Former racer and FOX reporter, Kenny Wallace has recently sparked speculation about 2000 Cup Series winner Bobby Labonte making a potential return. In his recent 'Coffee with Kenny' episode, Wallace talked about the trend of former drivers returning to NASCAR because of the allure of the Next Gen car.
Wallace became a TV analyst and commentator for FOX Sports after retiring from racing. He left reporting in 2018 but remains a powerful voice in motorsports on social media. Wallace hosts a popular video series on X, named 'Coffee with Kenny' where he updates NASCAR fans on recent news and unfiltered opinions with his humorous storytelling.
In his latest episode, Wallace talked about the semi-retired racers, looking to make a comeback in the NASCAR Cup Series, including Labonte.
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"Now I'm scrolling X this morning, and I'm hearing some chirping about Bobby Labonte. I don't know. I don't know. I'm just saying I see, I see some chirping. Bobby Labonte. He still has it."
Besides Labonte, Wallace also talked about part-time racers Kasey Kahne and Casey Mears. Kahne will participate in the Xfinity Series at Rockingham on April 19 while Mears will be in action at Martinsville on March 30. Both drivers are looking to make a return to stock car racing.
NASCAR requires drivers to compete on smaller tracks in Gen-7 cars before participating in events like the Daytona 500. This aims to help racers regain their competitive edge and prepare for racing with the latest technology. Wallace also mentioned Mike Wallace who was denied permission to compete in the Daytona 500 by NASCAR due to his inactivity in the top tiers. He further explained the possible reason behind Labonte's return:
"Everybody you know gets burnt out running NASCAR, and they let about five, six years go by and they go, Hey, I like NASCAR again. So all I'm saying is, keep your antennas up."
59-year-old Labonte is a former NASCAR champion and retired in 2016 but has since made a return in the 2024 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour for Sadler-Stanley Racing. Wallace speculated that Labonte is using this as an opportunity to return to the Cup Series.
Bobby Labonte's potential return amid Denny Hamlin's sponsorship deal
While discussing the sudden increase in former drivers like Bobby Labonte making their NASCAR comebacks, Wallace also talked about NASCAR's financial health. The growing appeal of sponsors like Denny Hamlin's recent sponsorship deal with Progressive Insurance suggests that:
"Everybody wants to be part of NASCAR right now. That's my headline...The drivers want to come back to NASCAR. The sponsors are coming back. NASCAR is on a high right now," added Wallace in his "Coffee with Kenny” episode.
Joe Gibbs veteran Hamlin has secured a partnership for 18 races in the 2025 season starting next week at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. While Labonte remains a part-time racer in the SMART Modified Tour and NASCAR on Fox analyst, time will tell if he proves the speculation right and adds his name to the growing list of NASCAR comebacks.
