Richard Petty Joins the NASCAR Community as They Pay Their Final Respects to the Legendary Bob Labonte

NASCAR mourns another loss today. Labonte Motorsports’ co-owner and dad to NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Labonte and Terry Labonte, Bob Labonte, passed away earlier this week. Bobby Labonte shared the sad news on his official Twitter account. Bob was 90 years old, notched up two car owner championships, and served as a crew chief in the Busch Series, [the Xfinity Series]. Many of NASCAR’s greats have come forward to offer their condolences and send prayers for strength to the family, hoping they find the strength to get through this tough time.

Bobby Labonte shared how deeply he feels about the loss of their biggest supporter, their beloved dad

On Twitter, Bobby Labonte poured his heart into celebrating his father, revealing the immense pain the loss has caused. He shared, “This week, Terry and I lost our Dad. To many of you who knew him around the garage, you know he was larger than life. To us, he was our Dad and also a crew chief, a mentor, our biggest fan, our motivation at times, and our hero. He and our Mom dedicated their lives to our racing careers and to our family. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our Dad, although we know he is in a far better place. We thank everyone for their support during this difficult time.”

Bob Labonte was born in 1933 in a home, called Corpus Christi, where both Terry Labonte, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champ, and Bobby Labonte, grew up. In pursuit of Terry’s NASCAR dreams, the family relocated to North Carolina in the late ’70s. An article from 2016 in the Caller-Times revealed Bob moved to Corpus Christi in the late ’40s during his Navy days and later worked at the Corpus Christi Army Depot. His love for racing kicked off in his teen years in Maine and flourished in Corpus Christi, shared with his sons, making racing a core part of the Labonte family life, as Terry noted in 2016.

Terry and Bobby Labonte kicked off racing quarter midgets, with Terry Labonte hitting the track at the old Corpus Christi Speedway and then tearing it up in Houston and San Antonio before heading to North Carolina to chase bigger dreams. Both brothers ended up in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, with Bobby snagging a NASCAR Cup series title in 2000 and a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 1991, and he’s still racing in various series back in North Carolina.

The Labonte family was all in to get Terry and Bobby to the top. Not to forget their father, Bob Labonte, was the wizard behind the cars, and their mom, Martha, was the face at the ticket booth. Aaron “Slick” Yeomans, a racer buddy of the Labontes and a whiz in asphalt Late Model stock cars, said back in 2016, “There is not any one person more dedicated to racing and being good at it than Bob Labonte. He was kind of behind the scenes a lot and anybody that knows Terry knows his dad. Bob did a lot for him and sacrificed a lot, and his mother did, too. She was part of it and it’s been a family deal.”

Meanwhile, Twitter lit up with tributes from some of the biggest stars in NASCAR, all wanting to honor the legacy of this veteran NASCAR crew chief and owner.

The NASCAR world is coming together to mourn the Hall of Famers brothers’ loss

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Hearing about the Labonte patriarch’s passing, Kenny Wallace shared his respects, saying, “I am SO SORRY ❤️ @Bobby_Labonte .. Your father was larger than life to me. I respected him immensely, and I was even a little afraid of him. My prayers.”

Richard Petty, who raced back in the days of Labonte Motorsports under Bob Labonte’s watch, offered his sympathies, “Richard Petty and The Petty Family is deeply saddened by the loss of Bob Labonte. He was instrumental in shaping the careers of his sons, Terry and Bobby, and his contributions to the sport won’t be forgotten. The Labonte Family is in our thoughts and prayers.”

Dustin Long and Bob Pockrass shared NASCAR’s heartfelt message, “NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bob Labonte, the patriarch of the Labonte family. Bob was a champion owner and crew chief whose guidance helped lead sons Terry and Bobby into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He will be missed.”

Xfinity Racing reached out with, “Our deepest condolences to the entire Labonte family.” Pocono Raceway, feeling the weight of Bobby and Terry Labonte’s loss, said, “Our Pocono Raceway family is sorry for your loss. We are thinking of the entire Labonte family.”

EssentiallySports sends its heartfelt condolences to his friends, family, and fans.

Read More: NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte Returns to Joe Gibbs Racing After 19 Years