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With NASCAR set to return to Rockingham Speedway this weekend, Bobby Labonte recalled a bittersweet moment in the 2001 Dura Lube 400. He described his second-place finish as a "meant to be" after crossing the line behind Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s driver, Steve Park.
The 2001 Dura Lube 400 was the first race since Dale Sr. passed away in a last-lap incident in the Daytona 500. Driving the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac, Labonte was alongside Steve Park when he hit the wall before taking the white flag. He tried to overtake in the bottom lane off the backstretch, but to no avail.
Speaking about the last-lap showdown at Rockingham Speedway with 'The Charlotte Observer' last month, the then-defending series champion thought losing to Park, pilot of the #1 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet, was a great scenario a week after Dale Sr.'s passing.
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"With one lap to go, I got into the fence a little bit, and just couldn’t make the pass," Labonte said.
"Afterward, on the cool-down lap, I said, 'Well, I guess if you’re not gonna be able to win, I mean, what a great scenario that this turned out to be.' We tried to win the race just like anybody would, but when it was all said and done, I guess it was meant to be that," he added.
Jeff Gordon crossed the line in third place at Rockingham Speedway in 2001, followed by Labonte's then-JGR teammate, Tony Stewart. Kevin Harvick, Earnhardt Sr.'s replacement driver at Richard Childress Racing, finished 14th before winning the fourth race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Another notable story from the 2001 Winston Cup Series season was Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the Pepsi 400. It marked NASCAR's return to the Daytona International Speedway, where Dale Sr. passed earlier in the year.
Bobby Labonte applauds NASCAR safety innovator
After Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s untimely death in 2001, NASCAR partnered with Dr. Dean Sicking and the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, and developed the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier. 24 years later, Sicking was honored by NASCAR for his contribution, which Bobby Labonte acknowledged on X.
Responding to NASCAR's post about Dean Sicking receiving the 2025 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions, Labonte wrote:
"Dean is an amazing guy!"
The SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier was installed in most NASCAR speedways by the 2004 season, Labonte's penultimate year with Joe Gibbs Racing. The barrier is designed to absorb and reduce kinetic energy to prevent driver injuries.
In addition to the 2025 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions, Sicking earned the 2003 Bill France Award of Excellence and 2005 National Medal of Technology and Innovation from then-US President George W. Bush.
Bobby Labonte, meanwhile, moved to several teams after his JGR stint, including Petty Enterprises and JTG Daugherty Racing (now known as Hyak Motorsports). He retired from NASCAR in 2016 after winning the 2000 championship and 21 Cup races.
