Terry Labonte

1984, 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion

Born: November 16, 1956
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX
The File: Two-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion. The twelve seasons between his championships (1984 and 1996) is a record. Thos championship seasons were almost identical: Labonte had two wins and 24 top ten finishes in both. Holds the record for consecutive NASCAR Winston Cup starts and has qualified for every NASCAR Winston Cup event since his rookie season of 1979. Finished fourth in NASCAR Winston Cup debut at Southern 500 in 1978 and won the race in 1980.

Depending on who you ask and when you ask them, Terry Labonte is either "the Iceman" or "the Ironman."

NASCAR's all-time leader in consecutive race starts is also one of the tour's calmer champions.

"I've learned a lot about how to race and how to be a professional being around Terry," said Jeff Gordon, Labonte's teammate on Rick Hendrick's team.

Labonte has quietly made his mark on the sport since he started racing quarter-midgets inhis native Texas in 1964 at the age of seven. Although he finished fourth in his NASCAR Winston Cup debut )the Southern 500 of 1978), Labonte was considered a rookie in the talented 1979 class that included Dale Earnhardt and Harry Gant.

Labonte's forte is his consistency. He has finished 54 percent of his starts in the top ten and has failed to finish less than only 10 percent of his starts with Hendrick.

"The secret in NASCAR is tenacity," Labonte once said. "If things aren't going well, it would seem natural to suffer a letdown. But that's when you've got to race smarter than you would when you had a great car under you.

"I've always thought getting a third-place finish with a car that's not working right is just as rewarding as winning with a fast car."

"Terry has to be one of the coolest drivers NASCAR has ever had," said Dale Earnhardt once. "Nothing bothers him."