Slugger Labbe

Slugger Labbe
Personal information
Full name Richard Labbe
Nickname(s) Slugger
Nationality American
Born June 14, 1968 (1968-06-14) (age 43)
Saco, Maine, United States
Sport
Country United States
Sport NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Team 27. Richard Childress Racing

Richard Labbe (born June 14, 1968), also known as Slugger Labbe, is an American NASCAR crew chief currently employed by Richard Childress Racing and working on the #27 Menards Chevrolet Impala driven by Paul Menard.

Early life

Labbe was born in Saco, Maine and introduced to racing at a young age. His father, Ray, worked on cars in the NASCAR Busch North Series and often brought his son to the events. In 1984 at the age of 15, Labbe began work on the crew of a Late Model stock car team. Two years later he began working in the NASCAR Busch North Series.[1]

NASCAR career

In 1989, Labbe moved to Hickory, North Carolina to compete in NASCAR’s Busch South Series. Working as a mechanic for NASCAR Busch Series driver Tommy Houston, the team finished second in the NASCAR Busch Series South championship.[1]

In 1991, Labbe moved into the NASCAR Nationwide Series, working with driver Terry Labonte. In three seasons the team captured five victories. When Labonte made the move to NASCAR’s Sprint Cup in 1994, Labbe joined assuming the duties of front tire changer and mechanic for his No. 5 team with Hendrick Motorsports. Labbe became the car chief in his second year with the organization and helped them win the Unocal pit crew championship and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 1996.[1]

In 1998, Labbe joined Robert Yates Racing (RYR) when he was offered the crew chief position for the No. 28 car driven by Kenny Irwin, Jr. He led the team for 29 races.[2] Irwin, Jr. earned the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year that year. Labbe remained at RYR through 2000.[1][3]

In September 2001, Labbe accepted a position with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. becoming the crew chief for the No. 15 car driven by Michael Waltrip. The two year union produced three wins including the 2003 Daytona 500.[1]

In 2005, Labbe moved to Evernham Motorsports and served as crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield. The team won the race at Michigan International Speedway that year and qualified for a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.[1]

Returning to Yates Racing in 2006, Labbe worked with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett for the first 20 races of the season. Labbe missed 4 races that season due to a suspension handed down by NASCAR for an illegal sway bar mount.[4] Labbe spent the first half of 2007 with Sterling Marlin at MB2 Motorsports but then headed to High Point, North Carolina and Bill Davis Racing for the second.[1][5][6]

Labbe began the 2008 season working with Formula One Champion Jacques Villeneuve helping him with the switch from open wheel to NASCAR before sponsorship fell through.[6][7] taking on a coaching role with NASCAR newcomer Scott Speed in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, the Camping World Truck Series and the Sprint Cup Series. Labbe coached Speed to his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at the spring event at Dover International Speedway. Later they earned their first pole at Bristol Motor Speedway that fall.[1]

In 2009, Labbe moved to TRG Motorsports leading David Gilliland in the team’s first season in NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In 2010, he was crew chief for the Richard Petty Motorsports car driven by Paul Menard in his fourth full-season of Sprint Cup.[3][8]

In 2011, Paul and Slugger departed the financially struggling RPM team, to go race at Richard Childress Racing as a fourth team with the number being 27 and Paul bringing the family's namesake with him. Paul will also bring his owners points with RPM and will have a 23rd place in the points for the first five races, locking him in. On July 31 Paul Menard won his first career NSCS race at the Brickyard 400. Guiding Paul through the grueling 160 lap, 400 mile race from 15th on lap 1 to 1st at the finish line. Slugger Labbbe and Paul Menard got to go to victory lane, spray wine, and kiss the bricks. As his crew chief, Slugger and their pit crew have assisted Paul in showing the racing world that The No. 27 Menards Chevrolet crew is a force to be reckoned with.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h http://crewchiefclub.com/html/cc/labbe.htm
  2. ^ http://www.nascar.com/drivers/ccps/slabbe/index.html
  3. ^ a b http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4727231
  4. ^ http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/06/16/djarrett.slabbe.ryates/index.html
  5. ^ http://autoracingsport.com/mb2-motorsports-hires-slugger-labbe/
  6. ^ a b http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup_labbe_looking_for_daytona_mojo/
  7. ^ http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Labbe_Bill_Davis_Racing_part_company.html
  8. ^ http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/cup-menard-teams-with-crew-chief-slugger-labbe/
Sprint Cup Drivers Paul Menard (#27) | Kevin Harvick (#29) | Jeff Burton (#31)
Nationwide Series Drivers Elliott Salder (#2) | Austin Dillon (#3) | Kevin Harvick/Paul Menard/Brendan Gaughan/Tony Stewart (#33)
Camping World Truck Series Drivers Tim George, Jr./Brendan Gaughan (#2) | Ty Dillon (#3) | Joey Coulter (#22)
ARCA Racing Series Drivers Tim George, Jr. (#31)
Driver development program Drivers Ryan Gifford
Partnerships and Affiliations Childress-Howard Motorsports | Earnhardt Ganassi Racing | Eddie Sharp Racing | Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Management/Related Info Richard Childress | Mike Dillon | Dale Earnhardt | Chocolate Myers
Past Winning Drivers Ricky Rudd · Mike Skinner · Jay Sauter · Jeff Purvis · Robby Gordon · Jeff Green · Johnny Sauter · Ron Hornaday · Scott Wimmer · Clint Bowyer