3 NASCAR drivers who had unexpectedly short careers including Bobby Labonte

NASCAR has seen many great drivers, but not all have had long careers. Some drivers made a big mark on NASCAR, even though their careers were shorter than expected. Here are three drivers who had surprisingly brief runs due to three very different reasons:

Harry Gant

First on the list is someone who didn't claim a victory until his 107th race at the age of 42. Despite 10 second-place finishes since starting in 1982, he only raced full-time until 1994.

Harry Gant started his racing career late because he ran a construction business. He joined the Cup Series full-time at the age of 39 after selling the business. Gant raced for several teams before finding success with the No. 33 Skoal Bandit car. He also became one of the series' oldest winners.

He won 18 races, finished 2nd and 3rd once each, and also claimed three 4th place finishes during his career from 1982 to 1994. He also earned several nicknames throughout the years, including "Handsome Harry" after winning 18 Cup races and "Mr. September," in 1991 when he won four races in a row.

His 11-year career was unexpectedly short for a talented driver.

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Bobby Labonte

Bobby Labonte's full-time racing career ended sooner than many fans expected. He had a successful career start. He won the Cup Series championship in 2000 and the Busch Series championship in 1991. He was also the first driver to win both the Winston Cup and Busch Series championships.

Labonte's career slowed down in his last years at Joe Gibbs Racing due to funding problems and more aggressive competitors. He moved to a new team, Petty Motorsports, but the struggles continued. His career ended racing in the lower series with occasional wins.

Bobby Labonte is now an analyst for Fox and races part-time in the SMART Modified Tour.

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Late NASCAR driver, Red Byron

The final name on this list is a driver who had a mere 3-year career but left a big mark on the sport. Red Byron, who ran only 15 races, was NASCAR's first champion in the Modified and Strictly Stock Series (now the Cup Series).

His career was interrupted by World War II when he went to serve as a flight engineer and was injured. Byron later returned to racing and won NASCAR's first races at Daytona Beach and Martinsville. He became the first NASCAR champion in 1949.

Unfortunately, his career was cut short again due to health problems and he retired from racing in 1951. He died at the age of 45 due to a heart attack in a Chicago hotel room in 1960.