In a career spanning four decades, Terry Labonte has reached a multitude of milestones. Sunday’s event at Kansas Speedway will mark yet another, as he makes his 1,000th career start in NASCAR- and IROC-sanctioned competition combined.

Labonte has appeared in 999 events since 1978, the majority coming in his 845-race NEXTEL Cup Series career. He has also participated in the Busch Series (124 races), the Craftsman Truck Series (3) and IROC (27). With 999 races under his belt, Labonte has won two NEXTEL Cup championships, one IROC title, 11 Busch Series races and one Craftsman Truck Series event. He also clinched the 1993 IROC championship for the late Davey Allison with his substitute effort at Michigan that year.

Labonte was the first driver to record a win in all three of NASCAR’s major touring series and “retired” from his three-race Truck Series career after winning from the pole position at Richmond, Va., in 1995. His average Truck Series finish: second.

At Kansas, Labonte’s #44 GMAC Chevrolet will carry a red, white and blue paint scheme inspired by the #44 Piedmont Airlines car he drove to the 1984 Cup Series championship.

[Hendrick Motorsports PR]

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