Corpus Christi native. "We've had some really good race cars and some bad luck. I think we've shown we'll be competitive, and I think Texas is a great venue.
"The race track really widens out to many grooves, so you can drive high or low on it. We're really looking forward to Texas, and we know we can have success there."
Labonte has never won a Sprint Cup race at TMS, but he has two poles and three third-place finishes -- including at the inaugural race in 1997. Recently, however, Labonte has struggled. In his past nine races at TMS, he hasn't finished in the top-15 and his best starting position was 13th.
But that's been the story for Labonte since he won the 2000 championship, when he won four races and posted an average finish of 7.4. Labonte hasn't visited Victory Lane since 2003, and has had an average finishing spot in the 20s since 2005.
His low-point came last season with an average finish of 31.7. Ownership instability played a role in it. He drove for TRG Motorsports, Robby Gordon Motorsports, Phoenix Racing and Stavola Labonte Racing.
"Last year is behind me," Labonte said. "I'm not thinking about that anymore. You learn from everything you do, and I'm just glad that this season is here upon us, and we're able to get after it."
Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing have been a nice fit. JTG Daugherty is a single-car operation that saw Marcus Ambrose quit the team last year, and Labonte was a veteran driver looking for a steady ride.
When former NBA player and team owner Brad Daugherty signed Labonte, he said the team wanted to be consistently competitive and felt that signing a veteran such as Labonte would help take it to the next level, opposed to going with a young up-and-comer.
"We still have the get-to-know-you-type stuff, but we're getting a better understanding and feel in the race car," Labonte said. "We're getting better at communicating the changes and things that we need to do to the race car and how to go about making those changes.
"I know that we can have success, and I do believe all the parts and pieces are in place. We just need to get consistency, and start gaining confidence and momentum."
