Bobby Labonte Races Past Jarrett To Win Primestar 500

Bobby Labonte worked his Atlanta magic again in the rain-postponed Primestar 500 on Monday, winning on this track for the second straight time and third in the last four outings.

Labonte gave Pontiac its first victory of the 1998 season, coming on strong late in the 325-mile race on the 1.54-mile oval. He passed the Ford of defending race winner Dale Jarrett on lap 279 and led the rest of the way.

“We were struggling a little there,” said Labonte, who led only the last 47 laps. “We couldn’t get it balanced up real good, but the guys kept working on it and it was great at the end.”

Labonte averaged 139.501 mph and earned $106,800 for his sixth career victory.

Despite NASCAR’s latest rule change, slicing a quarter-inch off the rear spoilers of the Fords last week to slow the new Tauruses, Labonte was the only driver able to keep it from being a Ford sweep.

With a raging controversy over its aerodynamics rules, NASCAR impounded five cars following Monday’s Primestar 500 to take for a wind tunnel test this week at Lockheed Aviation in Marietta.

The winning Pontiac Grand Prix of Labonte was an automatic choice, joining the Ford Tauruses of Jarrett and Winston Cup points leader Rusty Wallace, as well as the Chevrolet Monte Carlos of teammates Terry Labonte and Jeff Gordon.