By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
It was a race of attrition at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300, but Alex Labbe was able to score a career-best finish by finishing in the 11th.
In the first half of the race, Labbe was caught up in two accidents on lap six and lap 102, but his team was able to work on the car and make it better throughout.
“We didn’t start out right getting involved in the big wreck. It was hot. We were involved in the second crash on the backstretch. We just kept working. Mario did some awesome calls. The last set of tires we were tight in the middle. It’s pretty awesome to leave here with an 11th place finish,” Labbe said.
Running at Bristol is not what Labbe was used to racing in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series in Canada, but he tapped into that knowledge at Bristol.
“For sure. I was trying to adjust my driving to make the car better. I was trying to stay calm because it was going to be a long race. I didn’t expect it to get wild that early. We kept our calm.”
This race at Bristol was Labbe’s first career race at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile”. Throughout the race, Labbe was running with teams that have more funding like Kaulig Racing and Roush-Fenway Racing.
Labbe knew that him and his team were capable of having a strong run and sees it as a motivation for Richmond next week.
“It means everything. I knew my team and I were capable of having a strong run. On a reality stick, we would have liked to crack the top-15. It’s part of the game. We are going to build on it and come back stronger next weekend in Richmond,” Labbe continued.
Great run for one of the more modestly funded teams.